The Pirelli Junior Cup, given to the best-performing driver under 28 years of age, was awarded to Porsche Cayman driver Eric Tremoulet, who also finished second overall. He wins a trophy and a free set of P Zero tyres for the next race.

Matteo Braga (Pirelli circuit activity manager):
“Even though we had hotter and more challenging conditions today compared to yesterday, once more the Pirelli P Zero DH tyres proved their versatility in helping to deliver an exciting race and strong performance across a range of different vehicle architectures, with both professional and amateur drivers. The winning car maximised its possibilities in a tough fight, through the correct strategy and some great driving. The DH tyres allowed all the different manufacturers to enjoy a fair battle, as a key element in a show that was really appreciated by a huge number of fans.”

Eric Tremoulet (Pirelli Junior Cup winner, car 64, Vic Team Porsche Cayman GT4 MR):
“We had a really good start: we were 12th on the grid and then by the first corner we were seventh or eighth I think. There was very good grip from the tyres at the beginning of the race and then more degradation as the stint went on, which is all part of the learning process. I’ve been recovering from injury so the car and the tyres were completely new to me, but straight away we felt confident and I’d like to thank Pirelli for this very useful prize.”

Fact of the day:
David Hallyday is the son of Johnny Hallyday: one of France’s most famous singers. David is an actor and singer himself, and he’s also taken part in the Le Mans 24 Hours on five occasions, with a best result of seventh in class.

Number of the day:
1,150. More than a thousand people visited Pirelli’s exclusive activation area in the Nogaro paddock, surrounded by road-going supercars, which included virtual reality gaming machines and a Scalextric version of the circuit. The winners were naturally awarded with Pirelli trophies: although not quite as big as the real ‘Coupe de Paques’…

Matteo Braga (Pirelli circuit activity manager):
“It’s great to see so many cars separated by such a small gap at the end of the race. The Ginetta is a very well-balanced car and was at ease on the twisty sections of the Nogaro track while the Porsche proved to be very rapid in the higher speed corners. Teams adapted very quickly to the tyre to unlock its full potential for qualifying, and it showed great consistency throughout the race. Once again, the Pirelli DH tyre range demonstrated that it could deliver great performance on many different types of cars and varied track conditions seen so far.”

Rodolphe Wallgren (winning driver car 444, Speed Car Ginetta):
“The tyres worked perfectly from start to finish. Fantastic consistency, so we were able to race hard and win a very close race.”

Fact of the day:
The lap record at Nogaro is held by Italian legend Alex Zanardi, who recently raced with Pirelli in Mugello, having previously focused on the Olympic Games. He set a benchmark of 1m20.160s back in 1991 with a Formula 3000 Reynard, and his time has never been beaten since.

Number of the day:
40,000. Around 40,000 spectators are expected to attend the Coupe de Paques, making it one of France’s best-loved race weekends, which is traditionally held over Easter. It’s now the opening round of the GT4 European Series, which is exclusively supplied by Pirelli, but in the past it has also hosted single-seaters, notably Formula 3000, Formula 3, and Formula Renault. In this year’s Easter Cup, six manufacturers are represented.

The Audi R8 LMS GT4 stands for production-based racing. It has directly been derived from the road-approved Audi R8 Coupé V10, is powerful and offers a high level of safety. At the same time, it is an affordable choice in terms of purchasing price and cost of ownership. It is the ideal race car for amateur campaigners, in line with the spirit of the GT4 regulations that continue a great sports car tradition, as fascinating road-going sports cars were a popular base in GT racing around the world more than half a century ago.

In racing, the audience will be able to see the production-based Audi R8 LMS GT4 for the first time in the Nürburgring 24 Hours from May 25 to 28. With that, the brand fills another growth category in international motorsport. The GT4 class, which originated in Europe, will be intensively marketed on an international scale starting in 2017, with fielding opportunities in North America, Asia, Australia and Europe. “13 racing series in which GT4 models can compete worldwide already exist today worldwide,” says Stephan Winkelmann, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH. “Audi Sport GmbH is one of the leading manufacturers offering cars in the GT3 and TCR customer sport categories. Now we’re targeting the GT4 class at exactly the right time. These fast-growing business segments and the DNA shared by our race cars and production vehicles underscore our ambition to become a true global player in the high-performance league.”

The Audi R8 LMS GT4 shares more than 60 percent of its assembly components with the road-approved Audi R8 Coupé and is produced at the Böllinger Höfe site as well. The customers of the new race car benefit from these synergies in terms of purchasing price and cost of ownership.

Audi Sport is developing the GT4 model, which delivers up to 364 kW (495 HP) depending on its rating, during the course of the 2017 season before a final homologation level has been achieved and approval for racing is requested. During the second half of the year, the team of Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing, will be preparing the production of the race car. Consequently, the first customers will be able to receive the new Audi R8 LMS GT4 before the end of the year.

Around the globe, Audi Sport draws on an extensive network of service, spare parts logistics and professional support for the R8 LMS GT4. Audi Sport customer racing has established this infrastructure for the GT3 project on four continents and, like for the RS 3 LMS, uses this proven network for the GT4 model range as well.

With Nogaro’s famous Easter Cups set to kick off the season on April 15-17, these new major supports bring along a wealth of trust and experience to ensure the successful return of France’s FFSA GT Championship as an international FIA-sanctioned GT4 series.

