+ 44-car field set to star alongside the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa
+ Consani and Lariche lead the way in Silver for Team Speedcar
+ Bölting and Still top Pro-Am after hat-trick of victories
+ Game on in Am as W&S fights back against Chazel
+ Provisional Entry List: Spa-Francorchamps
The GT4 European Series powered by RAFA Racing Club will play a starring role at the world’s biggest GT event next week, with round three taking place alongside the world-famous CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa (June 24-29).
With the twin sprint races in Belgium being held on the biggest GT racing stage of them all, a 44-car grid packed with quality has been assembled. The event will also feature the year’s only night race, as the field roars into the sunset on Friday evening, adding yet more spice to the title chase.
The GT4 European Series will again join forces with the GT2 European Series powered by Pirelli and GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS to create an unrivalled spectacle of GT racing. With a record 76-car GT3 field set to tackle the 24 Hours, there will be over 130 GT cars in competition across the week. The entire field will also take part in the traditional parade into Spa town centre, bringing the sport to the people in what promises to be an unmissable event.
SILVER: TEAM SPEEDCAR LEADS THE TWIN WINNERS
Robert Consani and Benjamin Lariche’s strong form has helped them to the head of the Silver points for the first time since the season-opener in 2023, and now the Team Speedcar Audi pair face the pressure of trying to stay on top of the pile.
A second victory of the season at Zandvoort extended the #3 Audi’s streak, meaning Consani and Lariche have been race winners at each of the last four GT4 European Series events, a run stretching back to Monza last September. That has given them a 13-point lead over the year’s other two-time winners, Marco Signoretti and Erik Evans, whose Academy Motorsport Ford Mustang survived a late gearbox scare to secure victory in Holland.
The speed of Jan Duran and Hadrien David in the Matmut Évolution Toyota GR Supra cannot be doubted. The early points leaders dropped back to third after a costly non-score at Zandvoort, but have finished every other race this year in second place, so will be keen to go one better at Spa.
Alexandre Papadopulos and Lluc Ibañez will be on a charge in the NM Racing Team Mercedes-AMG, as will Ricardo van der Ende/Benjamin Lessennes in their L’Espace Bienvenue BMW and Gabriele Piana/Berkay Besler in Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport’s lead M4. Paul Petit and Gregory Guilvert have been rapid in their Team Speedcar Audi, and watch for the Elite Motorsport McLaren of McKenzy Cresswell and reigning champion Josh Rattican, who won both races at Spa last season.
PRO-AM: BÖLTING AND STILL’S TRIPLE BOOSTS THEIR BID
After a penalty denied them a clean sweep of class wins at Circuit Paul Ricard, Joachim Bölting and Hendrik Still have bounced back in fine fashion, their double victory at Zandvoort giving the W&S Motorsport Porsche pair the Pro-Am lead.
They sit 40 points clear of Mirage Racing Aston Martin duo Stanislav Safronov and Aleksandr Vaintrub, but a single mistake can instantly close the gap. Schuberth Motorsport’s Joachim Walde and Victor Bouveng are just a point further back and chasing their breakthrough win, with Alberto Naska and Stefano D’Aste running fourth in their PB Racing Lotus after a strong last round.
The class entry will be boosted to 14 with the NOLASPORT Porsche team of Matt Travis and Jason Hart again making the trip across the Atlantic from New Orleans, USA. NM Racing Team switches up its crew with Matthew Higgins and Pierre Livingstone in its #16 Mercedes-AMG, and Emil Skaras returns alongside Hans Holmlund in Toyota Gazoo Racing Sweden’s Supra.
AM: W&S FIGHTS BACK AGAINST CHAZEL
After the opening round in France, it looked like Chazel Technologie Course drivers Jean-Mathieu Leandri and Antoni de Barn may have things all their own way after a clean sweep of poles and wins.
However, a first victory of the season for W&S Motorsport’s Max Kronberg and Daniel Blickle last time out proves they have a fight on their hands. Also do not discount NM Racing Team pair Igor Sorokin and Keith Gatehouse, nor Julien Rippert and Philippe Thalamy in the final Team Speedcar Audi, plus Indian acting superstar Ajith Kumar aboard his AV Racing Porsche. A guest entry from Seyffarth Motorsport for Bernd Schaible and Tobias Erdmann adds another Audi to the mix.
The GT4 European Series action at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa gets underway with testing on Tuesday, June 24, before the parade on Wednesday. Free Practice (14:10) and Pre-Qualifying (20:00) are on Thursday. Qualifying is set for 11:15 Friday, before the field races into the night at 21:10. Race 2 takes place on Saturday morning at 12:10, shortly before the lights go green for the 24 Hours.
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