1986

DUTCHMAN Jan Schraets won a thrilling European Championship fought over 45 laps at Kaldenkirchen, Germany on September 14. Schraets led home Germany's Wildfred Hofer and the defending European Champion Mick Bonner.

Basil Craske was on pole position after the time lap trials sharing the front row with Schraets. George Gimbel and Hofer were on row two with Graham and Paul Sinclair sharing the third row. Bonner overcooked it and found himself well down the 16 car grid.

Schraets and Craske battled wheel to wheel in the early stages shadowed by Hofer, Gimbel and the Sinclair brothers while Bonner was delayed trying to pick his way through Willi Thissen's smoke screen. Craske was through into the lead at one point only to receive a nudge as Schraets fought back with Hofer moving up to second and Craske rejoining in third spot. Heart beats were also racing further down the field when Paul and Graham Sinclair, in fifth and sixth places, were eliminated in an unfortunate incident lapping Todd Richards. Paul was launched into the air when wheels touched and came down on top of his brother's car. Dermott Mcgivern found the outside line too slippery and hit the tyre wall while challenging for a top six place and Bonner had now found a way by Thissen and was beginning a charge through the pack. Schraets, meanwhile, was easing away from Hofer and Craske's handling was deteriorating after his spin so he waved the charging Bonner through for a crack at the leaders. Bonner was rapidly losing the gap but time ran out and Schraets was a comfortable winner ahead of Hofer, Bonner and Craske.

The supporting races were run in heavy rain and the first heat saw Craske pipping Thissen on the line after a race long duel only for red top Thissen to be disqualified for starting the race from the yellow grade. Klaus Killianski was awarded second place with Bonner third. Paul Rodgers and G. Sinclair disputed the lead in the final until Killianski, Thissen and Schraets went by in finishing order.