Double R Racing newcomer Dennis van de Laar was the best of the Woking team’s finishers during the annual Zandvoort Masters at the famous Dutch track on Sunday, 6th July, after claiming an eighth place finish in the invitational 25-lap encounter.Joining Double R regulars Andy Chang and Camren Kaminsky for the blue riband Formula 3 race, van de Laar contested the Zandvoort event behind the wheel of a Mercedes-powered Dallara F308 while British F3 Championship contenders Chang and Kaminsky raced their usual F312 cars.Rain and changeable conditions throughout the weekend made for mixed preparation and the two qualifying sessions were split, the first run in the wet and the second in the dry. While Dutchman van de Laar was the fastest of the trio in the opening qualifying run, fifth quickest overall, Chang led the Double R charge in the dry session two with the seventh best lap.With roughly an hour to go before the Masters race on Sunday afternoon, the weather looked likely to play a part in proceedings again with rain returning to the seaside venue. Leading to some tense moments, with competitors wondering if the rain would continue with any significance, the skies cleared prior to the race start and so everyone began on slick tyres.Van de Laar completed the opening lap in seventh place and spent the majority of the encounter running tight behind Chinese racer Martin Cao. Eager to find a way past, the Dutchman piled on the pressure but couldn’t prise open the opportunity he needed – the delay behind Cao enabling Nikita Zlobin to take advantage on the penultimate lap and squeeze past van de Laar.Chang and Kaminksy ran in ninth and 10th positions respectively until lap 14 when the American moved ahead of his team-mate. Able to pull 2.5 seconds clear of the Macanese racer during the closing stages, Kaminsky took the chequered flag roughly three seconds adrift of van de Laar.“The end result wasn’t what we’d hoped for but the Zandvoort Masters is always a great event to be part of, the whole team enjoyed the weekend and it’s been great additional experience for Andy and Camren”, said Double R team principal Anthony ‘Boyo’ Hieatt.“Dennis definitely had more pace than he was able to show in the race, but overtaking is never easy at Zandvoort. Overall it wasn’t a bad weekend and it was good having Dennis as part of the team for the first time.”Next on the schedule for Double R Racing will be the fourth event of the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 Championship season at Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps on Friday, 25th July, and Saturday, 26th July.
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