Whilst the overall win and podium places are most likely to be fought out by the Pro class cars (see Part 1), recent editions of the Spa 24 Hours have seen excellent race-long battles in the supporting classes, as well as the odd run into the top ten overall from trouble-free and fast teams in the Silver Cup.
So which are the crews that should be in the mix?
And how does the class system work?
Silver Cup: All Silver Ranked line-up.
Pro-Am Cup: Two Bronzes teaming up with a professional driver going forward.
Gold Cup: one Platinum or Gold, one Silver and one Bronze.
Bronze Cup: All Bronze-ranked line-up (3 driver crews) One Silver plus three Bronzes (4 driver crews).
Silver Cup, 19 Cars
- #3 GetSpeed – Jeff KINGSLEY, Valdemar ERIKSEN, Sébastien BAUD – Mercedes-AMG GT3
- #4 Haupt Racing Team – Jordan LOVE, Jannes FITTJE, Alain VALENTE, Frank BIRD – Mercedes-AMG GT3
- #11 Tresor by Car Collection – Daniele DI AMATO, Lorenzo PATRESE, Alberto DI FOLCO, Pierre-Alexandre JEAN – Audi R8 LMS evo II GT3
- #14 Emil Frey Racing – Stuart WHITE, Tuomas TUJULA, Konsta LAPPALAINEN – Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo
- #22 Allied Racing – Patrik MATTHIESEN, Dominik FISCHLI Joel STURM, Vincent ANDRONACO – Porsche 911 GT3-R (991.II)
- #26 Sainteloc Junior Team – Cesar GAZEAU, Nicolas BAERT, Aurelien PANIS, Gilles MAGNUS – Audi R8 LMS evo II GT3
- #27 Leipert Motorsport – Tyler COOKE, Brendon LEITCH, Isaac TUTUMLU LOPEZ, Max WEERING – Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo
- #28 Samantha Tan Racing – Samantha TAN, Nick WITTMER, Harry GOTTSACKER, Maxime OOSTEN – BMW M4 GT3
- #30 Team WRT – Thomas NEUBAUER, Benjamin GOETHE, Jean-Baptiste SIMMENAUER – Audi R8 LMS evo II GT3
- #31 Team WRT – Finlay HUTCHISON, Diego MENCHACA, Lewis PROCTOR – Audi R8 LMS evo II GT3
- #56 Dinamic Motorsport – Giorgio RODA, Mauro CALAMIA, Marius NAKKEN – Mikkel PEDERSEN Porsche 911 GT3-R (991.II)
- #87 AKKODIS ASP Team – Casper STEVENSON, Thomas DROUET, Tommaso MOSCA – Mercedes-AMG GT3
- #90 Madpanda Motorsport – Ezequiel PEREZ COMPANC, Sean WALKINSHAW, Patrick KUJALA, Oscar TUNJO – Mercedes-AMG GT3
- #97 Beechdean AMR – Charlie FAGG, David PITTARD, Theo NOUET, Roman DE ANGELIS – Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3
- #99 Attempto Racing – Marius ZUG, Nicolas SCHÖLL, Alex AKA, Juuso PUHAKKA – Audi R8 LMS evo II GT3
- #159 Garage 59 – Ethan SIMIONI, Manuel MALDONADO, Nicolai KJAERGAARD, James BALDWIN – McLaren 720 S GT3
- #163 VSR – Mattia MICHELOTTO, Marcus PAVERUD, Baptiste MOULIN Michael DÖRRBECKER – Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo
- #563 VSR – Michele BERETTA, Yuki NEMOTO, Benjamin HITES, Karol BASZ – Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo
- #777 Al Manar Racing by HRT – Fabian SCHILLER, Al Faisal AL ZUBAIR, Axcil JEFFERIES, Daniel MORAD – Mercedes-AMG GT3
Aston Martin made a late addition to this class after their previously Gold Cup-entered #97 Beechdean AMR effort was re-classified due to a change in the crew.
