HWA EVO.R a “Passion Project” for Van der Zande

Photo: Gruppe C Photography/HWA

Renger van der Zande said joining the driver lineup for the three-car HWA EVO.R project in this year’s Nürburgring 24 is a “passion project” for the Dutchman, who grew up following the Meredes-Benz 190’s success in DTM.

The 40-year-old, who previously drove in DTM for HWA, has been confirmed in the lineup for the Eifel endurance classic, alongside the likes of Markus Winkelhock, Sebastian Asch and Luca Ludwig.

“First of all, it’s almost like a passion project for me because I always liked the Mercedes 190,” van der Zande told Sportscar365. “Even the non-Evo ones, I always enjoyed those cars.

“At the end of the day, I drove for HWA in DTM in 2011. Then I saw the project, I connected with them, on the road car really.

“And through Lance David Arnold, he contacted me and said, ‘Hey, I was thinking about you. Do you have time to do the 24 Hours?’

“I was like, ‘That’s something for me.’ There’s going to be some cool car liveries. We’ll work on a nice helmet.

“If you see the images of DTM from the ’90s, it’s just pure racing, with the Bernd Schneider’s of this world and the [Sebastian] Asch’s, the [Klaus] Ludwig’s, Claudia Hurtgen too…

“It was not only the racing they had there but also the technology at the time. They changed engines within five minutes between qualifying sessions to get the most out of the engine. Money was not an issue back then.

“It just brings back all the memories. When I sat in it for the first time, it does feel like a 190 DTM from that time, but everything is new around it. The shifting, the [wiring] looms, the technology.”

While running in the SPX class for non-homologated race cars, a class that will see the GT3-based BMW M3 Touring 24H, van der Zande said the HWA project holds a different mindset of not necessarily going for the class win.

That’s because the car, featuring a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine and a six-speed manual gearbox, is expected to be at the pace between a Porsche 911 Cup car and GT4 machinery.

“That’s more or less where we are,” said van der Zande. “We’re going to go out and try to make the finish. That’s what it is.

“We went for the seven-post rig to improve the setup and for sure there’s quite a bit to improve.

“They are building 100 of those road cars and I think most of them are already sold.

“The momentum and the amount of people that reach out to me about it is just incredible. People are passionate about it. It’s cool.”

When asked if he feels there’s added excitement around this year’s N24 with special projects such as HWA and BMW’s, van der Zande expressed his gratitude that he’s able to contest the race again.

He hasn’t competed in the twice-around-the-clock classic since 2023 due to the race clashing with the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

“If I look at this year’s 24H Nürburgring, Max Verstappen is there,” he said. “These cool cars are there. It’s the best track in the world. It doesn’t get more exciting than that.

“I’m a privileged guy to be a part of it.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John