Resurfacing work starts at Dutch Rucphen track

Well known Dutch onroad track Rucphen, and home of veteran 1:8 Onroad racer turned livestream commentator John Ermen, is getting a new surface after 21-years of racing on the current one.  Ground works has started ahead of the new asphalt being laid next week, this will be the third resurfacing of the track since it was build in 1985.  Last surfaced in 2001, that project overseen by Ermen’s late father, one of the first challenges of the latest project was securing an contractor.  Talking to 5 different companies, 3 didn’t feel they could meet the technical spec required by the club – not all asphalt is equal.  With the M.A.C. de Baanbrekers club founded in 1978, and made up of 110 members and growing, the Rucphen track is popular with 1:5 racers with Ermen saying they have a very specific asphalt they require to accommodate all classes plus it needs to be super flat.  A host of 1:10 and 1:8 Onroad European Championships plus 1:5 EFRA GPs, the track has a current contract to host Euro Nitro Series race til 2030.  As part of the track upgrades, the club are building new curbs with greater infield coverage to stop 1:5 cars from running over the grass and bringing dirt on to the track.  The track will also lay seven timing loops to give the track a host of race data.  This will be made up of a primary and backup loop, three sectors, a speed trap, plus pit in and pit out loops.  With each requiring its only transponder the club are keen to anyone who might like to sponsor a decoder.  Working together Pullstart.tv for broading events, they are planning to integrate an overlay each drivers the pit stop times on the feed.  Choosing the start of the off season to do the works and then giving the surface tome to settle before the new season, Ermen said the hope to have all the work completed by October.

Source: John Erman/M.A.C. de Baanbrekers [Facebook]