With Andrew Howard stepping away for business reasons the car no longer qualified for Gold Cup, Silver-ranked Charlie Fagg and David Pittard were drafted in but that meant no drive for Gold-ranked Valentin Hasse Clot – what it leaves though is a real prospect for Silver Cup glory!
Audi customer teams field five cars in the class, #11 numerically the first for Tresor by Car Collection, this alongside the team’s Pro class effort for – Daniele Di Amato, Lorenzo (son of F1 legend Riccardo) Patrese, Alberto Di Folco and Pierre-Alexandre Jean.
The Sainteloc Junior Team enter their #26 Audi for 2020 FFSA GT4 Am Champion Cesar Gazeau, Belgian Nicolas Baert, Aurelien (son of Olivier) Panis ant WTCR race winner and 2018 Belgian Endurance champion Gilles Magnus.
Team WRT have a pair of Silver Cup entries with the #30 Audi for 2019 Silver Cup Champion Thomas Neubauer, Imola class winner Benjamin Goethe, and young French GT racer Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer.
The sister #31 fields long-time British GT racer Finlay Hutchison, Mexican ex-single-seater racer Diego Menchaca, and ex British GT racer Lewis Proctor.
Attempto Racing round out the Audi entries in the class with the #99 for 2019 GT4 European Series Pro-Am Championship runner-up Marius Zug, young Austrian racer Nicolas Schöll, team owner Alex Aka, and Sprint Cup race winner and ex Lamborghini Super Trofeo racer Juuso Puhakka.
The sole BMW effort in the class sees the Spa 24 Hours debut for 24H Series Champions ST Racing and their new BMW M4 GT3. Team owner/ driver Samantha Tan joined by team regulars Nick Wittmer and Harry Gottsacker with the addition of young Dutch BMW M2 Cup race winner Maxime Oosten.
In addition to their two Pro Cup cars, Emil Frey Racing field a Huracan in Silver Cup too for South African Stuart White, experienced Finnish GT3 racer Tuomas Tujula and fellow Finn, 20 year old Konsta Lappalainen.
Leipert Motorsport are one of a number of teams that have rethought their Spa 24 Hours plans in recent weeks, the #27 now crewed by Tyler Cooke. Brendon Leitch, Isaac Tutumlu and Max Weering.
2021 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Champion and current VSR Italian GT driver Mattia Michelotto joins Baptiste Moulin and Michael Dörrbecker in the #163 Vincenzo Sospiri Racing Lamborghini.
VSR’s second Lamborghini is numbered #563 for Michele Beretta, Yuki Nemoto, GT Open Championship leader Benjamin Hites and Karol Basz.
McLaren is represented in the class by the #159 720S GT3 of Garage 59, ex LMP racer Manuel Maldonado joined by gamer/ racer James Baldwin 159, Canadian International GT Open race winner Ethan Simioni and Danish racer Nicolai Kjaergaard – An intriguing quartet for a team that knows how to compete in the classes at this level.
GetSpeed bring their very pink #3 Mercedes AMG GT3 to the class for Canadian ex GTD IMSA racer Jeff Kingsley, Danish teen Valdemar Eriksen, and 2021 Ligier European Series Champion Sébastien Baud.
Haupt Racing Team’s #4 Mercedes AMG sees 2019 Carrera Cup Australia Champion Jordan Love joined by 2021 Silver Cup Championship runner-up Brit Frank Bird, young German ADAC GT racer Jannes Fittje and Swiss Alain Valemnte, a crew that could be in the mix.
AKKODIS ASP Team field their #87 AMG for ex single-seater Brit Casper Stevenson, Reigning FFSA GT4 Pro-Am Champion Thomas Drouet, and Italian GT racer Tommaso Mosca.
The fan-favourite Madpanda Motorsport field the #90 AMG in their defence of their 2021 class win for team owner Ezequiel Perez Companc, Super GT GT300- race winner Sean Walkinshaw, 2020 GT World Challenge Europe Silver Cup Champ Patrick Kujala, and Colombian racer Oscar Tunjo, a strong quartet.
