Wet race not enough for van Hooydonk.

Both Super Nova drivers started at the back of the grid for round eight of the FIA F3000 Championship at the Hungaroring, but the wet conditions which greeted the field at least allowed Jeffrey van Hooydonk to show his potential.

Although the circuit began to dry off in the second half of the race, the Belgian was able to make up a lot of ground, eventually finding himself running just outside of the points positions. The wet circuit could have been a recipe for incident but, in keeping with van Hooydonk's luck this season, the only retirements were in his wake.

"The race was okay, but I was a little surprised at how much the car was sliding as I thought the grip was better," the Belgian admitted, "We had set up for dry conditions, but the weather took too long to dry out.

"I lost touch with the guys in front of me, but the drier the track became, the more I found some dry lines and held my position. We had a really good pit-stop but I was stuck in traffic and lost some time. [Raffaele] Gianmaria was pushing really hard behind me, but I managed to fend him off."

Can Artam replaced Alan van der Merwe in the second Super Nova entry ahead of the Hungaroring round, and gave a good account of himself on his way to 14th place.

"The start was very difficult and, unfortunately, we had set up for dry conditions," the Turk reported, "The track took a long time to produce some dry lines, so it was not easy and I lost some time! After a successful pit-stop, I was pushing harder and improved, but the gap in front was too big, so I just concentrated on finishing the race. I am sure I could have done better if the weather conditions were good."

Team manager David Sears was happy with the performance of his new-look line-up, but was disappointed to have just missed out on points.

"I am pleased with the way Jeffrey drove and improved his position - it will give him plenty of confidence for the next race in Spa, where he knows the circuit well," Sears said, "Can drove a steady race in unpredictable conditions and passed two drivers to finish 14th. We have two more races left and I am hoping to finish in the points before the end of the season."