Most of the DSC crew made it to the Red Bull Ring yesterday afternoon/ evening after a somewhat epic road trip, this linked to a soon to be announced new project for DSC, we’ll keep you informed as things progress.
One minor bit of confusion came with an identity crisis between SMP Racing and the Aston Martin Racing crews (above), we’re happy to report that the option of moving the team, cars, equipment and trucks over wasn’t even considered, the signs were swapped by this morning!
After some particularly poor weather en route there were clear skies yesterday evening in the stunning scenery here, and more of the same this morning with some gathering high cloud.
All the expected entrants were present ahead of the first track action this morning, a Bronze test, this, we believe, the ELMS response to some notably poor driving standards at Imola amongst a number of LMP3 teams. That session starts, for 30 minutes, at 9:35 on Friday morning.
The only full season LMP3 team not set to race this weekend are Murphy Prototypes, but, as covered earlier this week on DSC, they tested the Ave Riley AR-2 here on Tuesday, as the car nears its final homologation. The car is now expected to race next time out at Paul Ricard.
There was also testing here earlier this week for a couple of the LMP2 teams, Algarve Pro, who have Andrea Pizzitola and Jonathan Hirschi joining team owner Michael Munemann this week in the #25 Ligier Nissan, and the #38 G-Drive Gibson Nissan, Harry Tincknell back aboard with Simon Dolan and Giedo van der Garde, both getting a handy three hours of track time on Tuesday.
G-Drive WEC man Roman Rusinov is here too, again sharing the #12 EuroInternational LMP3 Ligier as he did in Imola.
With the sad, but not entirely unexpected, news about the So24! team yesterday, Erik Maris is back in the #4 Oak racing LMP3 Ligier with regular driving partner Jean-Marc Merlin.
No major surprises elsewhere on the driver front.
Murphy Prototypes have Karun Chandhok with 2015 Vallelunga Gold Cup winner Guglielmo Berlotti and the returning Sean Doyle aboard their still Le Mans colours (but of course no longer Gas Monkey Garage liveried) #48 Oreca 03.
Greaves Motorsport see Nathaniel Berthon continue after his Le Mans debut with the team. Kuba Giermaziak is not expected to return to the #41 Ligier.