BMW

The GT4 European Series Southern Cup is proud to welcome BMW as its manufacturer partner. Involvement in racing has always been etched in the German luxury car manufacturer’s DNA, whether it is in planes, bikes, and cars. The launch of BMW M in the early 1970s already embodied that philosophy. Drawing upon BMW’s experience and featuring field-proven components, the BMW M models have shown great performance both on track and on the road thanks to an architecture developed in-house at BMW’s Motorsport department.

In order to ensure security for everyone on track, BMW will provide two models from the BMW M models that will serve as the GT4 European Series Southern Cup Safety Car and Leading Car. The latter will take position at the helm of the field on the formation lap before setting the competitors free just before the race gets under way.

Based around the iconic BMW M4, the Ekris M4 GT4 features among the 14 cars already homologated for GT4.

Reacting upon the announcement, Romain Brandela, Event and Dealer Marketing Manager BMW France looks forward to being involved in the GT4 European Series Southern Cup: “With this partnership, BMW furthers its commitment to motor racing as we supply the official vehicles to the series, which are crucial in terms of safety. BMW just celebrated its 100th birthday and is cementing its position in the world of sports with the pleasure of driving always as the core of its action. GT4 cars competing in France’s FFSA GT Championship are very close to their road-going counterparts and thus reflects the philosophy of the BMW M models.”

Total ACS

SRO is delighted to announce that Total ACS – for Additives and Special Fuels – will be the official fuel supplier for the GT4 European Series Southern Cup over the 2017-2019 period.
For over 50 years, Total ACS has been designing, developing, manufacturing, and marketing bespoke high-performance fuels on a worldwide basis. Total ACS is already supplying SRO’s blue riband Blancpain GT Series, while also sponsoring the world’s biggest GT race in the Total 24 Hours of Spa. The French fuel giant will now bring its renowned expertise to all competitors in the GT4 European Series Southern Cup, while continuing to supply the sister Northern Cup.

From 2017 to 2019, Total ACS’ factory in Givors near Lyon will thus provide:

A field-proven fuel, compliant with FIA standards and tailored for both turbocharged and normally aspirated engines: the ELF LM®S fuel has been successfully used across a variety of racing series for several seasons.

A very careful quality of manufacturing: over the next three years, Total ACS will continue to do its utmost in supplying fuels with rigorously consistent characteristics, thus ensuring maximum comfort for engine manufacturers all the while taking into account the powertrain component in the Balance of Performance.

A customer-oriented service from a support team trackside that is well-versed in the GT environment, as well as a shared passion and dedication to the sporting excellence conveyed by all SRO championships.

Last but not least, 2017 will be all the more special for SRO and Total ACS as they celebrate a 20-year partnership across several categories.

Nicolas Mandra, Total ACS OEM Fuel Manager: “2017 will undoubtedly mark a special year for Total Additives and Special Fuels, which characterises Total Group’s expertise in additive and special fuel formulations. The GT4 European Series Southern Cup presents similar technical and logistical demands to that of other categories where Total Additives and Special Fuels is involved. Still, the championship opens a promising era in circuit racing, as it combines cost control, sporting fairness, and healthy grids, all of which are values dear to Total Additives and Special Fuels. We are delighted to be fostering the development of the GT4 European Series Southern Cup, as part of our strengthened support and commitment to international and domestic motorsport.”

Car Life Magazine

SRO is pleased to welcome Car Life Magazine to its pool of media partners. The successful magazine was launched in 2013 by former SRO-affiliated drivers Paul Belmondo and Thierry Soave, who believed there was a different way to treat cars and the automotive industry in the media. Both also agreed that the decrease in print sales was not a foregone conclusion.

Thus Car Life was born, the first lifestyle magazine devoted to cars, where vehicles provide great excuses to talk about road trips, gastronomy, fashion, and watchmaking, along with expert contributions in fields as diverse as sailing, bikes, historic cars, and planes. In a nutshell, Car Life caters to men with a passion for the finer goods and art de vivre.

Throughout the 2017 GT4 European Series Southern Cup season, Car Life will have several features on the championship, including a very special test with French philosopher Luc Ferry driving the Maserati GranTurismo GT4. The former Minister for Youth, National Education and Research is indeed a contributor to Car Life and he has proved to be quite handy at the wheel too!
In joining French TV channel la chaine L’Équipe and leading GT racing website Endurance-Info as media partner of the GT4 European Series Southern Cup, Car Life contributes towards ensuring optimum coverage for the championship.

Thierry Soave, Car Life Magazine editor: “Being a competitor in SRO Motorsports Group-organised series myself, I am in a good spot to appreciate the high quality of Stéphane Ratel’s work and his teams’. We are the only lifestyle magazine devoted to cars on the market so it is natural for us to support the only promoter that considers the art of living as a core value in its endeavours. In a way, SRO is a role model for Car Life. We both share the same passion for fine cars, but also and above all, the lifestyle associated with these. Instead of griping over speed radars for instance, Car Life would rather focus on the automotive way of life. And if you want to go fast, then there is no better place than a race track and a SRO-organised championship for you to indulge in your need for speed!”

The series newcomers managed to qualify both of the team’s Porsche Cayman GT4 MR in the top-ten of the 33-car-strong GT4-field in the first of Saturday’s two qualifying sessions: Gabriele Piana put the car he would share with Razvan Umbrarescu seventh on the grid, while Pavel Lefterov set the second-best time and consequently started the Saturday night race from the first row of the field. An even faster time, which would have resulted in the pole, was eventually deleted by the officials.

