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Eric van de Poele

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Eric van de Poele
Born (1961-09-30) 30 September 1961 (age 63)
Verviers, Liège, Belgium
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityBelgium Belgian
Active years19911992
TeamsModena, Brabham, Fondmetal
Entries29 (5 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1991 United States Grand Prix
Last entry1992 Italian Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years1992, 1994, 19961998, 20002002, 20082010
TeamsClayton Cunninghman Racing, Racing for Belgium/Team Scandia, Nissan Motorsports/TWR, Doyle-Risi Racing, Team Cadillac, Team Bentley, Krohn Racing
Best finish3rd (2001)
Class wins3 (1998, 2001, 2002)

Eric Francis Edouard Ghislain Thérèse van de Poele[1] (French pronunciation: [e.ʁik vɑn pwal, -pwɛl]; born 30 September 1961) is a Belgian racing driver and former Formula One driver. He participated in 29 Grands Prix, in 1991 and 1992. He is a three-times class winner at 24 Hours of Le Mans, and won three Formula 3000 races in 1990. Before his Formula One career, he won the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft.

Driving career

[edit]

After a difficult 1984 season in French Formula Three, van de Poele then won the Belgian and Benelux Formula Ford titles, also racing in the Belgian Touring Car Championship.[2] He subsequently raced in German Touring Cars Championships, winning the 1987 championship despite not winning a race all season.[3] He also won the 1987 Spa 24 Hours, sharing a car with Didier Theys and Jean-Michel Martin.[3] He also dabbled in British Formula 3. For 1989, he moved up to Formula 3000, finishing fourth, and then runner-up in 1990.

After this, he signed for the Modena Formula One team for 1991, driving their Lamborghini cars thanks to backing from long-time sponsors LeasePlan. He qualified onto the grid at his third attempt, for the 1991 San Marino Grand Prix. There he impressed in the rain, running fifth in the last lap before the car ran out of fuel, dropping him to ninth. The team, in financial difficulties, was unable to build on this success, and van de Poele would not race again that year.

He then signed for Brabham in 1992, but the team were low on money. He qualified for the opening South African Grand Prix, finishing 13th, but did not manage to qualify the outdated car again. He frequently matched team-mate Damon Hill in the other Brabham, however. For the Hungarian Grand Prix he switched to the promising Fondmetal team. He qualified the car at the first attempt, only to spin out. He then started an excellent 15th for the Belgian Grand Prix, finishing 10th, and qualified again for the Italian Grand Prix, only for the clutch to break. After this, Fondmetal also hit money troubles and withdrew, leaving van de Poele without a drive.

Van de Poele driving the Doyle-Risi Racing Ferrari 333 SP during the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.

Aside from a largely unused capacity as test driver for Tyrrell in 1993, van de Poele has since found considerable success in Touring Cars and sports cars, winning the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1995 and 1996 and the Petit Le Mans in 1998. He has also added to his 1987 win in the Spa 24 Hours with four more wins in 1998, 2005, 2006 and 2008, giving him the record of five wins in the event.[4] In 2008, van de Poele competed in the Rolex Sports Car Series.

Racing record

[edit]

Complete German Formula Three results

[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Engine Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Pts Ref
1987 Hartge Motorsport VW A NÜR
12
AVU
DNS
ZOL
8
HOC
6
ÖST SIE NÜR
5
NÜR
14
ZOL
3
11th 29 [5][6]

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft results

[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Pos. Pts
1987 Zakspeed BMW Team BMW M3 HOC
2
ZOL
10
NÜR
4
AVU
4
MFA
8
NOR
6
NÜR
8
WUN
3
DIE
2
SAL
10
1st 127
1988 BMW M Team Linder BMW M3 Evo ZOL
1
ZOL
2
HOC
1
HOC
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
BRN
1
BRN
2
AVU
1
AVU
2
MFA
1
MFA
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
NOR
1
NOR
2
WUN
1
WUN
2
SAL
1
SAL
2
HUN
1
HUN
2
HOC
1

6
HOC
2

Ret
34th 13
1989 BMW Faltz Essen BMW M3 Evo ZOL
1
ZOL
2
HOC
1
HOC
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
MFA
1
MFA
2
AVU
1
AVU
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
NOR
1

