Two-time rally car world champion Kalle Rovanperä raced for the first time in track car racing.
Two-time rally car world champion Kalle Rovanperä finished fourth in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux race on Saturday in Zandvoort, Holland.
The Finn, who made his debut in track racing, was left behind by the Dutchman who drove to victory About Dirk Schouten 7.0735 seconds. Second, the compatriot of the overall winner Niels Langeveld.
The first start had to be repeated because Rovanperä, who started alongside Rovanperä, started fourth Domas Raudonis the car shut down on the way out, and Thomas Kangro ran into him from the side. Crashes and scrap collection caused drivers to wait more than half an hour.
Rovanperä, who started third in the restart, immediately came under heavy pressure. In the opening rounds as well Robin Knutsson that Paul Meijer overtook the Finn, derailing Rovanperä for fifth.
Also Colin Jamie Böninghausen harassed Rovanpera for a while, but had to give up his intention.
In the last ten minutes, Kalle found his pace and clocked the fastest lap of the competition in the eighth lap – 1.38.219.
The 23-year-old Finn put pressure on Meijer for a long time and finally overtook the Dutchman, who fiercely defended his position, with his skillful performance.
In the last corners of the race, Rovanperä was able to pass the Swede Robin Knutsson, who was in third place, and was only 0.129 seconds behind the podium place.
On Sunday in Zandvoort there will be another race in the morning starting at 10:35.
The Finnish star is scheduled to run four races in the track car series this season. The next competition is scheduled in Imola on the 5th–7th. July.