SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS – Back in a kart for the first time in years, and the day before his birthday, Simon Henrard won the third round of the IAME Series Benelux. The twenty-five-year-old from Malmedy made his winning return on the Spa circuit, just a few minutes from his home.
He could hardly believe how smoothly it went. “It feels brilliant, and it’s a real birthday present”, said a delighted Simon.
The result did not come out of nowhere. “I didn’t really know what level there would be in the Senior Cup”, said the driver. “But after P3 in qualifying, I told myself I could aim for the win.”
The races backed up that feeling. An unclipped bumper brought a five-second penalty in the first heat, which cost him a few places. “I honestly wasn’t expecting that penalty”, he said. Simon bounced straight back, taking the second heat and then the final. Experienced racer that he is, he stormed to the line. “In the last laps, I wasn’t nervous about losing my position at all”, he recalled. “I was very fast.”
He didn’t pick the Senior Cup for the trophy, though. He chose it for the people around him: he wanted to race alongside the drivers he coaches and see where he stands. “It also brings less pressure than what I did before”, said Simon, referring to prestigious championships like the Euro Series.
The drivers he coaches are no side note. Both the coaching and Simon’s own racing lead back to one man: Olivier Pereaux, father of kart driver Corentin, who is coached by Simon. Last weekend, Corentin finished a creditable ninth in the Senior National class. Olivier himself runs the Auto École Georges driving school, and it is far from an ordinary one.
The school does more than get people through their driving test. Pupils who want to can go a step further and sharpen their skills behind the wheel out on a circuit, racing as a way to turn fresh licence-holders into calmer, sharper drivers. That unusual approach is exactly where Simon comes in: he is the coach who takes them onto the track. “I really enjoy coaching drivers and helping them improve their skills.”
Simon’s own time on track goes back quite a few years. He started young, in the Cadet category at the age of eleven. “It began because my dad had an old kart in my grandmother’s barn”, said Simon. “One day, he told me: if you can reach the pedals, we’ll get it running and go racing for the season. And that’s how it started.”
As he lives close to the Spa Karting track, it all started close to home. “My first time in a kart was here. It’s only about five or ten minutes from home”, said Simon.
Once his own racing days were behind him, he hung up his helmet and turned to coaching other drivers. Until last weekend, that is. For the first time in years, he took to the track again, and with something to prove. To himself, and not least to the drivers he now coaches. “I wanted to see for myself whether I can still do it. For me, it was important to see where I stand”, said Simon.
Whether he lines up for the next round, he does not yet know, but he sure hopes so. “Coming back, racing and winning straight away felt amazing!”
Simon Henrard would like to thank Olivier Marechal for the engine and for lending him the chassis, his mechanic Yannick, Marc Legros of Team MRK, and everyone around him who kept him motivated all weekend.
Simon Henrard is supported in his racing by the Auto École Georges driving school.