During race 1, Pavel Lefterov profited from a spin by the pole-setting McLaren of Duncan Huisman and took the lead of the race in the first lap. After some back-and-forth with the Aston-Martin of Matt Nicoll-Jones, Lefterov was still in the lead when he handed the #112 Porsche Cayman over to his team mate John-Louis Jasper. Jasper was on his way to a podium finish when the stewards of the race issued the team with a 40-second penalty for not adhering to the track limits in the closing stages of the race, dropping  Jasper and Lefterov down to 13th position overall. In the meantime, the sister car of Gabriele Piana and Razvan Umbrarescu had a steady race and improved to 5th place overall – securing the RN Vision STS team’s first top-five result in a GT4 event.

For the Sunday race, John-Louis Jasper had qualified in 14th position overall, while Razvan Umbrarescu had scored the 18th best time in a qualifying session marred by other cars’ accidents and subsequent red flag periods. This time it was the duo of  Lefterov and Jasper that finished the race inside the top-five, profiting from a strong opening stint by Jasper, who handed the #112 Cayman over to Lefterov up five positions from his starting slot, and a series of accidents by cars at the front of the field. At the end of the 60-minute race, Lefterov, who fought on the last lap for P3,  missed the podium by a mere two-tenths of a second, while the #111 Cayman of Gabriele Piana and Razvan Umbrarescu came home in 14th position.

Jörg Viebahn started the second race of the weekend from fourth on the grid and moved up into second place on the first lap, behind team mate Alessio Picariello. However, he was unable to keep Academy Motorsport driver William Moore and RYS Team Kiska’s Jonathan Cecotto behind him and soon William Moore was fighting with Alessio Picariello for the lead of the race.

The #92 PROsport Performance Porsche Clubsport could keep the #62 Academy Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT4 behind until the pit stops. Alessio Picariello was the last of the frontrunners to make his mandatory stop and team mate Kevin Rossel returned to the track with a small lead over the #64 RYS Team InterNetX KTM X-Bow GT4 of Jamie Vandenbalck.

Five minutes after the pit window closed Jamie Vandenbalck found a way past Kevin Rossel, who lost another position to Academy Motorsport’s Matt Nicoll-Jones not much later. Nicolaj Møller-Madsen was closing in rapidly and with just over 11 minutes remaining he passed Kevin Rossel to take third place.

A collision between Matt Nicoll-Jones and Scuderia Villorba Corse driver Manuela Gostner prompted a safety car and handed Nicolaj Møller-Madsen second place. Race leader Jamie Vandenbalck had to line up behind the safety car, but the young Belgian overtook the safety car and was shown the black flag.

With one lap remaining the race was resumed and Nicolaj Møller-Madsen took the lead, followed by team mate Kevin Rossel in second and Ricardo van der Ende in the #8 Ekris Motorsport Ekris M4 GT4 in third. RN Vision STS driver Pavel Lefterov tried to pass Van der Ende on the last lap, but the Dutchman kept his Ekris in front of the Porsche to claim the team’s second podium finish of the weekend.

In GT4 AM Wolfgang Riesch and Peter Ebner handed HP Racing its first ever GT4 European Series victory. The #88 Porsche Cayman CS MR GT4 finished 55.384s clear of the #75 Autorlando Sport Porsche 911 GT4 of Dario Cerati and Maurizio Fondi, with Antoni and Piotr Chodzen taking third place on the final lap with their #50 Scuderia Villorba Corse Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4.

Nicolaj Møller-Madsen (#91 PROsport Performance Porsche Cayman CS MR GT4): “It seems like we are strong this year. I made a mistake yesterday and had to give something back to Jörg. So yeah, I am happy to put the car in a win, together with Jörg, because that is where deserve to be!”

The #34 KTM X-Bow GT4 started from fifth on the grid, but by lap eight was already into third place behind the #62 Academy Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT4 of Matt Nicoll-Jones and the #112 RN Vision STS Porsche Cayman CS MR GT4 of Pavel Lefterov.

Pole-sitter Duncan Huisman was taken out of the race shortly after the start. The #9 Las Moras Racing McLaren 570S GT4 was hit twice on the opening lap, causing it to retire with damage before completing a single lap. Defending GT4 European Series champion Jörg Viebahn’s team mate Nicolaj Møller-Madsen was another victim on the first lap. The safety car was deployed on the opening lap.

After seven minutes the race was restarted and Pavel Lefterov and Matt Nicoll-Jones started to fight each other for the race lead. On lap eight the British driver moved into the lead, but four laps later the Bulgarian overtook his rival again to retake the lead. Behind them, Jonathan Cecotto closed in rapidly, while six others were fighting for the fourth place held by Bullitt Racing’s Andy Meyrick.

Matt Nicoll-Jones was the first of the leaders to come into the pits for the mandatory pit stop, with Pavel Lefterov only coming in at the very end of the pit window. However, his team mate John-Louis Jasper was unable to stay in the lead and one lap later, on lap 19, RYS Team Kiska driver Lennart Marioneck had taken the lead.

Lennart Marioneck made no mistake and pulled away from William Moore in the #62 Academy Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT4 and Alessio Picariello in the #92 PROsport Performance Porsche Clubsport. Behind the top three Ekris Motorsport driver Max Koebolt began to close in on the RN Vision STS Porsche.

A daring move with just minutes left on the clock meant Alessandro Picariello took second place from William Moore, but seconds later the Belgian PROsport Performance driver was given a drive-through penalty for improving under yellow. John-Louis Jasper also received a drive-through for disrespecting the track limits, but this penalty was converted into a 40-second time penalty.

After 32 laps Reiter Young Stars driver Lennart Marioneck crossed the line to take victory for RYS Team Kiska. Marioneck finished 9.067s ahead of Academy Motorsport’s William Moore, with Max Koebolt taking third place in his Ekris M4 GT4, finishing 17.069s behind the race winning KTM X-Bow GT4.

