Buxthude

ADAC XC CUP Estering: A Final Junior Chapter

Last weekend in Buxtehude marked the closing rounds of the ADAC XC Cup and my last time competing in the Junior class. It was a weekend filled with tough battles, valuable lessons, and a bittersweet farewell to this chapter of my racing journey. Here’s how the action unfolded:

Saturday: Round 5

My first time on the legendary Estering track, and I quickly found my rhythm. Qualifying went well, putting me in P2 for the heats. Each race was packed with battles, and despite a few minor issues later in the day, I ended the final with a P3finish.

Results Recap:

🟡 Qualification: P2
🟡 Heat 1: P2
🟡 Heat 2: P2
🟡 Heat 3: P3
🟡 Final: P3

The highlight of the day was pushing hard against the competition and proving my pace. Even with some challenges, the podium finish felt rewarding.

Sunday: Round 6

Sunday brought its own set of challenges. I qualified P3, but from the start, I struggled to keep up with the front runners. Heat 1 turned into a disaster when I crashed in the joker lap, resulting in a DNF. Despite this setback, I refocused and pushed through Heat 2 and Heat 3, securing P3 in both.

In the final, I had a great start and fought hard to maintain my position, ultimately finishing P3 again.

Results Recap:

🟡 Qualification: P3
🟡 Heat 1: DNF
🟡 Heat 2: P3
🟡 Heat 3: P3
🟡 Final: P3

Reflecting on the Weekend

The results may not have gone entirely my way, but Estering taught me a lot about racing under pressure and adapting to new challenges. This track demanded precise handling and quick decision-making, which I’ll carry forward as I move up to the senior class next season.

Key Takeaways:

• Adaptability is everything: The joker lap mishap on Sunday was a tough pill to swallow, but it reminded me how important it is to stay composed after a setback.

• Pushing through challenges pays off: Both finals resulted in a podium, proving that consistent effort can make a big difference.

Next Chapter: Senior Class Awaits!

With the Junior class now behind me, I’m excited to take the next step in my racing career. The senior class brings new challenges, faster competition, and a chance to elevate my game.

A big thanks to my team, supporters, and everyone who has been part of my Junior class journey. The future is bright, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Stay tuned—bigger battles and new adventures are on the horizon!

- Thijmen Houben

Valkenswaard

Back on Home Soil: Racing Two Cars, One Weekend

Returning to home soil, I took on the unique challenge of racing two cars in one weekend: my trusty LifeLive TN05 EVO and a BMW 318 E30—the latter previously owned by Bart Bel and supported by ADM. The weekend was a whirlwind of highs and lows, with lessons learned and moments of triumph. Here's how it all unfolded.

ADAC XC CUP: LifeLive TN05 EVO

The ADAC XC Cup kicked off with promising results in qualifying.

Qualifying:

I secured P1, but it turned out to be false hope. Jordan Genten, unfortunately, forgot to qualify, meaning his true pace wasn’t reflected yet.

Heat 1:

I had the lead until the joker lap, where Jordan's speed on his joker outlap allowed him to overtake me. Finished P2.

Heat 2:

A similar story unfolded here. Starting from P2, I held my position throughout and brought it home in second place again.

Heat 3:

This time, a mistake in the joker lap cost me, and I ended up in P3.

Final:

I started P3 but had the pace to challenge. On the first lap, I overtook the car in P2 and held the position firmly until the checkered flag. Finished P2!

While I didn’t claim the win, the performance was consistent, and there’s always something to build on.

DRX: BMW 318 E30

Driving the BMW was a whole different beast. It was heavier and slower than most of the competition, but we still managed to put up a fight.

Qualifying:

Qualified P8 out of 12 drivers—not the result we wanted, but with mechanical issues already surfacing, it was still a solid effort.

Heats 1, 2, and 3:

Across all three heats, I managed P7. The car faced constant mechanical problems, but the team worked tirelessly to get it back on track for every session.

Final:

I started P8, at the back of the grid. The first lap was chaotic, with a flip causing a red flag and delaying the race by 20 minutes. This gave us time to fasten my seat and throttle pedal, which had come loose before the start.

However, avoiding the initial crash forced me into the sand, where I likely picked up debris, causing a puncture. Despite requesting a tire switch for the worn rear tires earlier (which wasn’t approved), I pushed on with a puncture.

