GT Cup calendar released
Bute Motorsport has revealed the calendar for the 2024 GT Cup Championship season, featuring seven race weekends across the UK and a pre-season test.
The change to the Free Practice and Qualifying format made this year will be retained for the 2024 season. Entrants will start each day with back-to-back Free Practice and split Qualifying sessions of 15 minutes each instead of the previous 10 minutes, before a 25-minute Sprint and 50-minute Pit Stop race later.
The prize structure will also remain the same for 2024 and entrants will be competing for a variety of titles, including the Overall, Group and Team Championships as well as the Sprint and Sporting Challenges.
“Throughout the season, we have been gathering feedback and it’s fantastic to hear that teams continue to enjoy our offering as a championship,” said championship director Hannah James. “As part of that, 2024 will feature dedicated GT Cup testing ahead of each event as well as the exclusive test day at the start of the season.
“We hope to continue improving our live coverage across Facebook and YouTube and will again be celebrating our 2024 champions at the annual awards night at the end of the season.”
GT Cup Provisional 2024 Calendar
- March: Exclusive GT Cup Test Day at Donington Park
- 20th-21st April: Donington Park National
- 18th-19th May: Brands Hatch GP
- 1st-2nd June: Snetterton 300
- 1st July: Oulton Park International (Supercar Pageant)
- 27th-28th July: Silverstone GP
- 14th-15th Sept: Donington Park GP
- 5th-6th October: Snetterton 300
Tander joins World Challenge Australia field for Queensland
Five-time Bathurst 1000 winner Garth Tander to join championship leader Liam Talbot for the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS Championship event at Queensland Raceway.
Talbot returned to the top of the standings two weeks ago in Sydney following a strong weekend – that included a Sunday victory – for he, co-driver Fraser Ross and their Shannons Audi R8 LMS Ultra.
However, with Ross engaged elsewhere Talbot and the Audi Customer Sport Racing Australia squad have drafted Tander back to the fold this weekend.
The Queensland event will be unique in introducing a Top-10 shootout for the first time in Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia history.
The standard pair of qualifying sessions will remain in effect on Saturday, with the first session setting the grid for Race 1 and the second for Race 2.
However, the top-10 cars from Qualifying 2 will then progress to the shootout, to be held on Sunday morning.
The unique format will see the Pro drivers qualify in the second session only for the nominated AM driver to tackle the shootout itself.
Rockenfeller adds to NASCAR Cup Series grid for Indy and Watkins Glen
Two-time Le Mans winner and NASCAR Garage 56 driver Mike Rockenfeller will drive the #42 Chevrolet for Legacy Motor Club in the next two NASCAR Cup Series races at Indianapolis and Watkins Glen. There, he will fill the seat of suspended driver Noah Gragson.
The link to Legacy Motor Club for Rockenfeller comes via his Garage 56 teammate Jimmie Johnson, who co-owns the team.
This weekend’s road course race at Indianapolis features multiple other international entrants with notable sportscar credentials, as Jenson Button, Kamui Kobayashi and Shane van Gisbergen are all scheduled to compete.
Gran Turismo out today
The Gran Turismo movie, which is based on Jann Mardenborough’s rise from gamer to professional racer via the GT Academy, is out today in cinemas across the UK.
The film is set to release between August 10th and 11th across continental Europe, Canada and Australia and August 25th in the USA.
Keep an eye out for a preview feature later this morning on DSC…