In GT4 Am Giuseppe Ghezzi and Manuele Mengozzi claimed victory in the #76 Autorlando Sport Porsche 911 GT4. The Italians beat the #94 PROsport Performance Porsche of Carsten Struwe and Alessandro Giovanelli, Ghezzi’s team mate in 2016. Autorlando Sport’s Dario Cerati and Maurizio Fondi completed the GT4 AM podium.

Results remain provisional pending technical examination and decisions from the stewards.

Jonathan Cecotto (#34 RYS Team Kiska KTM X-Bow GT4): “I started in fifth position and at the beginning I lost a lot of positions because other cars were faster on the straights. I was able to recover one position at a time and my lap times were good. We just put it all together and brought home the win.”



Lennart Marioneck (#34 RYS Team Kiska KTM X-Bow GT4): “Johnny did an awesome job in the first stop and I think the pit stop was also quite good, since I only had to overtake one more car to get into the lead. I am very happy and pleased to be in P1.”

Giuseppe Ghezzi (#76 Autorlando Sport Porsche 911 GT4): “It was a great race from the beginning. The car was great and I have to say thanks to the team. Our objective for tomorrow is to do the same.”

Manuele Mengozzi (#76 Autorlando Sport Porsche 911 GT4): “It was a passionate race. For me as a gentleman driver to drive here and race these professionals was an honor.”

One month before the start of the season at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, 25 cars from 13 teams and eight makes have already been entered. Reigning GT4 European Series champions PROsport Performance has confirmed it will be back and will carry the number 1 on one of its Porsches.

The series is set for an influx of new teams this season, with RN Vision STS (Porsche Cayman), Sean Walkinshaw Racing (Nissan 370Z) and Bullitt Racing (McLaren 570S) already confirming their entries. More familiar names like Allied Racing, Ekris Motorsport, Scuderia Villorba, Sofia Car Motorsport, Las Moras Racing and Equipe Verschuur will also be back this season, while Academy Motorsport and Sellite Racing Team will return following their series debut in 2016.

After a very successful debut in 2016, the Reiter Young Stars cup returns this season. Reiter Engineering will again run eight KTM X-Bow GT4 cars for young, talented drivers hoping to follow in the footsteps of 2016 winners Caitlin Wood and Marko Helistekangas and make the step up to GT3 next year.

SRO Motorsports Group and Pirelli are also pleased to announce the launch of the Pirelli Junior Cup. The Pirelli Junior Cup is a new initiative to support talented drivers racing in the GT4 European Series. At each round of the series the best young driver, between the age of 16 and 26, will receive one set of Pirelli tires to use at the next event. At the end of the 2017 season the overall winner will receive a Pirelli Junior Cup Trophy.

Teams competing in the Northern Cup can also race for the overall GT4 European Series title when they also enter the GT4 European Series Southern Cup rounds at Pau, Barcelona and Paul Ricard. Participants in the Southern Cup will also have to race at Brands Hatch, Zandvoort and the Nürburgring to fight for the overall title.

Also new for this season is that five of the six Northern Cup rounds will be shown live on the GT4 European Series YouTube channel and the races at Misano, Nürburgring and Slovakia will be 60 minutes in length. The opening round at Misano will be held at night.

Max Braams (GT4 European Series Northern Cup Series Manager): “The GT4 concept is really doing well in Europe. An excellent example is the introduction of the Southern Cup and we see ever-growing interest in GT4 overall. This year, several teams and drivers have decided to join the GT4 category, having raced at a higher, more expensive level before.
 I am looking forward to what promises to be a very exciting season with a fantastic grid and several new and strong teams.”

Matteo Braga (Circuit Activities Manager Pirelli): “We’re absolutely delighted to introduce the Pirelli Junior Cup this year, bringing to GT racing the emphasis on promoting young talent that has always been a hallmark of Pirelli’s motorsport programmes. In rallying, for example, the Pirelli Star Driver programme helped at least three drivers secure top level factory drives, and in single-seaters we support GP2, GP3, and Formula 4: providing incentives for young drivers to progress to the next level.”

“This is what we hope to achieve in GT racing as well, which is now one of the fastest-growing areas of motorsport with unprecedented levels of manufacturer interest. Thanks to the Pirelli Junior Cup, we aim to help GT4 become the category that puts young drivers on the first step of the ladder towards a career at the top level of endurance racing with the world’s premium and prestige car manufacturers: our partners on the road as well as the track.”

Malaga-based Bullitt Racing took delivery of its new car at the end of January and completed the first test at the Ascari Race Resort in southern Spain, under the watchful eye of experienced team principal David Price.

Meyrick brings a wealth of experience to the team. The 31-year-old raced for Bentley in the Blancpain GT Series and was also part of the DeltaWing lineup in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

“I’ve been keeping a very close eye on the GT4 championship for the last couple of years now, I really admire the racing and the close competition,” said Meyrick.

“The team is well organised and I’m sure will be competitive very quickly, this was a key part of my decision to take the role.” 

“We were looking for an experienced GT racer to lead our team and take the fight straight to the front, Andy is perfect for the role. We are delighted to have him onboard,” added Price.

Pattrick is getting set to make the move to the GT4 European Series Northern Cup after competing in the Andalusian Historic Touring Car & GTI Championships in recent years.

This season’s GT4 European Series Northern Cup gets underway at Misano on April 1/2.

Built to global GT4 regulations, the Camaro GT4.R is eligible in the Pirelli World Challenge (GTS class) and IMSA’s Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge (GS category), two of North America’s top GT racing championships, as well as additional GT4 series across the world.

