Daily Notebook (15/12/2023), SPS will continue to partner with Heart of Racing
SPS automotive performance is set to continue its partnership with the US team Heart of Racing in 2024. At the season opener in Dubai next month, a Mercedes-AMG GT3 will once again compete under the Heart of Racing by SPS entry. The drivers for the event at the Dubai Autodrome will be Ian James, Gray Newell, Roman de Angelis and Mario Farnbacher.
This effort follows the team’s run at the 2023 Dubai 24 Hours with HoR team principal Ian James Gray Newell and Roman de Angelis, who finished third in GTE-AM. They also won the following 12-hour races in Mugello and Spa-Francorchamps.
At this year’s edition of the 24H Dubai, James, Newell and de Angelis will be supported by Mario Farnbacher. He will compete for the Heart of Racing Team in various racing series and make his debut for Heart of Racing by SPS in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 at the Dubai 24 Hours. In 2024 Heart of Racing will compete in both IMSA and the FIA WEC with Aston Martin and is currently building up to making its Hypercar debut with the Valkyrie in 2025.
“We are very happy to continue our partnership with Heart of Racing in 2024,” said Stephan Sohn, team principal SPS automotive performance. “The 24H Dubai is the first of several projects planned for next year. The 24H Dubai is always a welcome start to the season. I think we have created a good package for the season opener.
“But the competition is very strong this time with around 30 GT3 cars and the traffic with over 70 cars doesn’t make it any easier. But we are optimistic that we can show a good performance in Dubai.”
Elite Motorsport to compete in GT4 Winter Series
Norfolk-based team Elite Motorsport will contest the inaugural 12-race, six-event GT4 Winter Series with a McLaren Artura piloted by British duo Tom Lebbon and Zac Meakin.
The team made its GT4 European Series debut with a pair of McLarens last year, closing out the season in magnificent style by claiming outright victory in the Barcelona event last October.
Lebbon made his GT4 European Series debut at Hockenheim last September, re-uniting with Elite with whom the Suffolk youngster won the 2020 Ginetta Junior Championship and claimed multiple GB3 single-seater victories in 2021 and ‘22.
Meakin, who celebrates his 17th birthday this month also has GT4 experience. The West Yorkshire teenager finished second in this year’s Porsche GT4 Sprint Challenge in Southern Europe and the British GT Championship.
The brand new Winter Series is exclusively for GT4-class race cars and runs from January to March visiting iconic racetracks. The series begins at Estoril in mid-January and concludes in Barcelona in early March.
“As we embark on our first European GT4 Winter Series campaign, we’re excited to have a strong driver pairing concerning our first entry,” said Eddie Ives, Elite team owner & manager.
“Zac Meakin and Tom Lebbon have both previously proven their ability with us in the GT4 McLaren Artura.
“I’d love to field our second McLaren and so would be delighted to hear from interested parties. This series will act as a great ‘winter warm-up’ for drivers in preparation for the normal season.
“We brought down the curtain on our maiden GT4 European Series this year in style and so we compete in the Winter series with high hopes of success.”
Ultimate Cup outlines changes for 2024
The Ultimate Cup European Series organisers have revealed the changes coming to its regulations and format for the 2024 season.
Its series names have been tweaked as part of its European expansion. They will now be known as the Ultimate GT Sprint Cup, Ultimate GT Endurance Cup, European Endurance Prototype Cup and Ultimate Formula Cup.
The category names have also been changed, with the aim of “enhancing” their appeal. For the Ultimate GT Endurance and Sprint Cup disciplines, the categories will now be identified by the following names: UGT2, UGT3, UGTX, UGT4, UGTlight, PC.
In addition, Aston Martin Racing is now fully engaged in the championship and will promote a dedicated category within the Ultimate GT Sprint Cup, aiming to reward teams and drivers participating with Aston Martin Vantage GT4s. For the top three in the challenge, the Ultimate Cup European Series will offer a prize of up to €53,000.
There have also been adjustments to race formats. In addition to standard four-hour races for the European Endurance Prototype Cup and the Ultimate GT Endurance Cup, Ultimate Cup is organising a pair of six-hour races, one for prototypes at Portimão and one for GT cars at Paul Ricard.
During the season Michelin will supply tyres for the prototype teams, while Goodyear has been named the supplier in the GT ranks.