2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona GTD winner Daniel Morad joins the #777 Al Manar Racing by HRT squad, which completes a very handy looking squad together with the rapid Fabian Schiller and Axcil Jeffries – Omani racer Al Faisal Al Zubair completes the quartet. One to watch.
Allied Racing field a car piece in the Gold and Silver Cups with their #22 teaming 2020 British GT GT4 Championship runner-up Patrik Matthiesen, with Allied GT4 Germany and GT4 European Series racers Vincent Andronaco and Joel Sturm and young Swiss Dominik Fischli.
Dinamic Motorsport are another squad with cars in two classes, this time in Pro and Silver, their #56 car fields Giorgio Roda, with WEC GTE Am racer Mikkel O Pedersen, Mauro Calamia, who has the 2014 Maserati Trofeo Championship win on his cv, and Norwegian ex Porsche Supercup racer Marius Nakken.
Gold Cup, 14 Cars
- #5 Haupt Racing Team – Hubert HAUPT, Florian SCHOLZE, Arjun MAINI, Gabriele PIANA – Mercedes-AMG GT3
- #7 Inception Racing – Ollie MILLROY, Brendan IRIBE, Frederik SCHANDORFF, Sebastian PRIAULX – McLaren 720S GT3
- #8 AGS Events – Mike PARISY, Loris CABIROU, Nicolas GOMAR, Ruben DEL SARTE – Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo
- #10 Boutsen Racing – Adam ETEKI, Karim OJJEH, Benjamin LESSENNES, Antoine LECLERC – Audi R8 LMS evo II GT3
- #21 AF Corse – Hugo DELACOUR Cedric SBIRRAZZUOLI, Alessandro BALZAN, David PEREL – Ferrari 488 GT3
- #33 Team WRT – Ulysse DE PAUW, Ryuichiro TOMITA, Arnold ROBIN, Maxime ROBIN – Audi R8 LMS evo II GT3
- #34 Walkenhorst Motorsport – Richard HEISTAND Michael DINAN, Robby FOLEY, Jens KLINGMANN – BMW M4 GT3
- #44 GetSpeed – Michael BLANCHEMAIN, Patrick ASSENHEIMER, Axel BLOM, Jim PLA – Mercedes-AMG GT3
- #57 Winward Racing – Jens LIEBHAUSER, Lorenzo FERRARI, Lucas AUER, Russell WARD – Mercedes-AMG GT3
- #77 Barwell Motorsport – Ahmad AL HARTHY, Sam DE HAAN, Alex MACDOWALL, Sandy MITCHELL – Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo
- #83 Iron Dames – Rahel FREY, Sarah BOVY, Michelle GATTING, Doriane PIN – Ferrari 488 GT3
- #91 Allied Racing – Florian LATORRE, Alex MALYKHIN, Julien APOTHÉLOZ, Ayhancan GUVEN – Porsche 911 GT3-R (991.II)
- #93 SKY Tempesta Racing – Jonathan HUI, Christopher FROGGATT, Eddie CHEEVER, Loris SPINELLI – Mercedes-AMG GT3
- #107 CMR – Nigel BAILLY, Stéphane LEMERET, Antonin BORGA, Maxime SOULET – Bentley Continental GT3
- #911 Herberth Motorsport – Ralf BOHN, Alfred RENAUER, Robert RENAUER – Porsche 911 GT3-R (991.II)
Audi are represented by a pair of cars in Gold Cup:
The #10 Boutsen Racing car is anchored by long-time customer Karim Ojjeh, the Saudi joined by rapid young talent Adam Oteki, 2020 FFSA GT class champion Benjamin Lessennes and long-time Gentleman driver Antoine Leclerc.
WRT have a Gold Cup car in play with the #33 Audi for local talent Ulysse de Pauw, WRT regular Ryuichiro Tomita and brothers Arnold and Maxime Robin.