Developed with technical partner Pratt & Miller Engineering, the Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R is built off the Camaro ZL1 road car platform. The race-tuned, dry-sump 6.2L LT1 V8 small-block engine – developed and validated by Chevrolet Racing – delivers its power through a race proven, six-speed Xtrac sequential transmission with pneumatic paddle shift and adjustable traction control. Other notable features unique to the GT4.R include:

• Xtrac racing limited-slip differential
• Two-Way Adjustable Ohlins Racing Coil-Over Dampers
• Adjustable ABS featuring Brembo brakes with six-piston aluminum monobloc calipers in the front
• Aerodynamic improvements developed in the wind tunnel including a new rear wing, front splitter and front diveplanes.

The racing success of the fifth-generation Camaro gave Chevrolet engineers a head start on creating a turn-key racer in the GT4.R.

From 2010-16, the Camaro GS and Camaro Z/28.R won 55 races, two Manufacturer’s championships and five driving titles in major North American competition. The lessons and experience aided in the design and development of Chevrolet’s latest customer-driven track car.

The Pershore-based squad, which won the British GT Championship GT4 class teams’ title in 2015, took a sabbatical from full-time competition in ’16.

But it will now launch a dual challenge with returnee Will Moore joining team boss Matt Nicoll-Jones who returns to the wheel in a Silver-Silver graded pairing, to compete in both the British GT Championship and Northern Cup section of the GT4 European Series.

Moore re-joins the team after a successful full debut season in 2015. The Leeds-based racer scored class victory in last month’s Dubai 24 Hour, and will revert back to Academy’s Aston Martin Vantage GT4 machinery to continue his learning and development around both British and European circuits.

Nicoll-Jones last raced in a full-time role in 2013, opting since for a hands-on management position. But following the team’s 12-month hiatus, the prospect of pairing up alongside Moore was one which he could not refuse.

Moore says he cannot wait to climb back into the Vantage which he loved back in 2015: “I’m really excited for the season ahead. The British GT4 class has some strong competition in it this year which will make for some good, close racing.

“I had a great season with Academy and the Aston in 2015, so when the opportunity came up to return and with Matt as my team-mate, I didn’t hesitate.

“Matt and I get on very well and we know the car inside out, the team is extremely professional and I know they will set it up perfectly. I’m looking forward to continuing my development, winning races and challenging for the overall title.”

Nicoll-Jones is forthright in his aspirations for the season ahead: “It’s great for the team to be back racing again and we have a firm target of aiming for the title in both the British and European competitions.

“I’ve personally missed the fun of going racing, it will be great to get back behind the wheel. Despite the weight disadvantage that a Silver-Silver graded pairing brings, I’m extremely confident that we can mount a title challenge in British GT.

“The GT4 European Series is more of a sprint format. We had a taste of that at its final round of last season at Zandvoort and loved it.”

British GT Championship manager Benjamin Franassovici, added: “It’s great to have Academy back in the British GT fold after a year away. Will made a big impression during his maiden GT campaign with the team and Vantage GT4 in 2015, and with a year of GT3 experience under his belt I expect he and Matt to be right at the sharp end this year. It’s a very strong Silver pairing.”

Las Moras Racing and Equipe Verschuur will look for some great results with the McLaren 570S GT4, a car which is new to racing in GT4 from the coming season after an intense test and development phase by the factory and its partners during the last couple of months. The 570S GT4 is equipped with a 430 hp twin turbocharged V8 engine, delivering a torque of 470 Nm, combined with a minimum weight of 1425 kg.

Frans Verschuur, owner of Equipe Verschuur, explains: “The McLaren 570S GT4 gives us a new opportunity and an exciting challenge for the 2017 season and beyond. The car is new to the GT4-class, a class that has grown considerably over the last couple of years and is becoming more and more popular. Various car manufactures have also noticed the strength of the GT4-class and they are increasing their involvement in the category as a result. McLaren  is not the only brand to have developed its own GT4-spec car of late, as Mercedes-Benz and BMW are also busy with getting their factory developed cars out there. Furthermore, what is more beautiful than a grid full of competitive participants with fascinating cars and brands?”

Verschuur continues: “At the moment, there are many series, classes and championships in racing. Each of these classes and series has their own identity and unique benefits. Based on costs, my team and I are convinced that GT4 is one of the best classes to enter. Not only just for now, but also for the near future. In comparison with the costs of a GT3-car and championship, it is way more attractive to enter a GT4-car and championship. Like mentioned before, you are driving with, and against, prestigious cars and brands, on high-level international racing circuits and also the fun of racing remains. All of those things are crucial to be competitive and achieve the demanded results. Those things are to my opinion also some of the reasons that GT4 is a better choice than, for example, TCR Series.”

The driver line-up for the teams’ first of the two GT4’s has already been finalised while negotiations for the other car are in progress. Depending on interest by drivers, the acquisition and running of a third car is a likely option as well.

Besides the GT4 European Series, the McLaren 570S GT4 is well suited for endurance races. The team has its focus on several endurance series including the Creventic Endurance Series, Creventic Touring Car Endurance Series and Supercar Challenge.

Eligible for entry in GT4 competition around the globe, the G55 GT4 is unquestionably one of the strongest GT4 cars on the market. The 2017 upgrades see an additional 33bhp will be produced by an engine power upgrade and high power side exist exhaust system.

