DHG Racing delivered an outstanding performance at the Dutch Historic Grand Prix on the legendary Zandvoort circuit. In front of a packed home crowd, the team competed in three different classes, claimed victory three times, and brought home a total of five trophies, making it one of their most successful outings of the season.
The weekend’s highlight was undoubtedly the Masters Gentleman Drivers race, a 90-minute endurance battle for GT and touring cars from the 1960s. DHG Racing entered three cars in this race: the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe driven by David and Olivier Hart, the Shelby Cobra 289 shared by Bram Bontrup and Bas Jansen, and the iconic Ford Mustang driven by Bernard van Oranje and his son Samuel, who competed in the Masters Pre-66 Touring Car category.
Despite suffering from fuel-pump issues in qualifying, the Daytona secured a strong fourth-fastest time, just behind the Cobra 289 in third. At the start of the race, David Hart made an electric getaway in the Daytona, charging to the lead by lap 18. After the pit stop, Olivier Hart took over and engaged in a thrilling, stint-long battle with the Ferrari 250 GTO of former Mercedes factory driver Yelmer Buurman. The two cars ran nose-to-tail for nearly 30 minutes, with Buurman applying intense pressure throughout.
Then the rain arrived.
Olivier adapted immediately to the slippery conditions and began pulling away. In just the final 15 minutes, he created a commanding 12-second gap, sealing a spectacular victory. It was one of the most intense and satisfying battles of the season, made even more special by the roar of support from friends and fans around the circuit.
Meanwhile, the Cobra 289 of Bram and Bas delivered a strong and consistent drive. Bram stayed with the lead pack through the opening stint, and Bas remained composed under pressure during the rain-soaked final laps to bring the car home in third place. It was a brilliant team performance that secured a well-earned double podium for DHG Racing.
Also on track in the same race, Bernard van Oranje and his son Samuel delivered an impressive run in the team’s Ford Mustang. Competing in the Masters Pre-66 class, they were running third in class and showing great form before a technical issue sadly forced them to retire. Despite the disappointment, their presence under the DHG banner on home ground was a proud moment for the team.
In the Masters Endurance Legends category, for modern GT and prototype machinery, David and Olivier Hart shared the Renault RS 01. The car, which delivers performance between a GT3 and an LMP2, showed its strength with a front-row lockout in qualifying, placing first and second. An exhaust failure in Race 1 dropped them a lap behind, but they recovered to finish fifth overall and second in class. In Race 2, the RS 01 ran flawlessly and crossed the line second overall and first in class, finishing just behind a full-spec LMP Corvette. It was an excellent result in a highly competitive field.
In Masters Sportscar Legends, DHG Racing’s Lola T70 MK3B was untouchable. David and Olivier led qualifying by a wide margin, and the car’s dominance continued in the races. They took two commanding wins, the first by 20 seconds and the second by an even larger margin. The performance of the Lola highlighted the team’s level of preparation and execution all weekend.
Overall, the home race at Zandvoort was a resounding success. With three victories, five trophies, and incredible support from Dutch fans, DHG Racing leaves Zandvoort proud and motivated for the next challenge.
