Peter van Merksteijn, Sr.
Peter van Merksteijn senior ( born June 10, 1956 in Hengelo ) is a Dutch race track racers, rally drivers and owners of Van Merksteijn Motorsport. In 2008 he won the LMP -2 rating in the 24- hour race at Le Mans and was in the same class behind his teammate runner-up of the Le Mans Series. In the 2011 season he started in his team, together with his son Peter van Merksteijn Jr. Citroën DS3 WRC in each one in individual races of the World Rally Championship.
Career
Rally
For rallying came van Merksteijn 1985., Where he took part in various events until 1996 the Dutch Rally Championship and Europe at several rallies. In 1996, he was rallying on temporarily and switched to circuit racing. When his son Peter van Merksteijn Jr. began in 2007 to participate in individual races of the World Rally Championship, he moved back into the rally sport and participated in the same events as part of his son. His biggest success in the World Rally Championship was the twentieth overall in the Rally Norway 2009.
In 2009, he launched the X- raid team with a BMW X3 CC for the Dakar Rally. There he was eliminated in twelfth position but lying on the fifth stage, because his vehicle caught fire.
Le Mans
In 2008, he started to prepare for the 24 - hour race at Le Mans in four out of five races of this championship. For Van Merksteijn Motorsport founded specifically a LMP2 team and started with a Porsche RS Spyder, with whom he won the team championship. Three races he won together with his teammate Jos Verstappen and once he finished second. In the 1000 km race at the Nürburgring Merjsteijn decided to start in the same place Rally Germany Rally World Cup and was replaced by Jeroen Bleekemolen. His team finished this run also as a class winner. Therefore, he finished behind his teammate Verstappen second place in the drivers' championship in the LMP2.
In the same year, Peter van Merksteijn won with Bleekemolen and Verstappen of the 24- hour race at Le Mans LMP2 standings with two rounds ahead of the Essex team, which also started with a Porsche RS Spyder.
WRC results