By IRRC 2025 activities loading, loading, loading. The famed European roads series returns this week to the Netherlands top active real roads circuit, the Varsselring.
In total 17 races are poised for the two-day event, which marks 57 years of roads scene thrills at Hengelo.
Recent Briggs Equipment Northwest 200 participants competing include RVS Motorsport’s Erno Kostamo, Performance Racing Achterhoek’s Adam McLean, Laurent Hoffmann, Mauro Poncini, Ilja Caljouw and Never Be Clever Racing’s Darryl Tweed, Rhys Hardisty.
Aces from last weekend’s 62nd 300 Curves of Gustav Havel, primed for season-opening IRRC contests include:
Gary Johnson (Team Schleizer Dreieck), Nico Muller, Johannes Schwimmbeck, Sebastian Frotscher (Team Schleizer Dreieck), Petr Najman, five times/reigning Supersport Champion Marek Cerveny and Jamie Williams.
Last year’s Hengelo races edition, saw circuit newcomer, the late, great Luca Salvadori record a new outright lap-record (1.45.259) plus unofficial all-time lap record set during qualifying (1.45.033).
IRRC Supersport lap-record holder Jorn Hamberg (1.49.591), competes this weekend as a wildcard in Supersport races and will have one eye on clinching the best overall middleweight category time in history, presently held by Raymond Schouten (1.49.452 – set in 2010).
Local riders Bart Roenhorst and Tom Kreunen (Team Hengelo) are fulfilling a dream, in making their meeting debuts.
Above showcased, 2024 IRRC Supersport Championship runner-up Adam McLean, additionally makes his Hengelo debut.
The live stream of IRRC Hengelo, support races will be on the You Tube channel (same as for last weeks 300 Curves of Gustav Havel- Horice) of Czech company, Sport Marketing System.
IRRC Hengelo Itinerary, is as follows:
Friday, 16th May:
7:00-08:00 PM – Meet and greet with riders at Hengelo city centre (start of bikes parade from Hengelo windmill ‘Varsselse Molen’ )
Saturday, 17th May:
First Qualifying Sessions
08:30-08:50 AM – NK Classics – IHRO
08:55-09:15 AM – BeNeLux Trophy – BK Supersport
09:20-09:40 AM – Camathias Cup (Classic Sidecars)
09:45-10:05 AM – BeNeLux Trophy – BK Superbike
10:10-10:30 AM – Two Strokes
10:40-11:00 AM – IRRC Supersport
11:05-11:25 AM – Belgian Twin Trophy
11:30-11:50 AM – IRRC Superbike
11:55-12:15 PM – Northern Sidecar Cup NK-BK
Second Qualifying Sessions
12:30-12:50 PM – NK Classics – IHRO
12:55-1:15 PM – BeNeLux Trophy – BK Supersport
1:20-1:40 PM – Camathias Cup (Classic Sidecars)
1:45-2:05 PM – BeNeLux Trophy – BK Superbike
2:10-2:30 PM – Two Strokes
2:40-3:00 PM – IRRC Supersport
3:05-3:25 PM – Belgian Twin Trophy
3:30-3:50 PM – IRRC Superbike
3:55-4:15 PM – Northern Sidecar Cup NK-BK
Opening Races
4:30 PM – NK Classics – IHRO Race 1 – 7 Laps
5:00 PM – BeNeLux Trophy – BK Supersport Race 1 – 9 Laps
5:30 PM – Camathias Cup (Classic Sidecars) Race 1 – 7 Laps
5:50 PM – End of Qualifying/ Races: Prize Giving Ceremony
Sunday, 18th May:
09:00 AM – Two Strokes Warm Up Session
09:25 AM – BeNeLux Trophy – BK Superbike Race 1 – 9 Laps
09:55 AM – Belgian Twin Trophy Race 1 – 9 Laps
10:30 AM – IRRC Supersport Race 1 – 9 Laps
11:00 AM – Northern Sidecar Cup NK-BK Race 1 – 9 Laps
11:50 AM – IRRC Superbike Race 1 – 9 Laps
12:20 PM – NK Classics – IHRO Race 2 – 9 Laps
12:50 PM – BeNeLux Trophy – BK Supersport Race 2 – 9 Laps
1:20 PM – Camathias Cup (Classic Sidecars) Race 2 – 7 Laps
1:50 PM – BeNeLux Trophy – BK Superbike Race 2 – 9 Laps
2:35 PM – Two Strokes Race – 9 Laps
3:10 PM – IRRC Supersport Race 2 – 9 Laps
3:40 PM – Belgian Twin Trophy Race 2 – 9 Laps
4:15 PM – IRRC Superbike Race 2 – 9 Laps
4:45 PM – Northern Sidecar Cup Race 2 – 9 Laps
An added bonus, the current race lap record holders per class at Circuit De Varsselring, Hengelo.
(Year lap record attained near racer’s name)
IRRC Superbike: Luca Salvadori – 1:45.259 plus unofficial all-time lap record set during qualifying 1:45.033 (2024)
BeNeLux Trophy Superbike: Arie Vos – 1:45.633 (2014)
BeNeLux Trophy Supersport: Raymond Schouten – 1:49.452 (2010)
IRRC Supersport: Jorn Hamberg – 1:49.591 (2023)
Northern Sidecar Cup: Tim Reeves / Gregory Cluze – 1:54.874 (2014)
Super Twins / Belgian Twin Trophy: Andrea Majola – 1:56.927 (2021)
Two Strokes: Luke Notton – 2:03.513 (2019)
Classics IHRO: Luke Notton – 2:05.304 (2015)
Camathias Cup (Classic Sidecars): Marvin Vermeulen / Jouk Hahn – 2:18.752 (2022)
Photo credit: Thijs Van Der Horst
Words by Stevie Rial, Jan Vavra
