Marc VDS Racing Team

Marc VDS Racing Team
Motor racing team
Founded
Country	Belgium
Team Principal(s)	Marc van der Straten Jean Michel Delporte Michael Bartholemy Bas Leinders
Current series	FIA GT1 World Championship Blancpain Endurance Series Moto2 World Championship Rally Raid
Former series	FIA GT Championship Belcar
Drivers' titles
Teams' titles

Marc VDS Racing Team is a Belgian auto and motorcycle racing team founded by Marc van der Straten, although it is composed of several smaller teams all operating under the Marc VDS banner. The team currently competes in three disciplines of motorsport in four championships: sports cars in the FIA GT1 World Championship, and the Blancpain Endurance Series, motorcycle racing in the Moto2 World Championship, and rallying in various Rally Raid events.

History

A Ford GT1 entered by Marc VDS in the FIA GT1 World Championship

Based in Gosselies, Belgium, Marc VDS began competing in the Belcar series as part of the racing program for the Gillet Vertigo, a Belgian sports car, under the Belgian Racing title. By 2005 the Gillet program expanded to include the international FIA GT Championship, although the team was not allowed to compete for the season championship due to the low production of road legal Vertigos. Despite continued development for several years, the Gillet program ended in 2008 and van der Straten rebranded the team as Marc VDS. The team however remained involved in the FIA GT Championship at the behest of Jean Michel Delporte and Bas Leinders by becoming one of two development teams for the Matech Ford GT, shifting the team to the GT1 category.^[1] Marc VDS also expanded their program through the purchase of a Volkswagen Touareg Rally raid for the 2009 Dakar Rally.

Scott Redding on the Marc VDS Suter MMX Moto2 motorcycle

After their year of development in FIA GT, Marc VDS was one of twelve teams granted entry in the inaugural FIA GT1 World Championship in 2010, where they would retain their Ford GT. The 2010 GT1 program also included an entry in the Le Mans Series' 1000 km of Spa as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Shortly after entering FIA GT1, Marc VDS also announced their merger with Michael Bartholemy and Didier de Radiguès' entry in the new Moto2 category of Grand Prix motorcycle racing,^[2] where riders Scott Redding and Héctor Faubel would compete on Suter bikes. Marc VDS also added a fourth program to 2010 by co-developing a Ford Mustang with Multimatic Motorsports of Canada for use in the FIA GT3 European Championship.

References

1. ^ "Marc VDS Racing Team to enter Ford in 2009". planetlemans.com. Planet Le Mans. 2009-03-16. http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/03/16/marc-vds-racing-team-to-enter-ford-in-2009/. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 
2. ^ Matthew Birt (2009-12-10). "Ex-Kawasaki MotoGP boss unveils Moto2 plan". motorcyclenews.com. Motorcycle News. http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/MotoGP/2009/December/dec1009-ex-kawasaki-motogp-boss-outlines-moto2-plans/. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 

External links

• Marc VDS Racing Team