Highlight: Max van Splunteren

There are a lot of talented people in many fields on the campus of the TU Delft, including Sports. Every month, we put one of our elite athletes in the spotlight. This month, the honour goes to car racer Max van Splunteren.

In late January, Max van Splunteren (student Aerospace Engineering) participated in the '24 Hours of Daytona', one of the three major endurance races of the motorsport season. During the annual race at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida, drivers use both the narrow and curvy infield, and the fast banking of the speedway. An extra challenging element is the fact that a part of the race takes place after dark.

Max looks back on an amazing experience: "Daytona was a real adventure! In early January I traveled to Florida to prepare myself. The very first moment I drove on the banking – also the track of NASCAR – was a very special experience. It felt very much like a rollercoaster, in which I was continuously pushed down.”

“The 24-hour race started on 27 January. We participated with five riders in one car, including a factory driver from Lamborghini, who would take care of the last few hours of the race. The ultimate challenge? Catching up with the leading group, until the last hours of the race. From that moment on, the real fight begins. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to make it.”

“Nevertheless, I was very pleased with my personal achievement, since I was as fast as the Lamborghini factory driver. We became 13th in the class, an excellent result, although we preferred a higher ranking. This was a great experience, one that I can tick off my bucket list."