Michel Tooren raced to victory at the Summer Nationals at Santa Pod Raceway, round three of the British Pro Modified Championship. The Pro Dutch Racing driver did it in style by resetting his personal best in the final to 5.797 seconds. With this win and personal best, the Pro Dutch Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 seems to be ready for part two of the season, which features no fewer than three races for the FIA European Championship. “This gives the whole team a lot of confidence. We look forward to the next race in Sweden, immediately followed by the NitrOlympX at Hockenheim, which is almost a home race for our team,” said a happy Tooren.
Pro Dutch Racing kicked off the 2026 season with The Doorslammers at Santa Pod Raceway, one week later followed by The Main Event, the opening round of the FIA European Championship. Because the Pro Dutch Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was updated with a new converter and new shock absorbers, but above all a new engine from Justin Bond’s JBS Motorsports, America, the team wanted to test the ‘new’ combination during The Doorslammers to be well prepared for the start of the FIA European Pro Modified Championship.
From the very first run, Tooren and the Camaro recorded numbers on the first part of the run that had not been seen before for a Pro Modified car in Europe. However, on almost all the runs there were some problems further down the track, preventing great ETs and even causing damage to the new engine. “It wasn't the same problem every run, but something different every time, such as the safety box, a software update, and a broken connecting rod. So, fundamentally, there was nothing wrong. Ultimately, we went back to a very safe engine setup for The Main Event qualifying and still managed to run 5.83 seconds, good enough to claim the second qualifying position. So the potential was definitely there,” Tooren reflected on the start of the season.
That the potential was definitely there, became apparent during the Summer Nationals. To test the adjustments and find a solid baseline setup for the second part of the season, Pro Dutch Racing had added this race for the FuelTech Motorsport UK British Drag Racing Championship to their calendar. During qualifying, the Pro Dutch Racing Camaro made little steps on every run, to record an impressive 5.91 seconds on the fourth and final run, to claim the number one qualifying position.
In the first elimination round, Tooren had a bye run and improved to 5.83 seconds. In the semi-final, under extremely hot conditions, the Pro Dutch Racing Camaro recorded another winning 5.83 seconds, proving that the speed was great and the consistency was back again. In the final, Tooren had to face Frenchman Jean Dulamon. On a great run, Tooren stormed to 5.797 seconds, not only claiming the win in the Summer Nationals, but also breaking the 5.8-second barrier for the first time and resetting his personal best, which was 5.808 seconds since the end of last year. “This was really great and is a boost for our confidence for part two of the season. The Camaro gets off the starting line perfectly and goes straight to the finish. The engine is also undamaged and the parts look like new. Furthermore, it is great to see that every adjustment we make to the setup, is immediately visible in the performance of the car. The car responds directly to it. There is definitely more to come. It was extremely hot at Santa Pod, so with better track and air conditions, better ETs are definitely possible,” Tooren reflected on a very successful weekend.
The focus is now on the Summit Racing Equipment Internationals at Tierp Arena, Sweden, round two of the FIA European Championship (August 6 to 9). Two weeks later, from August 21 to 23, it is time for the NitrOlympX at the German HockenheimRing. Like every year, Pro Dutch Racing will be accompanied and cheered on by many of the team's partners and business relations. From September 10 to 13, the FIA European Championship will have its grand finale with the European Finals at Santa Pod Raceway. After the Summer Nationals success, Pro Dutch Racing look forward to the upcoming races.
Pro Dutch Racing are supported by:
Arton USA Cars & Parts, Breko Shipbuilding & Repair, Burando Barging, Burger Ferry Agencies, Dockmarks Signs BV, Duraship BV, DW Pumps, Electric Marine Support BV, European Techsupply, F.E.M.M. Rotterdam BV, Flanto Shipping BV, Flexind BV, Heftronics, Horrel Shipping, Maritiem Media, Noordtrans Scheepvaartbedrijf, Oonincx Scheepsonderhoud BV, Petrostar AG, RBC Nederland BV, Service B.V., Solution Maritiem BV, Tristan Shipping BV, Verhaar Omega, VKV Service BV, Vrooam Powersports Lubricants International BV en Waterpoort Tankvaart.
For more information about Pro Dutch Racing, also see www.produtchracing.nl, Facebook and Instagram.
Photos: Julian Hunt, Remco Scheelings