In the restart, I overtook one car and managed to hold P4 for most of the race—even with the puncture! Ultimately, I had to retire, but a post-race DQ for another driver bumped me to P5, earning me a trophy for my first-ever car race!

Weekend Reflection

LifeLive TN05 EVO:

A consistent weekend with a solid P2 finish in the final. While I couldn’t clinch the top spot, the car felt great, and the results showed that we’re competitive.

BMW 318 E30:

The BMW was a challenge, both mechanically and performance-wise, but I’m proud of what we achieved. Managing P5with a puncture in my first-ever car race was a testament to persistence and adaptability.

Lessons Learned:

• Trust your instincts—if I had pushed harder for that tire change, the final might have been a different story.

• Even in adversity, there’s always room to shine. Driving with a puncture and still competing was a personal victory.

Looking back, the weekend was a mix of challenges and successes. Racing two very different cars was a fantastic experience, and I’m already looking forward to the next race weekend!

Thanks to everyone who supported me, especially the ADM team, for keeping the BMW running and making this adventure possible.

Stay tuned for more updates, and as always, keep pushing the limits!

- Thijmen Houben

Oschersleben

Oschersleben, A first for the ADAC XC CUP. And it is something different for me, Autocross! So no joker and no asphalt. Which made it harder for me but still had a blast driving here. And a new car! TN05 EVO!

I was participating in 2 different championships, ADAC XC CUP and the Sieben Bergen Pokal (which is the local championship). In both qualifying I qualified P2 behind Jordan Genten (not a surprise), but it was a surprise because all the other guys had already driven here and it was my first time there, so we had pace immediately!

First heats for the ADAC was disappointing I drove P2 the whole heat until the last lap… I crashed but still managed to finish P3. In the SBP I drove and finished from P2.

Second Heat, This was on sunday and everything went from bad to worse… First heat for the ADAC I had much trouble with the conditions and finished P4. In the Sieben Bergen Pokal I was still struggling but remained in P3.

Third Heat, In the ADAC everything went wrong, after a tap on the back I flipped multiple times really destroying my car, but luckily the mechanics managed to fix it before the SBP. In the SBP even though I still had some minor damage I followed P2 closely during the Heat but had no opportunity to overtake finishing P3.

Finals: In the ADAC I had a really bad start which resulted me going to last in the first corner, but I still managed to finish P4 in the Final. In the SBP The same story but finished P3.

Not how we wanted the weekend to end… Even though it was my first time there. But we learned and on to the next one!

Big thanks to all the mechanics including Brayn Ritzen and LifeLive Germany.

Grundautalring

Grundau, A bit of familiar ground for me… a full asphalted track, but again I havent been here before. A new and strong competitor joined the grid Jordan Genten, former European Champion and multiple time podium in this year in the European championship.

Saturday, Race 1

In qualifying I qualified second, and the following heats I continued to finish second but close to Genten. nothing much happend that day.

Sunday, Race 2

Again I qualified second, and heat 1 and 2 had great battles with Jordan Genten on the track but finished both second. In the third heat I made a little mistake in the joker and that cost me the second place and finished third that race, But after penalty for Henschell I had second place again! In the final I also finished second but it wasn’t easy, I had led 4 laps in the race but still needed to take the joker lap, on the penultimate lap I took it and was driving third again, in one of the last corners I Launched my car for a deep dive and made it stick! Secured second place again!

A great weekend for me and the team, But the last time with this car. Next race I get a new car which will hopefully be faster!

Schluchtern

My second race of the season! I was excited because I had never driven on the track and never raced against the competitors. We started qualification on Saturday, P3, Great for my first ever time there! Heat 1, Had a great start and drove in P1 until I got overtaken by Henri Haaf, he had already driven multiple times on the track so that wasn’t too bad. Then unfortunately I spun on the penultimate lap and also Ben Henschell could overtake me… P3 in heat 1. Heat 2 went horrible, my start again was great I was P2 the first lap but the second lap I made a mistake Giving Ben Henschell the chance to overtake me, the same lap I tried to get a great exit in the last corner but that went horribly wrong, I flipped and that was the end of the weekend… Unfortunately the DMSB Had told us to go home because my car wasn’t safe anymore… (same week we went to the manufacturer and they fixed the little dent and the car was nearly new!) That was the end of the weekend. Unfortunately I couldn’t finish the first race on Saturday and could not compete on Sunday.

But most importantly we learned a lot!