15
NOR
2

DNS
HOC
1
HOC
2
DIE
1
DIE
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
HOC
1
HOC
2
39th 4
1990 BMW M Team Schnitzer BMW M3 Sport Evo ZOL
1
ZOL
2
HOC
1
HOC
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
AVU
1
AVU
2
MFA
1
MFA
2
WUN
1
WUN
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
NOR
1
NOR
2
DIE
1
DIE
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
HOC
1

15
HOC
2

10
32nd 1
Source:[7][8][9]

Complete International Formula 3000 results

[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pos. Pts
1989 Players/GA Motorsports/Colt Racing Lola T89/50 Cosworth SIL
6
VAL
3
PAU
Ret
JER
4
PER
Ret
BRH
Ret
BIR
14
SPA
4
BUG
2
DIJ
5
5th 19
1990 GA Motorsport Reynard 90D Cosworth DON
6
SIL
5
PAU
1
JER
9
MNZ
9
PER
Ret
HOC
Ret
BRH
Ret
BIR
1
BUG
10
NOG
1
2nd 30
Source:[7][8]

Complete Formula One results

[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 WDC Pts
1991 Modena Team SpA Lambo 291 Lamborghini 3512 3.5 V12 USA
DNPQ
BRA
DNPQ
SMR
9†
MON
DNPQ
CAN
DNPQ
MEX
DNPQ
FRA
DNPQ
GBR
DNPQ
GER
DNQ
HUN
DNQ
BEL
DNQ
ITA
DNQ
POR
DNQ
ESP
DNQ
JPN
DNQ
AUS
DNQ
NC 0
1992 Motor Racing Developments Brabham BT60B Judd GV 3.5 V10 RSA
13
MEX
DNQ
BRA
DNQ
ESP
DNQ
SMR
DNQ
MON
DNQ
CAN
DNQ
FRA
DNQ
GBR
DNQ
GER
DNQ
NC 0
Fondmetal Fondmetal GR02 Ford HBA5 3.5 V8 HUN
Ret
BEL
10
ITA
Ret
POR JPN AUS
Source:[7][8][10]

† Driver did not finish the race, but were still classified as they completed 90% of the race distance.

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Pos. Pts
1994 Old Spice Nissan Racing Nissan Primera eGT THR
1

13
BRH
1

DNS
BRH
2

DNS
SNE
1

9
SIL
1

13
SIL
2

12
OUL
1

14
DON
1

17
DON
2

13
BRH
1

14
BRH
2

12
SIL
1

DNS
KNO
1
KNO
2
OUL
1
BRH
1
BRH
2
SIL
1
SIL
2
DON
1
DON
2
22nd 2
Sources:[8][9][11]

Complete Spanish Touring Car Championship results

[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 DC Pts
1995 Team Repsol Nissan Nissan Primera JER
1

3
JER
2

Ret
JAR
1

2
JAR
2

8
BAR
1

2
BAR
2

1
EST
1

4
EST
2

2
ALB
1

Ret
ALB
2

5
CAL
1

1
CAL
2

4
ALB
1

3
ALB
2

10
JER
1

4
JER
2

4
BAR
1

1
BAR
2

1
JAR
1
JAR
2
3rd 204
1996 Team Repsol Nissan Nissan Primera JAR
1

5
JAR
2

1
ALB
1

4
ALB
2

2
BAR
1

4
BAR
2

Ret
EST
1

9
EST
2

7
CAL
1

4
CAL
2

8
JER
1

3
JER
2

2
JAR
1

Ret
JAR
2

8
BAR
1

7
BAR
2

1
5th 139
Source:[11]