Crucially, the lap time delta between amateur and pro drivers will be reduced by the introduction of electronic traction control and an ABS anti-lock braking system.  In addition, the switch from 10” front and 11” rear tyres saw lap times improve during testing. Whilst the introduction of centre locking wheel nuts means pit stop times will be shortened.

A racing thoroughbred throughout, the G55 has long-since been the model of choice for international competition. It is Ginetta’s  commitment to the ongoing development which has seen a Ginetta win the British GT4 class six times in the nine years since the class was created in 2008.

A dominant force in international endurance, highlights of the past 12 months include making history in Pirelli World Challenge with rising star Parker Chase taking GTS Rookie of the Year, as well as a first and third in class on its Motul Sepang 12 Hours debut.

Already a key part of the British GT race weekends in the co-headline BRDC British Formula 3 Championship, where the team is set to continue fielding a multi-car entry, Chipping Norton-based SWR will now add endurance racing to its portfolio for the first time.

The newly confirmed move will see SWR, which is owned by Blancpain GT Series racer Sean Walkinshaw, run a pair of Nissan 370Z cars in the GT4 European Series where the team intends to be a consistent front-runner from the outset.

Provisionally, SWR’s endurance debut will come at Misano in Italy over the weekend 1st/2nd April when the six round GT4 European Series Northern Cup gets underway. From there, it will visit Brands Hatch in the UK in May, Zandvoort in The Netherlands and Spa in Belgium in the summer before a trip to either Austria or Hungary. The finale will be at Germany’s Nurburgring in September.

Established by organiser SRO to provide one of the most effective forms of endurance competition, the GT4 European Series Northern Cup offers eligibility for a wide range of cars from marques such as Porsche, BMW, Lotus, Aston Martin, KTM and, of course, Nissan.

“We’re all incredibly excited by the move into endurance racing for SWR, especially with the Nissan 370Z”, said team owner Walkinshaw, “It’s a fantastic step for the team and a great opportunity to branch out into GT racing, probably the fastest growing form of motorsport in the world.

“We have already had the cars on track and believe the Nissan 370Z is a competitive vehicle in Europe and British GT. We’re currently evaluating drivers for our available seats, and keen to hear from others too as we prepare to hit the ground running next year.”

The GT4 European Series– which is split into the Northern Cup and Southern Cup, as well as an overall title – is organised and promoted by SRO, which is also behind the headlining Blancpain GT Series, where Pirelli has a long-term tyre supply agreement. Pirelli first supplied the GT4 European Series Northern Cup this year, and is delighted to renew the agreement into the future.

While the Blancpain GT Series uses GT3 cars from the world’s leading sports car manufacturers, the grids of the GT4 European Series are formed by SRO homologated GT4 cars, in order to open up the competition to as many drivers as possible.

For GT4, Pirelli uses its renowned P Zero tyres in 18-inch size: DH slick tyres for dry conditions and WH patterned tyres for rain. These are commercially available products that use Pirelli’s state-of-the-art technology in a wide variety of fitments. The versatility of the tyres means that they complement the performance of an ample range of cars, which are suitable for a number of different national championships as well, including French GT.

Matteo Braga (Pirelli’s racing activities manager): “All the tyres we provide for GT demonstrate the technology transfer that cascades from Formula 1, to GT racing, to other forms of motorsport and our Ultra High Performance road car tyres. The products we are using have been tested for several years in many different championships, so they complement the philosophy of the GT4 European Series and French GT perfectly. It’s a great pleasure for us to continue our agreement with the GT4 European Series, and return to France, where we have not been seen on the national GT championship since 2009.”

Stephane Ratel (Founder and CEO SRO Motorsports Group): “We are happy to have Pirelli on board for the new-look GT4 European Series. They are of course our loyal and efficient partner in everything GT3, and since Pirelli already provided GT4 teams with their tyres in the current GT4 European Series and British GT championship, they have plenty of experience with the GT4 category as well. The Pirelli tyre is not only very efficient, but also good value for money, so completely in line with the GT4 spirit.”

RE GT400 Engine Kit consisting of:

• high performance turbocharger
• high perormance connecting rods
• high performance fuel pump
• chargecooler extended version
• modyfied oil cooling system
• Reiter Engineering motor software
• oil temperature sensor
• oil pressure sensor
• MOTEC Datalogger recommended!

RE GT4 Aerodynamic accessories

• Frontsplitter SPX / SP2 *
• Rear Wing inc. Gurney SPX / SP2
• Lightweight underfloor

*permitted only with SPX / SP2 rear wing!

RE GT4 Suspension accessories

• Sport Springs various rates 80-160 NM
• Anti-Roll-Bar FA reinforced
• Sport Suspension improved characteristic

RE GT4 Endurance accessories

• Additional engine cooling fan
• 120 Liters fuel cell
• Cat by-pass pipe
• chargecooler extended version
• Double- headlights incl.Cornering Light
• various fuell cell valves
• Quick start/stop endurance button
• Ballast 1,5kg 3mm
• Brakepedal large

RE GT4 Comfort accessories

• Additional Driver Cooling
• Aircondition
• Rear View Camera
• Power Steering (in preparation)
• Silenced Exhaust System

RE GT4 Sensor Kits

• Brake Pressure Sensor RA
• Damper Movement Sensor Kit
• oil temperature sensor
• oil pressure sensor

RE GT4 savety accessories

• Driver Net (vehicle center)

RE GT4 Tools

• Cable ext. Batterie
• OBD-ABS Adapter
• ABS-PC Interface Cable
• Car Jack Bar
• Fuel Drain Hose Female
• Refueling Bottle 25 Litre
• Refueling Bottle Stand
• Airlance
• Airjack Safety Prop front
• Airjack Safety Prop rear
• Tracking Gauge
• clutch centering
• Wheel gun nut Aluminium
• Wheel gun nut steel

