Day three of the Autodelta European Tour saw the cars heading back to the Zandvoort circuit for a second appointment at Spettacolo Sportivo before the long race down Europe got underway with a 300 km dash to the next scheduled overnight stop, in Cologne.

Yesterday's heat and sunshine gave way to a somewhat overcast sky and lower temperatures this morning as the 10 km run from the hotel to the Zandvoort circuit got underway and we were soon back in the pit garages at the picturesque seaside circuit, as the crowds quickly rolled in, swelling as the morning wore on. Just like on Saturday there was a real mix of historic and new Alfa Romeos, as well as a large racing contingent who would be seen in hard-fought action in competitive races to held during the afternoon. The Tour ranks were bolstered by the arrival of the enthusiastic contingent from Autodelta's Moscow-based authorised dealer for the Russian region, AlfaRacing, who were in the second of three Alfa 159 saloons that are set to take part during the Tour.

However, two cars would also be leaving the Tour today, Mladen Cvorovic in the awesome supercharged Alfa SZ, and Carlos Cal in his 270 bhp turbocharged Autodelta GTV J10 Evo. Carlos - who has been making the trip with his girlfriend Anupma Rampal - drives a fully Autodelta-converted 2.0-litre TwinSpark coupé, an upgrade that includes the bigger brake package, fully adjustable suspension, uprated gearbox, and a stylish Alcantara-trimmed interior. The immaculate black car is neatly finished by its J10 body styling kit and 17-inch GTA alloy wheels which add up to give it a purposeful edge. For Carlos - who previously owned an Alfa 75 and then an Alfasud before that - this weekend was his first time with the J10 on track. "During the five years I have owned the GTV I have always wanted to get the car on track but something or other has come up," he told me, adding that he has been an Autodelta customer for ten years now. "This is the first time I have really been able to enjoy it," continued Carlos. "I had great fun on the track, and I enjoyed learning this circuit, especially as there are some very demanding bends."
 

Today saw the Autodelta Brera J5 3.2 C making its debut at Spettacolo Sportivo as yesterday it attended other appointments in the area. Reaction to the new 348 bhp sports car was very positive and the knowledgeable crowd at Zandvoort were excited by the appearance of the black car as it pushes on through Europe towards its official world debut in Monte Carlo on Wednesday morning.

"I'm really delighted by the initial reaction to the J5," commented Jano Djelalian, "a lot of really hard work has been put in by our engineering team and all our project partners, so it's satisfying to see a positive response. We really wanted to create a car that enthusiasts would embrace. Since we officially announced the car on Thursday we have already received several firm orders and a number of interested customers will be travelling to see the J5 at different stages of the journey. I would also like to thank Williem Meijdam the Vestigingsmanager of nearby Alfa Romeo dealership Autogroep San van Ligen who have provided logistical support to the Tour while we have been in Haarlem, and have put a lot of time and effort into making sure the Dutch leg has gone very smoothly."

The track action at Zandvoort today included several hard-fought encounters contested by a wide variety of highly competitive Alfa Romeo racers. Soon after 3PM the Tour cars and participants reassembled and snaked out of the circuit to begin the three hour journey out of Holland and onto the A3 and then A4 Autobahns as we head for the overnight stop in Cologne in Germany.

by Edd Ellison on the Autodelta European Tour near Cologne