What: 1996 Belgian Procar Championship
Series: Belgian Procar Championship
Model Family: A4, 80
Model / Generation Code(s): type 8D, R7
Chassis / Matrix: B5, B4
Racecar Generation: R7
Class: Division 1 / Super Touring; Division 2
Rounds: 8 meetings / 16 races
Season: 1996
Circuits: Zolder, Spa-Francorchamps, Chimay
Countries: Belgium
Manufacturer Champion: Audi
Division 1 Driver Champion: Jean-François Hemroulle
Division 2 Driver Champion: Christophe Dechavanne
Winning Entrant: Belgian VW Audi Club
Division 1 Winning Car: A4 quattro Super Touring #14
Division 2 Winning Car: 80 quattro Competition #22
Championship Chassis: ST06 contributed to the Division 1 title; RT13 won Division 2
OVERVIEW
Audi won both division titles in the 1996 Belgian Procar Championship. Jean-François Hemroulle secured Division 1 in an A4 quattro, while Christophe Dechavanne won Division 2 in an Audi 80 quattro. Both competed for the Belgian VW Audi Club, and Audi also claimed the manufacturers’ trophy.
The calendar comprised eight meetings and 16 races at three Belgian circuits. Zolder hosted three meetings, Spa-Francorchamps four and Chimay one, with the season running from April 21 to October 5.
AUDI’S BELGIAN LINEUP
Hemroulle raced the number 14 A4 throughout the season. Vincent Vosse joined in number 19 for the final two Spa meetings, while Dechavanne’s number 22 Audi 80 contested Division 2.
The Super Touring Register identifies Hemroulle’s early-season car as ST06, previously raced by Emanuele Pirro in Italy. Vosse took over that chassis for the final two meetings; Hemroulle continued in another A4 whose chassis number is not identified in the cited records.
A4 QUATTRO: HEMROULLE’S DIVISION 1 TITLE
Hemroulle’s seven credited Division 1 victories included a double at Chimay. Vosse added a win at the Spa finale, giving Audi eight credited victories across the 16-race calendar.
Hemroulle finished with 95 championship points, ahead of Honda’s Didier de Radiguès on 70 and BMW’s Marc Duez on 60. Vosse placed seventh with 17 points from his two-meeting campaign.
AUDI 80 QUATTRO: DECHAVANNE’S DIVISION 2 TITLE
Christophe Dechavanne won Division 2 in Audi 80 quattro chassis RT13. Built by Audi Sport in May 1994, RT13 had previously raced with Emanuele Pirro in Italian Superturismo before moving to Belgium for the 1995 season.
Dechavanne’s title complemented Hemroulle’s A4 success, giving the team championship-winning entries from two Audi model generations. RT13 remained competitive beyond 1996, carrying Dechavanne to another Belgian Division 2 title in 1997.
AUDI TEAMS & DRIVERS
| Team / Entrant | Car | No. | Driver | Division | Chassis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgian VW Audi Club | A4 quattro | 14 | 🇧🇪 Jean-François Hemroulle | 1 | ST06 through meeting 6; later chassis unconfirmed |
| Belgian VW Audi Club | A4 quattro | 19 | 🇧🇪 Vincent Vosse | 1 | ST06, meetings 7–8 |
| Belgian VW Audi Club | 80 quattro | 22 | 🇫🇷 Christophe Dechavanne | 2 | RT13 |
RACE CALENDAR & AUDI RESULTS
The table reproduces the Super Touring Register’s race classifications. Each result pair lists Race 1 followed by Race 2. Dechavanne’s figures are race classifications, not Division 2 finishing positions.
| Date | Event | Circuit | Hemroulle #14 | Vosse #19 | Dechavanne #22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 21, 1996 | 1 | Zolder | DSQ / 1st | — | 8th / 9th |
| May 5, 1996 | 2 | Spa-Francorchamps | 1st / 4th | — | 5th / 6th |
| May 26, 1996 | 3 | Zolder | 4th / 6th | — | 15th / 5th |
| June 23, 1996 | 4 | Chimay | 1st / 1st | — | 7th / 6th |
| July 7, 1996 | 5 | Spa-Francorchamps | DNF / 7th | — | 33rd / 5th |
| August 31, 1996 | 6 | Zolder | 1st / 2nd | — | 5th / 6th |
| September 22, 1996 | 7 | Spa-Francorchamps | 1st / 2nd | 4th / 5th | 6th / 8th |
| October 5, 1996 | 8 | Spa-Francorchamps | 3rd / 1st | 1st / 2nd | 7th / 6th |
DIVISION 1 DRIVER STANDINGS
| Pos. | Driver | Marque | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jean-François Hemroulle | Audi | 95 |
| 2 | Didier de Radiguès | Honda | 70 |
| 3 | Marc Duez | BMW | 60 |
| 4 | Thierry Tassin | BMW | 56 |
| 5 | Eric Bachelart | Peugeot | 45 |
| 6 | Pierre-Alain Thibaut | Opel | 35 |
| 7 | Vincent Vosse | Audi | 17 |
DIVISION 2 CHAMPION
| Driver | Team / Entrant | Car | No. | Chassis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christophe Dechavanne | Belgian VW Audi Club | Audi 80 quattro | 22 | RT13 |
The cited season reference identifies Dechavanne as champion but does not provide a complete Division 2 standings table or his championship points total.
MANUFACTURER STANDINGS
| Pos. | Manufacturer | Pts. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Audi | 98 |
| 2 | BMW | 83 |
| 3 | Honda | 50 |
| 4 | Peugeot | 45 |
| 5 | Opel | 35 |
PHOTO GALLERY
SOURCES AND NOTES
- Season information: 1996 Belgian Procar Championship — Wikipedia, including division champions, driver standings and the manufacturers’ trophy.
- Entries and calendar: 1996 Belgian Procar — Super Touring Register.
- A4 chassis history: Audi A4 ST06 — Super Touring Register.
- Hemroulle’s complete season results: Jean-François Hemroulle — Super Touring Register.
- Audi 80 chassis history and results: Audi 80 RT13 — Super Touring Register.
- Date discrepancy: Wikipedia dates the seventh meeting September 10; the register gives September 22. This entry follows the register.
- Classification differences: Wikipedia’s championship table differs from the register’s race classifications at several events. The results table follows the register; championship points follow Wikipedia.
- Opening-race exclusion: Hemroulle’s first Zolder result is recorded as a disqualification in the register. Wikipedia shows an excluded first-place result in its championship table and credits Thierry Tassin with the race win.
- A4 chassis attribution: ST06 contributed to Hemroulle’s title but was driven by Vosse at the final two meetings. Hemroulle’s entire championship should not be assigned exclusively to ST06.
- Audi 80 classifications: RT13’s results are not Division 2 positions. The register records 33rd for the opening July Spa race without explaining the circumstances.
- Team classification: The reference supplies a manufacturers’ trophy rather than a separate teams’ championship. Belgian VW Audi Club is identified as the entrant of both division champions.