KTM X-BOW GT4

• running cost are kept within acceptable limits
• road car components: Original Audi 4 cylinder 2.Olt Turobmotor with 360HP and Bosch Motoronic
• low tyre and brake wear: tyre changes and in endurance races only after 4 hours
• excellent engine performance thanks ample cooling
• the monocoque technology provides unique protection never previously seen in this class
• FIA tested sportscar rollcage
• completely redesigned exterior
• typically futuristic KTM design

Dimension

• Wheelbase: 2599mm
• overall width: 1933mm
• overall length: 4112mm
• front track: 1670mm
• rear track: 1670mm
• min. ground clearance: 55mm
• weight: 999kg
• distribution: 45%front
• fuel cell: FT3 Specification
• 70L racing fuel cell

The Mercedes-AMG GT R that was presented this year is the basis for the development of the new race car. The top athlete in the Mercedes-AMG portfolio has excellent characteristics for motorsport purposes. Like with the AMG GT3 race car, particular user-friendliness and an excellent level of safety will be highly important goals during the development process of the new member of the AMG motorsport family.

Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Management Board of Mercedes-AMG GmbH: “The development of the Mercedes-AMG GT4 is another important step in the continuing expansion of our Mercedes-AMG motorsport programme. The excellent feedback of our Customer Sports teams concerning the AMG GT3 and the increasing interest for GT4 race cars strengthened us in our decision. We are delighted to address an even larger target group of amateur and professional drivers and teams in the future with it.”

Unveiled at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the Mustang GT4 has been designed and engineered jointly by Ford Performance and Multimatic Motorsports to compete in sports car championship racing series globally, including the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, Pirelli World Challenge GTS/GT4, and GT4 European Series. It’s inspired by the Ford Shelby GT350R-C that won the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship just last month.

“As the Mustang nameplate continually expands its presence in markets throughout the world, so does our relevant motorsport presence,” explained David Pericak, global director of Ford Performance. “The Mustang GT4 is equipped to compete and win on tracks around the globe, and we expect it to be as popular with racers as its production sibling is with consumers.”

The Mustang GT4 is equipped with the next generation, naturally aspirated 5.2L V8 racing engine specifically tuned for GT4 competition. The race engine was engineered, validated and built by Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines.A lightweight, compact six-speed Holinger paddle shift transmission delivers proven race durability with direct-pneumatic activation for fast, positive and consistent gear shifts. The GT4 powertrain also carries a dry sump oiling system, ZF-developed twin-plate racing clutch and flywheel.

Chassis features on the Mustang GT4 include:

• Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV^™) dampers from Multimatic for advanced predictability, accuracy, repeatability and ultimate vehicle control
• Rear lower control arms (designed specifically for coil-over springs) and front/rear stabilizer bars from Multimatic
• Lightweight 18” x 11” forged alloy wheels from Forgeline
• Rotors and six-piston calipers from Brembo
• Aerodynamic enhancements on the Mustang GT4 include a rear wing, the design of which was derived from lessons learned by the Ford GT racing program, front splitter, hood venting, diveplanes and rear diffuser

On the interior, the Mustang GT4 carries a full FIA-compliant roll cage and race-oriented dash logger from MoTeC.

For rounds 8 and 9 of the Reiter Young Stars Cup, the eight KTM X-BOW GT4 head to Zandvoort in the Netherlands. A challenging circuit in the dunes as a difficult task for the final races. While the fight for the Women´s Championship was a duet, the men´s title could have been a fight between up to four of the young talents. But race 1 should decide everything.

Male driver Championship
Race 1 on Sunday morning went green and just some corners after the start the fight for the first driver was done without any chance to avoid it. Lennart Marioneck (RYS Team Holinger) had been send into the barriers by another competitor at high speed. The mess of parts at the track after the crash looked crucial, but Lennart Marioneck was totally unhurt thanks to the enormous strength of the KTM X-BOW GT4 chassis. The damage of the car was too bad, so the weekend of Marioneck and his fight for the Championship had been over way too early.

After the restart it didn´t get easier for the drivers with a second safety-car-period in the second half. With maximum points, Maciej Dreszer (RYS Team Hohenberg event) finished race 1, while Marko Helistekangas (RYS Team Pankl) should get the points for second place. As his direct rivals for the Championship, Thoams Krebs (RYS Team WP) and Cedric Freiburghaus (RYS Team True Racing), finished in 3rd and 4th, situation for Helistekangas was clear. He could increase his gap to Krebs and Freiburghaus and won the title already in race 1!

On Sunday afternoon, it should be a challenge between Krebs and Freiburghaus for third place in the Championship. And a new point system made it even more difficult for the driver´s tactics. In the first four events, each driver got points for the average of his five fastest laps. In Zandvoort, points had been split. Half of the points for the average of the five fastest laps, half of the points for the average of all laps of the race with the exception of laps behind the Safety Car or Full Course Yellow.

Cedric Freiburghaus had a better average in the five laps category, but Thomas Krebs made it with his overall lap average. The Swiss driver Freiburghaus finished fifth, Krebs from Denmark in third and also took the third spot in the Championship. Winner of the RYS Race 2 at Zandvoort should be a newbie on the top of the podium. Jaime Vandenbalck (RYS Team KTM) took his first vicotory in the very last race of the season, while Mads Siljehaug (RYS Team Hohenberg Event) took P3.

