Dutch Brothers Racing will make its Gulf ProCar debut on October 24 as co-founders Jon De Jager and Alan VanderMolen take the next step in their move from novice drivers to competitive motorsport.
The Abu Dhabi-based team will enter a Volkswagen Golf Mk7 GTI in Class 5 for the 2026/27 season, with the car prepared by UAE-based Werks Motorsport.
De Jager and VanderMolen founded the team in Abu Dhabi earlier this year with the aim of documenting what it takes for two later-life beginners to become competitive racing drivers.
Their preparation has included driver coaching, simulator work, physical training and track sessions under team manager and coach Andy Boux.
“There’s something very Dutch Brothers about starting our racing career in a Volkswagen Golf. It’s a proper race car, built in Abu Dhabi and it’s going to require Jon and me to learn how to drive it properly.”
That work will now be tested in competition for the first time.
“From the beginning, we said we wanted to build this properly and build it here,” De Jager said.
“We’re an Abu Dhabi team racing in a UAE championship, and we want the people and companies around the program to reflect that.”
DBR has chosen a Volkswagen Golf Mk7 GTI that has already been used in Gulf ProCar Class 5 competition.
The car will feature race-specific changes to its chassis, suspension, brakes, cooling and safety systems, giving De Jager and VanderMolen a proven platform as they continue to develop.
“There’s something very Dutch Brothers about starting our racing career in a Volkswagen Golf,” VanderMolen said.
“It’s a proper race car, built in Abu Dhabi and it’s going to require Jon and me to learn how to drive it properly. That last part remains the principal technical risk.”
Boux believes the car should give both drivers the chance to concentrate on their own progress rather than spending their first season developing an unfamiliar race package.
“The Golf gives us a very good development platform,” he said.
“It’s quick enough that Jon and Alan will have to respect it, forgiving enough that they can learn from it, and proven enough that we can concentrate on developing the drivers.”
October 24 will mark the point when De Jager and VanderMolen move from months of training into competitive racing.
Until now, much of their progress has taken place in training sessions, simulators and testing. The opening Gulf ProCar race will put them on a competitive grid for the first time.
De Jager and VanderMolen will put months of training to the test when they make their competitive debut on October 24
The team is also aiming to keep much of its operation within the UAE, using local technical, operational and commercial partners where possible.
“Abu Dhabi has everything required to build a serious motorsport platform,” De Jager said.
“We have world-class facilities, a strong automotive culture and growing technical expertise.”
DBR will reveal its 2026/27 race livery before the opening round.