24 Hours of Spa results

[edit]
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1985 Belgium Hoflijk Sport Team Belgium Guy Hendrickx
Belgium Freek Staal
Opel Manta GTE Div.2 DNF DNF
1986 Italy CiBiEmme Sport Belgium Jean-Michel Martin
Belgium Pascal Witmeur
BMW 635 CSi Div.3 489 DNF DNF
1987 Belgium Waterloo Motors Belgium Jean-Michel Martin
Belgium Didier Theys
BMW M3 Div.2 481 1st 1st
1988 Germany BMW Motorsport Germany Harald Grohs
Germany Markus Oestreich
BMW M3 Div.2 477 9th 5th
1991 Italy Bastos Castrol Team Bigazzi Italy Emanuele Pirro
Italy Roberto Ravaglia
BMW M3 Div.2 DNF DNF
1992 Italy BMW Fina Bastos Team Bigazzi Germany Altfrid Heger
Germany Joachim Winkelhock
BMW M3 DTM 512 2nd 2nd
1993 United Kingdom Toyota Racing UK United Kingdom Julian Bailey
United Kingdom Will Hoy
Toyota Carina E GTi FISA 2L 271 23rd 3rd
1995 Belgium Opel Team Belgium Belgium Jean-François Hemroulle
Belgium Pierre-Alain Thibaut
Opel Vectra ST DNF DNF
1996 Belgium Opel Team Belgium France Alain Cudini
Belgium Pierre-Alain Thibaut
Opel Vectra GT ST DNF DNF
1997 Belgium Ecurie Toison d'Or Belgium Olivier Marechal
Belgium Pascal Witmeur
BMW 318 is ST 411 27th 3rd
1998 Belgium BMW Fina Bastos Team France Alain Cudini
Belgium Marc Duez
BMW 320i SP 480 1st 1st
2000 Belgium Peugeot Team Belgique Luxembourg Belgium Vincent Radermecker
Belgium Jeffrey van Hooydonk
Peugeot 306 GTI SP DNF DNF
2001 Italy Team Rafanelli Belgium Martial Chouvel
Italy Emanuele Naspetti
Belgium Philippe Steveny
Ferrari 550 Maranello GT 150 DNF DNF
2002 United Kingdom Lister Storm Racing United Kingdom Jamie Campbell-Walter
Germany Nicolaus Springer
United Kingdom Andy Wallace
Lister Storm GTM GT 424 DQ DQ
2003 Germany Konrad Motorsport Austria Franz Konrad
Austria Walter Lechner Jr.
Switzerland Toni Seiler
Saleen S7-R GT 74 DNF DNF
2004 Germany Vitaphone Racing Germany Uwe Alzen
Germany Michael Bartels
Austria Franz Konrad
Saleen S7-R GT 78 DNF DNF
2005 Germany Vitaphone Racing Germany Michael Bartels
Germany Timo Scheider
Maserati MC12 GT1 GT1 576 1st 1st
2006 Germany Vitaphone Racing Italy Andrea Bertolini
Germany Michael Bartels
Maserati MC12 GT1 GT1 589 1st 1st
2007 Germany Vitaphone Racing Germany Michael Bartels
Italy Thomas Biagi
Portugal Pedro Lamy
Maserati MC12 GT1 GT1 532 2nd 2nd
2008 Germany Vitaphone Racing Germany Michael Bartels
Italy Andrea Bertolini
France Stéphane Sarrazin
Maserati MC12 GT1 GT1 577 1st 1st
2009 Germany Vitaphone Racing Portugal Miguel Ramos
Portugal Pedro Lamy
Germany Alex Müller
Maserati MC12 GT1 GT1 419 DNF DNF
2010 Italy AF Corse ALD Team Vitaphone
Germany Vitaphone Racing
Italy Gianmaria Bruni
Belgium Bert Longin
Finland Toni Vilander
Ferrari F430 GTE GT2 295 DNF DNF
2011 Germany Vita4One France Jean-Karl Vernay
Belgium Nico Verdonck
Ferrari F458 Italia GT3 GT3 Pro 251 DNF DNF
2012 Belgium Boutsen Ginion Racing United Kingdom Jack Clarke
Belgium Edouard Mondron
Belgium Nico Verdonck
McLaren MP4-12C GT3 GT3 Pro-Am 124 DNF DNF
2015 Belgium BMW Racing Against Cancer Belgium Marc Duez
Belgium Jean-Michel Martin
Belgium Pascal Witmeur
BMW Z4 GT3 Pro-Am Cup 42 DNF DNF

