Customer takes Dutch Open Rally Championship crown
Kevin van Deijne and his co-driver Hein Verschuuren, who compete in our i20 N Rally2, celebrated their first Dutch Open Rally Championship title after wrapping up the season at the Twente Rally on October 21-22.
“Kevin and Hein have been by far the strongest crew in the Dutch Open Rally Championship this season,” said Andrea, our Customer Racing Manager. “That shows in the gap between them and their nearest challengers at the top of the final standings.”
Dominant displays
Throughout the entire 2023 season, the combination of Kevin, Hein and our i20 N Rally2 was a dominant force. At the Vechtdal Rally, the crew won 10 of the 12 stages to secure a convincing win by nearly two minutes. Less than a month later at GTC Rally, the margin of victory was significantly smaller – just 10 seconds – with Kevin and Hein battling hard to claim top spot.
These impressive results established the Dutchmen as the championship leaders and gave them a healthy lead in the standings. All that remained for our customers was to protect their advantage through the final two rounds. They did this in fine style, with strong second-place finishes that further extended the gap to their next closest rivals.
“The way we did it is also very satisfying; it was a very convincing championship win with a big lead over number two,” commented Kevin. “That’s how you want to do it.”
Carrying champions
Kevin and Hein’s title continued a strong record for our customers in the series – the top domestic rally championship in the Netherlands. Crews competing in our vehicles have now claimed three titles in the last five years. Furthermore, at least one crew with an Alzenau-built car stood on the Open championship podium at every round of the 2023 season.
“In general, it was another strong season for our customers in the Netherlands,” added Andrea. “Martin van Iersel finished third in the championship in his i20 R5, and Bob de Jong added another rally victory to his long list of successes with our cars.”
