The second half of the Crown Racing Series season kicks off at the legendary Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. Nestled in the Ardennes forest, Spa is a circuit which tests the drivers' reflexes and ability to master tricky conditions where one part of the track is dry, and another is wet. Nicolai Pedersen heads into Spa as the championship having passed Youp de Vos late on to take second behind off-track friend Gregory Hovesen, who took the honours last time out at Daytona. Balazs Erdelyi lies seven points behind Pedersen in the standings but has yet to reach the podium, something which the young Hungarian hopes to put right at Spa. Meanwhile, the Beneluxian contingent will be well represented with de Vos, Luciano Witvoet and David Bozga all hoping to make a good impression at their home track. But what storylines should fans look out for at the Spa?
Pedersen’s chance to buck the trend
Three races, three different winners, but with the second half of the season promising even more drama, it seems inevitable the series will have its first two-time winner. One driver who looks a good bet to buck the trend is Pedersen, having built a seven-point cushion in the championship courtesy of his second place at Daytona. Pedersen’s second place was aided in part by him and Hovesen working together during the race, allowing them to reel in de Vos in the closing laps to secure a Ford 1-2. But with Spa having fewer slipstream zones than Daytona, the Mustangs won’t have it as easy, even if Pedersen’s record of finishing every inside of the top five is likely to remain intact.
Will Erdélyi crack the podium?
The only other driver to have finished inside the top five in every race so far this season is Erdélyi, who has showcased strong consistency by achieving a trio of fourth-place finishes. But while consistency has made Erdelyi a major threat in the championship race, the Hungarian will be keen to finally end his podium hoodoo after another near miss at Daytona. Starting from fourth, the Hungarian remained in touch with the leaders early on, only for a slow pitstop to drop him to fifth, costing him a shot at the rostrum, eventually finishing fourth again. Now second in the standings, Erdelyi goes into Spa with the motivation to finally crack the top three and maybe the middle step of the rostrum.
Bozga’s home outing
Having finished inside the top five at Silverstone and Fuji, Bozga came to Daytona hoping to not only stretch his championship lead but also secure a maiden series victory. But it wasn’t to be for Bozga as he went round at the start, slamming into the wall hard enough to put him out of the race on the spot and with it losing the championship lead. However, Spa is home turf for Bozga, and with the Ferraris set to be closer to the Fords, the Belgian will be another driver to keep an eye out on Sunday. Spa is also a de facto home race for de Vos and Witvoet, both of whom had solid outings in Daytona, and will be hoping to be in the mix here as well to boost their championship bids.
SPA Day
With its reputation as a driver’s favourite, Spa will be a major test for car and driver with corners such as Eau Rouge, Blanchimont, and Pouhon all proving difficult to master. The Ford Mustangs held a major straightline speed advantage at Daytona, but with Spa featuring a slew of tight, twisty corners, the mid-engined Ferraris and rear engined Porsches should be strong too. Although the forecast at Spa is set to be dry, the Ardennes forest is known for its four-seasons-in-a-day micro climate, meaning the prospect of rain simply cannot be ruled out.
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