Eric van de Poele explained

Eric van de Poele
Nationality: Belgian
Birth Date:30 September 1961
Birth Place:Verviers, Liège, Belgium
Years:19911992
Team(S):Modena, Brabham, Fondmetal
Races:29 (5 starts)
Championships:0
Wins:0
Podiums:0
Points:0
Poles:0
Fastest Laps:0
First Race:1991 United States Grand Prix
Last Race:1992 Italian Grand Prix
Years:,, –, –, –
Team(S):Clayton Cunninghman Racing, Racing for Belgium/Team Scandia, Nissan Motorsports/TWR, Doyle-Risi Racing, Team Cadillac, Team Bentley, Krohn Racing
Best Finish:3rd
Class Wins:3

Eric Francis Edouard Ghislain Thérèse van de Poele[1] (in French pronounced as /e.ʁik vɑn də 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

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 He qualified for the opening South African Grand Prix, finishing 13th, but did not manage to qualify the outdated car again.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.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

Complete German Formula Three results

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

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft results

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

YearTeamCar123456789101112131415161718192021222324Pts
1987Zakspeed BMW TeamBMW M3HOC
ZOL
NÜR
AVU
MFA
NOR
NÜR
WUN
DIE
SAL
1st127
1988BMW M Team LinderBMW M3 EvoZOL
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

HOC
2

34th13
1989BMW Faltz EssenBMW M3 EvoZOL
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

NOR
2

HOC
1
HOC
2
DIE
1
DIE
2
NÜR
1
NÜR
2
HOC
1
HOC
2
39th4
1990BMW M Team SchnitzerZOL
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

HOC
2

32nd1

Complete International Formula 3000 results

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

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011Pts
1989Players/GA Motorsports/Colt RacingLola T89/50CosworthSIL
VAL
PAU
JER
PER
BRH
BIR
SPA
BUG
DIJ
5th 19
1990GA MotorsportReynard 90DCosworthDON
SIL
PAU
JER
MNZ
PER
HOC
BRH
BIR
BUG
NOG
2nd30

Complete Formula One results

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

YearEntrantChassisEngine12345678910111213141516Pts
Modena Team SpALambo 291Lamborghini 3512 3.5 V12USA
BRA
SMR
MON
CAN
MEX
FRA
GBR
GER
HUN
BEL
ITA
POR
ESP
JPN
AUS
NC0
Motor Racing DevelopmentsBrabham BT60BJudd GV 3.5 V10RSA
MEX
BRA
ESP
SMR
MON
CAN
FRA
GBR
GER
NC0
FondmetalFondmetal GR02Ford HBA5 3.5 V8HUN
BEL
ITA
PORJPNAUS

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

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

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

Complete Spanish Touring Car Championship results

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

YearTeamCar1234567891011121314151617181920DCPts
1995Team Repsol NissanNissan PrimeraJER
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
3rd204
1996Team Repsol NissanNissan PrimeraJAR
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
5th139

24 Hours of Le Mans results

YearTeamCo-DriversCarClassLaps
Peugeot Talbot Sport Karl Wendlinger
Alain Ferté
Peugeot 905 Evo 1BC1208DNFDNF
Clayton Cunningham Racing Paul Gentilozzi
Shunji Kasuya
Nissan 300ZX TurboIMSA
GTS
25DNFDNF
Courage Compétition Olivier Beretta
Matiaz Tomlje
Courage C41-ChevroletWSC-DNQDNQ
Racing for Belgium
Team Scandia
Marc Goossens
Éric Bachelart
Ferrari 333 SPWSC208DNFDNF
Nissan Motorsport
TWR
Riccardo Patrese
Aguri Suzuki
Nissan R390 GT1GT1121DNFDNF
Doyle-Risi Racing Wayne Taylor
Fermín Vélez
Ferrari 333 SPLMP13328th1st
Nissan Motorsport Masami Kageyama
Aguri Suzuki
Nissan R391LMP -DNSDNS
Team Cadillac Wayne Taylor
Max Angelelli
Cadillac Northstar LMPLMP90028722nd12th
Team Bentley Andy Wallace
Butch Leitzinger
Bentley EXP Speed 8LMGTP3063rd1st
Team Bentley Andy Wallace
Butch Leitzinger
Bentley EXP Speed 8LMGTP3624th1st
Risi Competizione
Krohn Racing
Tracy Krohn
Niclas Jönsson
Ferrari F430 GT2GT212DNFDNF
Risi Competizione
Krohn Racing
Tracy Krohn
Niclas Jönsson
Ferrari F430 GT2GT232322nd3rd
Risi Competizione
Krohn Racing
Tracy Krohn
Niclas Jönsson
Ferrari F430 GT2GT2197DNFDNF

Complete Grand Prix Masters results

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

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pilote des 24 heures du Mans : Eric Francis Edouard Ghislain Thérèse van de Poele . www.24h-en-piste.com . fr. 15 June 2023.
  2. Web site: Eric van de Poele: Career summary . 29 April 2007 . F1 Rejects . 31 January 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080725094101/http://f1rejects.com/drivers/vandepoele/index.html . 25 July 2008 .
  3. Web site: Eric van de Poele: Full biography . 29 April 2007 . F1 Rejects . 31 January 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081012032353/http://f1rejects.com/drivers/vandepoele/biography.html . 12 October 2008 .
  4. News: Eric Van de Poele makes it a record breaking fifth victory. https://archive.today/20130421093454/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/2495917/Eric-Van-de-Poele-makes-it-a-record-fifth-victory---motor-racing.html. dead. 21 April 2013. Cotton. Andrew. 4 August 2008. Daily Telegraph. 31 January 2010.
  5. Web site: Starterliste 1987 Deutsche Rennwagen-Meisterschaft Formel 3. Starter List 1987 German Racing Car Championship Formula 3. Formel 3 Guide. de. 12 January 2024.
  6. Web site: Punkteindex 1987 Deutsche Rennwagen-Meisterschaft Formel 3. Points Index 1987 German Racing Car Championship Formula 3. Formel 3 Guide. de. 12 January 2024.