The Bentley comes from CMR with an Art-Car livery welcoming wheelchair-bound racer Nigel Bailly, the hugely experienced Stephane Lemeret, the sometimes rapid Antonin Borga and the late addition of ex Bentley factory driver Maxime Soulet, thus the car was reclassified into Gold Cup from Pro-Am. It’s fair to say that the #107 car is an instant fan favourite.
The sole BMW in the class comes in a very familiar colour scheme as Turner Motorsport regulars Robbie Foley and Michael Dinan, plus fellow transatlantic talent Richard Heistand join BMW factory man Jens Klingmann in the #34 Walkenhorst entry.
The insertion of ‘Tacos’ instead of ‘Turner’ into the livery a nice nod to the team’s stateside ‘in joke’.
A pair of Ferraris in the class come from AF Corse and Iron Lynx.
The #21 488 GT3 sees South African racer David Perel joined by ex IMSA GTD champ Alessandro Balzan, gentleman drivers Hugo Delacour and Cedric Sbirrazzuoli complete the line-up.
The #83 Iron Lynx Car is unmistakable, the bright pink livery of the all-female Iron Dames crew with current Ferrari Challenge Championship leader Doriane Pin joining FIA WEC and ELMS regular trio Rahal Frey, Michelle Gatting and Sarah Bovy. This will be one to watch!
Lamborghini’s representatives in the class are a pair of single-car entries.
The #8 AGS Events Huracan is fielded for Mike Parisy, Loris Cabirou, Nicolas Gomar and Ruben Del Sarte.
Whilst multiple Spa 24 class winners Barwell Motorsport field their #77 car for 2019 Blancpain GT Pro-Am Champion Ahmad Al Harthy, 2019 British GT Pro-Am Champion Sam De Haan, 2016 ELMS Class Champion Alex Macdowall, and 2019 Spa 24 Class winner and 2020 British GT Champion Sandy Mitchell. As always the Barwell effort will be one to watch.
Inception racing brings the sole McLaren to the class, their #7 720S GT3 fields the now familiar line-up of Brendan Iribe, Ollie Millroy and the mercurial Frederic Schandorff, joined at Spa by the increasingly impressive Sebastian Priaulx for the Guernseyman’s first shot at the Belgian classic.
Four Mercedes AMG GT3s contest the class.
Haupt Racing Team bring their #5 car to the class for team owner Hubert Haupt, Florian Scholze, DTM racer Arjun Maini and Gabriele Piana
GetSpeed Performance added the 66th car to the entry by adding this Gold Cup effort to give the team a three-car entry.
Patrick Assenheimer, Jim Pla, Michael Blanchemain and Axel Blom will drive the #44 AMG, Assenheimer reassigned from his original berth in the team’s Silver Cup car.
Winward Racing field a handy-looking quartet in their #57 AMG GT3, Jens Liebhauser joined by Lorenzo Ferrari plus DTM race winner, Lucas Auer and IMSA standout Russell Ward.
The #93 Sky Tempesta Racing car, run at Spa by HRT after starting the season with support from GruppM (and a one-off in British GT with 2Seas) Chris Froggatt is joined by Jonathan Hui and Eddie Cheever (III), Lamborghini Super Trofeo and GT World Challenge America regular Loris Spinelli completes the squad.
Porsche’s pair in the class are fielded by a pair of different teams.
Allied Racing’s #91 car has had a wholesale rethink since the provisional entry was published with Alex Malykhin staying aboard but joined now by Florian Latorre, Julien Apothéloz and Turkish Porsche racer Ayhancan Güven.
The #911 from Herberth Motorsport fields a familiar and experienced trio with Gentleman driver Ralf Bohn joined by racing twins, Alfred and Robert Renauer.
