Spa-Francorchamps, 28 September 2026. The fourth of five rounds of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Benelux brought the teams and drivers to the Belgian Ardennes, at the magnificent Spa-Francorchamps circuit. On the challenging track, young Dutch newcomer Xavier van der Schoot made his mark with a clean hat-trick. Philipp Thomas (Team GP Elite) also claimed three victories in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport class and was immediately crowned 2026 champion. The championship finale, where the overall and GT3 Cup titles will be decided, will take place on 23 October in Assen in the north of the Netherlands.
The participants opened the day at 9:00 in the morning in the Ardennes, with a battle against the clock. Xavier van der Schoot immediately made his presence felt with two pole positions. At the wheel of his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – Type 992.2 – he was fastest ahead of Ivan Dobik (HADECA RACING) in the first session and Frederic Ancel (Ancel Motorsport) in the second.
As always this season, three races were on the schedule, with two 25-minute sprints and one 45-minute race to close out the day. While there was little anyone could do against Xavier van der Schoot in the first race, the battle for all other positions was intense behind him. Ivan Dobik and Rey King (WDP by NGT Racing) fought closely for second and third, while a strong group of five drivers behind them battled for the remaining honours.
Behind van der Schoot, Dobik finished second, ahead of King. Young Belgian talent Wouter Manderveld (Mama’s Nightmare) crossed the line in fourth, just five tenths ahead of Frederic Ancel. Nick Hunter (Team GP Elite) and Pierre Clay (NGT Racing) fought their own battle as title contenders, finishing sixth and seventh respectively, ahead of Alexandre Rasse (MRS Garage), who showed impressive pace. Philipp Thomas won his class, ahead of the car shared by the Rabot-Cardia family.
“I really enjoyed myself,” said van der Schoot. “I don’t have that much experience in motorsport yet. I took my first steps in the Mazda MX-5 Cup, but now I’m fully focused on the Porsche competitions. After this first experience, I’m already really looking forward to what comes next!”
Van der Schoot strongest again, Manderveld impressively second
The second sprint once again went to van der Schoot, this time ahead of Wouter Manderveld and Nick Hunter, following another highly entertaining race. Frederic Ancel and Pierre Clay claimed the remaining top-five positions, followed by Rey King, Alexandre Rasse and Ivan Dobik. Caspar Hogeboom and Guido Schmitt, both representing Team GP Elite, completed the top ten in the GT3 Cup. Philipp Thomas claimed his second class victory of the day.
Wouter Manderveld was understandably very pleased: “The Porsche is a fantastic car and I would like to continue developing in the Porsche competitions. That is why I also competed in several races in this great championship this season.”
Hat-trick for van der Schoot, title for Thomas
Last but not least came the 45-minute race, once again proving to be right up van der Schoot’s street. Behind him, the battle was intense, with three drivers separated by just four seconds for second, third and fourth. Ancel eventually took second place, ahead of Manderveld and King. Alexandre Rasse finished fifth for his best result of his debut in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Benelux, while Dobik came home sixth, followed by Nick Hunter and Pierre Clay. The Frenchman remains the leader in the overall standings, but Hunter still has every chance of taking the title in Assen.
With another victory, Philipp Thomas secured the title in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport class.
See you on 23 October in Assen in the north of the Netherlands for the final meeting of the season!
