• Streets and city centre packed for traditional pre-event celebration
• More than 200 cars participate in biggest-ever parade, with full GT4 European Series grid taking part
• Track action resumes on Thursday with two Free Practice sessions
The traditional overture to the world's biggest GT race featured a remarkable array of machinery. This was by no means limited to the GT3 equipment that will compete this weekend, with more than 200 cars making the trip from the circuit to Spa. Among those featured all cars from the GT4 European Series Powered by RAFA Racing Club.
Upon arrival they were parked in front of the theatre to give fans a closer look, before all drivers were expected inside the theatre for the drivers’ briefing ahead of this week's racing action.
The full list of CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa entrants headlined the parade, representing just under a third of the field, as the 24 Hours hopefuls were joined by a number of special guests. Among the very first to leave the circuit was the CrowdStrike F1 Safety Car, driven for the occasion by AWS chief information security officer CJ Moses. The new Ford Mustang was also present in both GT3 and GT4 configuration, the latter model having been launched just a few hours earlier in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa paddock.
Elf Marc VDS Racing Team added something different by participating with a pair of Moto2 replicas, while Audi Sport customer racing boss Chris Reinke drove the brand's title-winning GT2 challenger. As ever the support line-up was brilliantly represented, with full grids from McLaren Trophy Europe, Lamborghini Super Trofeo and, for the first time, the entire GT4 European Series Powered by RAFA Racing Club grid.
The day concluded with a return journey to the Spa-Francorchamps paddock in preparation for Thursday’s on-track action. Two Free Practice sessions are scheduled, lasting one hour each. The first starts at 14.00 CEST, while Free Practice 2 is on the timetable for 20.05 CEST.
