Nicolas Vandierendonck, the West-Flanders entrepreneur, who together with Olivier Van Oost and Jeffrey Van Hooydonk put in grand performances in both the BRCC and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux has opted to change tack. More than probably in the coming season the Shipex Managing Director will be concentrating on endurance events with a GT3. In the run-up to 2015 he will be at the start of the Gulf 12 Hours of Abu Dhabi. A unique competition, held over twice six hours taking in a three-hour breather in between.

Nicolas Vandierendonck: “During a recent Curbstone test weekend in Mugello I had the opportunity of testing a GLD Racing Mercedes SLS GT3 as also a Krypton Motorsport Porsche 991 Cup. Highly successful, even if I say so myself, and looking to the future that fully substantiates my intentions.  I had been approached earlier by several teams to compete internationally but I had been rather held back due to my commitments in the BRCC with the Ferrari 458 Challenge”.

 “It’s no secret that I want to evolve in the direction of GT3 and together with Jeffrey Van Hooydonk the intention is to continue evolving. All those who know me are fully aware that on both a professional and a sporting level I am a perfectionist, and always want to get the best out of everything. I don’t want to just be a driver with an ‘arrive and drive’ attitude. I need involvement and need to be able to constantly analyse data. That’s the winner instinct in me, and as such in consultation with among others Jeffrey Van Hooydonk, I have been busy with a heavy training programme during the winter period. The basic technique and the lap times are looking good, but now it’s a question of focusing on physical strength and powers of concentration. I feel like a 25 year-old, but having reached the mature age of 51 one feels it when facing heavy exertions. Hence the GULF 12 Hours of Abu Dhabi is a first test in that direction. Together with Wim Everaerts I am also taking my own engineer with me and consequently after the event I will via a debriefing have an insight into my performances at the wheel. During the two six hour races I will also have the time to analyse matters together with Wim. Taking into account GDL Racing’s experience in endurance races such as the 24 Hours of Spa, 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, 12 Hours of Mugello, 24 Hours of Dubai, and so forth, we are definitely going for victory in our Class with one of the team’s Porsche 991 Cup cars. This is a team that appeals to me. The intention is that I compete in more endurance events as also half and full twenty-four hour competitions. For me this is a new challenge and I’m working very hard in that direction. I don’t merely want to be invited by teams because I’m able to bring a budget, but also because of my qualities as a driver with a healthy understanding of set-ups and data logging”.

Together with Olivier Van Oost of Powercars and Jeffrey Van Hooydonk in 2014 Nicolas completed a full BRCC season with his Ferrari 458 Challenge and DVB Racing. A season with its ups and downs.

“I learned an enormous amount in 2014,” Nicolas continued. “Having promptly won the first competition we were rather overconfident. We had a real chance of clinching the title, but we weren’t immune from problems. Notwithstanding the enormous efforts and the dogged determination of the entire team Lady Luck was not always on our side. We experienced some technical bad luck as also several crashes whereby our championship was heavily mortgaged. I paid a premium, but came out of it far wiser and more mature. I definitely don’t look upon 2014 as a lost year. We’re now working hard on the future and taking into account my age I must do it now”, a driven and highly motivated Nicolas Vandierendonck concluded.