The picturesque Zandvoort Circuit witnessed a spectacle of speed and skill as Revolution drivers showcased their prowess in the Sports Prototype Cup over an adrenaline-fuelled weekend. With the front end of the grid dominated by five Revolutions, the stage was set for an epic battle. This culminated in three different Revolution driver victories, including a remarkable debut win for the Revolution 500 EVO.
Not only did the 500 EVO win on its debut, but it also qualified quicker than any other car there that weekend, outperforming LMP3’s GT3’s and all prototypes.
This weekend also saw the debut of Morgan and Marcus Short, fresh from their successful campaigns in a Mosler during the 2023 GT Cup, poised to leave their mark on the Sports Prototype Cup. Joining them for their Revolution debut was F3 professional driver Peter Elkmann from Germany.
Race 1 (40 minutes)
Pole for race one was secured by James Abbott in the Revolution 500 EVO, who was 2.5 seconds clear of professional driver Peter Elkmann in a Revolution 500SC. The closest non-Revolution car, an SR10, was 6.4 seconds off the pace of the EVO in qualifying.
At the start, Abbott led away, with Elkmann (sharing with Marcus Zunker) and Marcus Short (sharing with brother Morgan Short) in their 500SC’s battling it out for 2nd and 3rd. Redwood in a 427 had a lap-long battle with Booth in his SR10. Once he cleared Booth, Redwood was hanging onto the tail a few seconds back from the 500SC’s ahead. When the first of three safety cars was called, Redwood emerged in P1, having taken advantage of the SC in the pits.
Once the final of three safety cars was finished, Abbott powered past the 427 of Redwood at the restart. Then, in the last five minutes of the race, Morgan Short moved up to second place, having taken over from his brother during the first safety car. He overtook Redwood into Tarzan to finish a redemption race after a tough start to the weekend with a heavy crash in FP1. This all resulted in a perfectly symmetrical podium of a Revolution 500 EVO in P1, a 500SC in P2, and a 427 in P3.
Congratulations to all Revolution drivers, whose race one results were as follows:
James Abbott: P1 overall : P1 in class : 500 EVO
Morgan & Marcus Short: P2 overall : P2 in class : 500SC
Nigel Redwood: P3 overall : P3 in class : 427
Markus Zunker & Peter Elkmann: P5 overall : P4 in class : 500SC
Nino La Rosa: DNF : 500SC
Race 2 (20 minutes)
The second race promised less drama but delivered unexpected twists. Abbott led from start to finish until a cruel twist of fate saw him run out of fuel on the final lap, allowing Elkmann and Marcus Short to capitalise and claim the top two spots. Despite his misfortune, Abbott salvaged fifth place overall.
Congratulations to all Revolution drivers, whose race two results were as follows:
Peter Elkmann: P1 overall : P1 in class : 500SC
Marcus Short: P2 overall : P2 in class : 500SC
James Abbott: P5 overall : P3 in class : 500 EVO
Nino La Rosa: P10 overall : P4 in class : 500SC
Race 3 (20 minutes)
The final sprint race of the day saw Elkmann hand the car to Zunker, and Marcus his car to brother Morgan Short. In addition, Redwood jumped into the EVO for the first time all weekend and consequently started at the back of the grid.
As a result, Markus Zunker started from pole with Morgan Short second. Short charged into the lead on the first lap, with Redwood (now in the Rev 500 EVO rather than the 427 he used previously) following some 8 second behind by the end of lap one, having overtaken nine cars on the first lap.
Redwood was the fastest car on the circuit in the final 10 minutes but didn’t threaten Short’s dominance. Short had built up a lead by the end of lap one and was able to manage his pace to secure the win by six seconds at the flag, a perfectly executed race by Morgan. For the Short family, it was a joyful moment after recovering from Friday morning’s crash to win on Sunday.
Congratulations to all Revolution drivers, whose race three results were as follows:
Morgan Short: P1 overall : P1 in class : 500SC
Nigel Redwood: P2 overall : P2 in class : 500 EVO
Markus Zunker: P4 overall : P3 in class : 500SC
Nino La Rosa: P9 overall : P4 in class : 500SC
Revolution demonstrated two remarkable strengths with regards to its model line-up this weekend. The Revolution 427, the slowest Revolution available, was able to compete for podiums, beat all non-Revolution cars, and was competitive throughout in the endurance race. The latest 500 EVO model has taken the performance up a level both in terms of one lap pace but race pace, with the EVO able to secure the fastest lap of the race on the last lap with 300KM plus tyres!
The stage is now set for the next thrilling encounter at Spa-Francorchamps on June 1st and 2nd. This time, the Sports Prototype Cup promises an endurance element with a pair of one-hour races, featuring a mix of prototype and GT cars. As Revolution drivers gear up for another exhilarating challenge, anticipation mounts for what promises to be another unforgettable chapter in the Cup's growing legacy.