Pro-Am Cup, 7 Cars
- #9 Herberth Motorsport Antares AU, Kevin TSE, Dylan PEREIRA, Jaxon EVANS – Porsche 911 GT3-R (991.II)
- #16 Earl Bamber Motorsport – Adrian D’SILVA, Brenton GROVE, Stephen GROVE, Matt PAYNE – Porsche 911 GT3-R (991.II)
- #24 Herberth Motorsport – Niki LEUTWILER, Stefan AUST, Alessio PICARIELLO, Nico MENZEL – Porsche 911 GT3-R (991.II)
- #39 Singha Racing Team TP 12 – Piti BHIROMBHAKDI, Christophe HAMON, Tanart SATHIENTHIRAKUL, Earl BAMBER – Porsche 911 GT3-R (991.II)
- #52 AF Corse – Stefano COSTANTINI, Louis MACHIELS, Andrea BERTOLINI, Alessio ROVERA – Ferrari 488 GT3 P
- #75 SunEnergy1- by SPS – Martin KONRAD, Kenny HABUL, Philip ELLIS, Dominik BAUMANN – Mercedes-AMG GT3
- #188 Garage 59 – Henrique CHAVES, Miguel RAMOS, Alexander WEST, Dean MACDONALD – McLaren 720 S GT3
Pro-Am welcomes now welcomes a 7-car entry featuring 4 marques, four Porsches and a single car apiece from Ferrari, Mercedes AMG and Mclaren.
AF Corse field their #52 Ferrari for long-standing partnership Louis Machiels and Andrea Bertolini, the pair joined by gentleman driver Stefano Constantini and Ferrari factory hotshoe Alessio Rovera.
Garage 59 knows how to score class wins at this level and their #188 McLaren will be looking to do just that with team owner Alexander West joined by the recently aerobatic Henrique Chaves, the hugely experienced Miguel Ramos and the rapid Dean Macdonald.
The sole Mercedes AMG in the class is the #75 SunEnery1 by SPS car, Kenny Habul looking for more success and joined by an impressive pair of Pros in DTM racer Philip Ellis and Dominik Baumann, Martin Konrad completes a line-up to watch.
The Porsche contingent is formed of four cars fielded by two different teams.
Herberth Motorsport bring the #9 911 GT3 R for Antares Au and Kevin Tse, both of whom had an outing in the British GT Championship last weekend in preparation – plus Porsche one-make and GT racer Dylan Pereira and ex Porsche Junior Jaxon Evans.
Their #24 Porsche sees reigning Michelin Le Mans Cup GT3 drivers champ Niki Leutwiler teamed with Stefan Aust, rapid Porsche regular Alessio Picariello and Nico Menzel complete another intriguing quartet.
The class is completed by a pair of cars run by Earl Bamber Motorsport.
The #16 Porsche sees father and son Aussies Stephen and Brenton Grove joined by EBM regular Adrian D’Silva and rapid Kiwi Matt Payne who has been impressing this season in the ELMS with JMW Motorsport and has links with EBM through a 2021 campaign in Carrera Cup Australia, and with the Groves through a current successful effort in Super2 Touring Cars.
EBM are also preparing the Singha Racing Team effort with their #39 Porsche for Thai duo Piti Bhirombhakdi and the hugely experienced Tanart Sathienthirakul, Christophe Hamon and young chancer and 2020 overall race winner Earl Bamber!
Bronze Cup, 2 Cars
- #20 SPS automotive performance – George KURTZ, Valentin PIERBURG, Tim MÜLLER, Reema JUFFALI – Mercedes-AMG GT3
- #35 Walkenhorst Motorsport – Henry WALKENHORST, Don YOUNT, Jörg BREUER, Theo OEVERHAUS – BMW M4 GT3
Just two Bronze Cup entries complete the line-up: SPS Automotive performance’s #20 AMG sees Crowdstrike exec George Kurtz joined by team regular Valentin Pierburg together with Tim Muller (who replaces Ian Loggie) and Silver rated Saudi female driver Reema Juffali.
Walkenhorst’s #35 BMW M4 GT3 meanwhile sees team owner Henry Walkenhorst joined by IMSA irregular Don Yount, Walkenhorst regular Jörg Breuer and Silver-ranked DTM Trophy GT4 racer Theo Oerverhaus. Yount and Oeverhaus replace the initially announced Friedrich and Mario Von Bohlen.
