Zolder politics could see different Belgian in Champ Car ride

UPDATE A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I think you understand in part what is happening in Belgium, nevertheless, I wish that you are not taking sides before knowing more about the intricate reasons of the "Belgian National fight." It really started in 1830, when Belgium became a country from territories disputed between various nations through the centuries and became a royalty imposed by the powers of the time who installed a royal family from Germany to control the land of the Flemish and Walloons (The royal family is Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, which has the same root as the British and Bulgarian Royal families).

The country was first controlled by nobles and the French speaking side got developed because of its richness in coal, which favored the steel industry. Although the “Frenchies" were not better off, the infrastructure was developed further than in the northern provinces. Flemish decided to create a force to show the deficiencies in their provinces. These Flamengants became more voiceful and forceful to the point of targeting the Walloons or Frenchies as being responsible for their problems, when in reality, nobles and rich bourgeois families, including from their own regions, were taking advantage of these mainly rural people.

Brussels was a neutral city where Frenchies and Flemish were cordially tolerating each other, until the Flamengants decided that Brussels was supposed to be a Flemish territory and went on an intimidation campaign, sometime with methods reminiscent of the Nazi.

I left Belgium 24 years ago. One of the main reasons being that I was not feeling at home anymore in my own Country. I was born in Belgium, on the French border and already felt to be at odds with my own people because of my French accent.

I did sympathize with the Flemish population, up to the '70s and before the extremists took over. Flemish are the majority population of Belgium with 58%. About 10% live in Brussels and are supposed to be at least bilingual and about 31% are in the Walloon provinces. More or less 1% of the population speaks German.

The Flemish are blaming Walloons and taking over most of what they can take over and Walloons are losing their industries of the past and not being replaced. Most American companies based in Belgium are either near Brussels in the Flemish territory or are in the Flemish provinces. Unemployment is double percentage in Wallonia compared to Flanders. The great majority of Belgian Embassy personnel around the world are Flemish and promoting the Flemish side of the country.

Now, if Frenchies are promoting their drivers instead of Flemish drivers, is this something new to blame Walloons about and tap the poor ol’ Flemish on their shoulder and be sorry for? Alain Clarinval

11/07/07 Concerning Zolder, the RACB will do the promotion for the Champ Car Grand Prix of Belgium. Meindert van Buuren will probably be in advisory role for the event. Quite interestingly the RACB (the Belgian Federation more French than Flemish) did everything this year to make life very difficult for Van Buuren and the Zolder Circuit.

For a long time there was doubt whether the event could take place because of the clash with the 24 Hrs. and GP dates at Zolder and Spa. Finally they reached an agreement.

But it was not wholeheartedly done. Van Buuren in fact was the one who suffered. He had to drop sponsorship for Jan Heylen for the remaining Champ Car rounds. But Heylen is Flemish remember.

If the RACB will financially help with this event, then there will be another Belgian driver in. Our feeling is, but we can always be wrong, but it is just based on local knowledge, is that they will arrange a budget for the Formula Master Champion Jerome D'Ambrosio. And guess what? He is French speaking. The RACB gave rallye driver Francois Duval a lot of money to compete in the World Rallye Championship. Our guess is that D'Ambrosio could already be talking with teams like Conquest for a 2008 ride. BTW, he is a protégé of Thierry Boutsen.