24 Hours of Le Mans results

[edit]
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1992 France Peugeot Talbot Sport Austria Karl Wendlinger
France Alain Ferté
Peugeot 905 Evo 1B C1 208 DNF DNF
1994 United States Clayton Cunningham Racing United States Paul Gentilozzi
Japan Shunji Kasuya
Nissan 300ZX Turbo IMSA
GTS
25 DNF DNF
1995 France Courage Compétition Monaco Olivier Beretta
Slovenia Matiaz Tomlje
Courage C41-Chevrolet WSC - DNQ DNQ
1996 Belgium Racing for Belgium
Belgium Team Scandia
Belgium Marc Goossens
Belgium Éric Bachelart
Ferrari 333 SP WSC 208 DNF DNF
1997 Japan Nissan Motorsport
United Kingdom TWR
Italy Riccardo Patrese
Japan Aguri Suzuki
Nissan R390 GT1 GT1 121 DNF DNF
1998 United States Doyle-Risi Racing South Africa Wayne Taylor
Spain Fermín Vélez
Ferrari 333 SP LMP1 332 8th 1st
1999 Japan Nissan Motorsport Japan Masami Kageyama
Japan Aguri Suzuki
Nissan R391 LMP - DNS DNS
2000 United States Team Cadillac South Africa Wayne Taylor
Italy Max Angelelli
Cadillac Northstar LMP LMP900 287 22nd 12th
2001 United Kingdom Team Bentley United Kingdom Andy Wallace
United States Butch Leitzinger
Bentley EXP Speed 8 LMGTP 306 3rd 1st
2002 United Kingdom Team Bentley United Kingdom Andy Wallace
United States Butch Leitzinger
Bentley EXP Speed 8 LMGTP 362 4th 1st
2008 United States Risi Competizione
United States Krohn Racing
United States Tracy Krohn
Sweden Niclas Jönsson
Ferrari F430 GT2 GT2 12 DNF DNF
2009 United States Risi Competizione
United States Krohn Racing
United States Tracy Krohn
Sweden Niclas Jönsson
Ferrari F430 GT2 GT2 323 22nd 3rd
2010 United States Risi Competizione
United States Krohn Racing
United States Tracy Krohn
Sweden Niclas Jönsson
Ferrari F430 GT2 GT2 197 DNF DNF
Source:[12][13]

24 Hours of Nürburgring results

[edit]
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1987 Germany Zakspeed BMW-Team Germany Marc Hessel
Germany Karl Senne
BMW M3 8 119 19th 5th
1988 Germany BMW Motorsport GmbH Belgium Marc Duez
Belgium Eddy Joosen
BMW M3 9 40 DNF DNF
1989 Belgium BMW Fina Belgium Marc Duez
Belgium Jean-Michel Martin
BMW M3 2 70 DNF DNF
2006 Italy Maserati SPA Italy Andrea Bertolini
Germany Michael Bartels
Italy Gianni Giudici
Maserati Gransport Light GT3 E1XP 26 DNF DNF

Complete 24 Hours of Zolder results

[edit]
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2007 Belgium Gravity International Racing France Christophe Bouchut
Belgium Stéphane Lémeret
Belgium Vincent Radermecker
Mosler MT900 R GT3 1 DNF DNF

Complete Grand Prix Masters results

[edit]

(key) Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap.

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5
2006 Team Golden Palace Delta Motorsport GPM Nicholson McLaren 3.5 V8 QAT
3
ITA
C
GBR
2
MAL
C
RSA
C
Source:[7]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Pilote des 24 heures du Mans : Eric Francis Edouard Ghislain Thérèse van de Poele". www.24h-en-piste.com (in French). Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Eric van de Poele: Career summary". F1 Rejects. 29 April 2007. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Eric van de Poele: Full biography". F1 Rejects. 29 April 2007. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  4. ^ Cotton, Andrew (4 August 2008). "Eric Van de Poele makes it a record breaking fifth victory". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  5. ^ "Starterliste 1987 Deutsche Rennwagen-Meisterschaft Formel 3" [Starter List 1987 German Racing Car Championship Formula 3] (PDF) (in German). Formel 3 Guide. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Punkteindex 1987 Deutsche Rennwagen-Meisterschaft Formel 3" [Points Index 1987 German Racing Car Championship Formula 3] (PDF) (in German). Formel 3 Guide. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d "Eric van de Poele". Motor Sport. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d "Eric van de Poele Results". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Eric Van De Poele race results". TouringCars.net. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  10. ^ Small, Steve (2000). "Van De Poele, Eric". Grand Prix Who's Who (Third ed.). Reading, Berkshire: Travel Publishing. p. 580. ISBN 978-1-902007-46-5. Retrieved 12 January 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  11. ^ a b "Eric van de Poele". Super Touring Register. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  12. ^ "All Results of Eric van de Poele". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  13. ^ "Eric van de Poele". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
[edit]
Sporting positions
Preceded by German Touring Car Champion
1987
Succeeded by