Volvo fan hooger wer ff makes latest brands trip
To call Dutch racing driver Johan Hoogerwerff a Volvo fanatic is rather an understatement as he currently owns three of the Swedish cars in various guises.
He elected to bring his ‘Beast’ to Brands Hatch for the Racing Saloons. Originally built as an S60 Challenge car for a Swedish-based series in 2001, the car had remained fairly idle since he bought it in 2009.
“I used to race a BMW E30 from 2005 to 2007 but had become inspired by Rickard Rydell, watching him racing the Volvo Super Tourers,” he explains. “I then bought an 850 Saloon ‘Rydell lookalike’, which I raced for two years, until I crashed it at Zandvoort.”
He replaced the saloon with another Rydell replica, but this time the estate version, which he has regularly raced in the Dutch Super Touring Car Championship over the last few years. “It has always drawn a lot of interest wherever I take the car, even though I am racing against BMWS that cost twice as much,” he adds.
“We then decided to work on the S60 to lighten it and then put the 2.3-litre engine out of the wrecked 850 Saloon that I crashed into it, so we have spent about two years on the project so far.”
Having tried to visit Brands Hatch at least once a year, Hoogerwerff elected to bring his aptly named ‘Beast S60’ this year. “I wasn’t able to come last season due to clashes with my other race dates, but raced the estate here two years ago,” he says. “We don’t get a lot of racing in Holland so it’s good to come to the UK and it’s only six hours from home to Brands Hatch.
“Each time we come out in this car we improve it, this is our development car to use the knowledge we have gained from the other cars too. Eventually we think it will be quicker than the Super Tourers though.”
Having qualified seventh out of the huge 34-car Racing Saloons grid, he missed the start of the first race when the alternator failed, then had to start from the back of the grid in the second race. He was closing in on the top 10, when he was forced to pull off on his sixth lap.
It may have been a disappointing weekend for the travelling Dutchman, but he has this weekend’s Super Touring Car race to look forward to at Spa-francorchamps. “We are back out with the estate again, overall I suppose it’s probably been my favourite of the cars I have owned and raced,” he says. “But my wife wants to know why I need three race cars, when I can only race one at a time!”
Although there are no plans for Hoogerwerff to race in the UK again this year, he is already looking forward to his next visit.
“I love the Brands Hatch GP Circuit, it’s so challenging, it’s got history and it’s fairly close and not too expensive for us to travel here,” he concludes.