By Short circuit based; the Jules Tacheny Circuit in Mettet in Belgium is located close to the French border.
Races have been held on the circuit (based near old street circuit) since 2010 and last weekend it hosted the traditional RAC Trophy races.
2015, 2017 IRRC Superbike Champion Sebastien Le Grelle is still the lap record holder since 2006 on the now abandoned old ‘road racing circuit’ and this man was also the main actor of last weekends’ races in Mettet – two times race victor of WBB Challenge races, one win in BeNeLux Superbike Trophy, third in the opening SBK encounter.
He was supplemented in the top five ranking (BeNeLux Superbike races) by the following riders with varying degrees of roads scene experience.
Lambrechts (Hengelo sub 1.50 second lap-time member), Yan Ancia (Chimay sub 1.40 and Hengelo sub 1.50 second lap-time member), Cedric Fievet (also experiences with Chimay races) and Erwan Bannwart from Switzerland (former IRRC Supersport participant and fastest Swiss exponent of Boecourt La Caquerelle Hill Climb).
Added racers to have dabbled with roads outings participating in the Superbike category at Mettet included Kees Boekel, Mike Parmentier and Fredrik Matthys, all of them were IRRC races wild card entrants at Hengelo this May.
Both, BeNeLux Supersport trophy wins went to Jef Van Carlster, young talented rider from IDM Supersport, announced wildcard rider in start list for IRRC Races in Hengelo but in the end, he did not arrive to race at the Netherlands most acclaimed active roads venue.
There were additional road race experienced riders, taking in the middleweight class races, Joshua Huertas Y Broes, Wouter De Cooman (Chimay participants), also raced at Hengelo a fortnight ago. Roy Muzzoni, Jonathan Lesceux, known from their multiple Chimay Open Trophy starts, were additionally in attendance.
Ran within the RAC Trophy itinerary, the Classic Endurance 4 Hours of Liege featured Ulster GP podium finish, former TT Races pilot, Frohburger Dreieck, Varsselring, Circuit De Chimay specialist Marc Fissette.
Alongside Olivier Russon on ZXR 750 Kawasaki tackle, he finished second overall.
R3/R7 Yamaha Cup, Belgian Twin Trophy races included reigning Champion Sander Claessen, Benjamin Vanacker, Christophe Carlier, Herman Verboven, Bruno Gohy and 2013 Superbike IRRC Vice-Champion Nicky De Wit.
Photo credit: Michael Wincott
Words by Jan Vavra
