HOFOR Racing to contest 24H Series
2025 24H Barcelona winner HOFOR Racing has become the first team to announce it will contest this year’s full 24H Series Europe.
The Swiss outfit will again field its #11 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO for the line-up Michael Kroll, Chantal Prinz, Alexander Prinz and Torsten Kratz, in what will be its third consecutive 24H Series Europe campaign.
The team narrowly came up short of a pair of titles last season, finishing as runner-up in GT3, and third, but only four points off the title, in GT3-Am. Chantal Prinz did, however, win the Ladies Cup.
The 2026 24H Series Europe begins with the 12H Mugello on 20th to 22nd March 2026.
Into Africa Racing partners with Dragon for GT Open
Reigning South African Endurance Series champion Into Africa Racing will contest a full International GT Open campaign for the first time this year, in partnership with Dragon Racing.
The Dubai-based Dragon operation will field a Ferrari 296 GT3 for former ELMS LMGT3 champion Axcil Jefferies and Into Africa Racing founder Xolile Letlaka, although Jefferies will periodically be replaced by Stuart White due to schedule clashes. The car is set to compete in the Pro-Am class.
Into Africa Racing by Dragon made its GT Open debut last season, competing in three events and claiming a best finish of fifth in Pro-Am at Circuit Paul Ricard. Into Africa Racing then continued its partnership with Dragon during this winter’s 24H Series Middle East Trophy, and finished on the overall podium at the 6H Abu Dhabi.
The 2026 International GT Open begins at Portimão on 19th April 2026.
Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport puts together GT4 European plans
BMW M customer team Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport has confirmed that it will return to the GT4 European Series in 2026, with a two-car effort.
2023 champion Gabriele Piana will remain in its #12 M4 GT4 Evo, with the Italian joined this year by BMW M Racing Academy member Thomas Rackl.
Rackl has competed in ADAC GT4 Germany for the past two seasons, scoring multiple podium finishes, and at 17 years old is currently the youngest member of the BMW M Racing Academy.
Meanwhile, in its #11 BMW, new signing Bati Yildirim teams up with Yağiz Gedik, who is entering his seventh consecutive season with the squad, to form an all-Turkish pairing.
Yildirim made his GT racing debut last year in Porsche Carrera Cup Italia, with this his first step into GT4 competition.
Both cars will compete in the Silver Cup class, as the Turkish outfit looks to improve on its runner-up finish in last year’s Silver Cup teams’ championship.
In 2025, Piana and Berkay Besler ended the season on an impressive run of six podium finishes in seven races, whilst Gedik and Pedro Ebrahim also stood on the rostrum on two occasions.
FACH Auto Tech announces GT Open
Porsche outfit FACH Auto Tech has announced its driver line-up for its International GT Open debut this year.
The Swiss team is set to field a pair of Porsche 911 GT3 Rs (992.2), with the #11 entered in Pro-Am and the #12 competing in Am.
Alexander Fach Jr and Alexander Schwarzer will share the #11 Porsche, continuing their successful partnership from last year’s ADAC GT Masters. Piloting a FACH Auto Tech-run 911 GT3 R (992), the pair comfortably won the Pro-Am drivers’ title, and won outright at the Nürburgring.
The #12 Porsche, meanwhile, will be driven by Joel Monegro. Monegro is currently the championship leader in Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe’s Winter Cup Club Division, and has previously competed in GT3-spec Porsche machinery in the 24H Series Middle East Trophy.
The 33-year-old plans to compete solo for the majority of the season, with the exception of the pair of ‘GT Open 500’ rounds at Spa-Francorchamps and Monza. His co-driver for these events will be announced at a later date.
Images courtesy of 24H Series, Fach Auto Tech, SRO/JEP & Fotospeedy-GTSport