“This season in GT4 was good and it was nice to have so many different cars out there. It was fun to race again with Mollermadsen and Krebs because we used to race in the same karting class some years ago. There were many new tracks for me but I managed to learn the tracks fast enought to beable to win the RYS cup”, so Reiter Young Stars Cup male winner Marko Helistekangas. “After racing two seasons with GT4 cars I feel like I am prepared for GT3. Now I have won 4 seasons in a row the series where I have competited. Next year I will gain more experience from GT3 and I believe that I can do some good results also. Anyway it will be hard to win next season so the goal for next season will be more about gaining very much experience. I want to say thank you to my team and people who supported me during the season.”

Female driver Championship
The final weekend started tough for RYS Team KTM driver Laura Kraihamer. Due to an accident of her team mate Vandenbalck, she lost a lot of track time in free practice. But the Reiter Engineering mechanics fixed the #14 KTM X-BOW GT4 in extremely short time and Kraihamer was “ready to race” again. For the Austrian, the next shock wasn´t far away. With Vandenbalck behind the wheel, the car got hit from behind in the opening stage in race 1 and came to the pits. Again the mechanics showed their performance of long term GT Racing experience and could send out Kraihamer in the second half of the race!

Caitlin Wood wasn´t too happy with the setup of her car and tried to do safe and fast laps. She came to Zandvoort with a 13 points lead, so she didn´t had to risk too much. The best average out of five laps looked good, but in the overall average Wood lost some minor ground on Sunday morning. So she came home in second behind a hard fighting Laura Kraihamer, who shortened the gap to Wood by 3,5 points in race 1. Third went to Anna Rathe (RYS Team True Racing), her third podium finish of the season.

Race 2 on Sunday afternoon had to bring the final decision about the female title! This time, Laura Kraihamer dominated both challenges clear with the best average and she took the maximum 25 points for the ranking. Caitlin Wood claimed second position with a range of constant lap times and again didn´t take any risk. 18 points were enough to win the Reiter Young Stars Competition Anna Rathe closed her season in the KTM X-BOW GT4 with the second podium finish of the weekend.

“This year´s season of European GT4 has been such a great initation of me into GT racing and the way everything works”, said the first female Champion of the Reiter Young Stars Cup Caitlin Wood. “The tracks we have raced at have been unbelievable and the racing with all of the competitors has always been tough but fun. I really enjoyed my season in GT4 with Reiter Engineering in their Young Stars Program and I am ecstatic about receiving the drive in GT3 for 2017 in the Blancpain Sprint Series. The hard work is only just beginning!”

RYS winners already teamed up for one race
Caitlin and Marko already drove together in the same car at the RYS round in Pau. After a crash of the RYS Team Pankl car in Free Practice, Marko stepped into Caitlin´s RYS Team KISKA KTM X-BOW GT4. In 2017, they will do the next step as a team and enter the Cockpit of a Reiter Engineering Gallardo R-EX in the Blancpain Sprint Series!

The Racing Team Holland by Ekris Motorsport drivers started from the front row and were still first and second into the first corner. A crash on the pit straight, however, initially resulted in a safety car, before the race director decided to red flag the race and order the cars back into the pits. After the stranded cars had been removed and the track had been cleaned, the race was restarted.

After the restart, Van Oranje and Severs ran first and second all the way until they made their mandatory pit stops. This briefly handed the lead to Villorba Corse’s Patrick Zamparini, but once all the pit stops were made Ricardo van der Ende was back in the lead. Behind him it was the Villorba Corse Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4 of Luca Anselmi and the second Ekris M4 GT4 of Simon Knap. Anselmi rapidly closed the gap to Van der Ende and the Italian started looking for options to pass the Dutch driver and his Ekris M4 GT4. Van der Ende defended his lead from the Italian, but with two and a half minutes plus a lap left in the race, Anselmi hit the back of Van der Ende’s car in the Tarzan corner.

Van der Ende spun and Anselmi took the lead, but soon after the Villorba Corse driver was given a drive through penalty for causing a collision. As he served the penalty, both Knap and Van der Ende passed the Maserati, making it a one-two again. The Dutch duo went on to take Ekris’ first victory of the season, the first win for the Ekris M4 GT4 and second place in the GT4 European Series Teams’ championship, behind new champions PROsport Performance. The RYS Team Hohenberg KTM X-Bow of Mads Siljehaug and Maciej Dreszer also passed the Villorba Corse Maserati, resulting in a third place finish and second place in the GT4 PRO drivers’ championship for the Norwegian-Polish duo.

In GT4 AM Jan Kasperlik started the race with a 7.5-point lead over Jérôme Demay, but before the cars had made it to the first corner the German’s race was over. The Porsche GT4 Clubsport MRs of Kasperlik and Graeme Mundy made contact on the pit straight, sending both cars into the wall and out of the race. Kasperlik’s accident meant the Street Art Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 would only need to finish for Demay to claim the AM drivers’ title.

Demay’s teammate, Damien Dupont, who had taken the class lead on the opening lap held onto the lead until handing over to his teammate. Demay initially had a trouble-free run on his way to the title, before getting into a fight for position with the NMT Racing BMW M3 GT4. There was contact twice, before Tristan Boorsma passed Demay to take the lead and the race win. One corner later the Generation AMR Super Racing Aston Martin hit Demay, sending the French driver into a spin. Fortunately, Demay could carry on and he would finish seventh in class. With the first two cars in GT4 AM not eligible for points, Demay scored enough to claim the title. Sofia Car Motorsport finished the race in second place, with Autorlando Sport taking the final podium position.

First GT4 European Series pole for Porsche GT4 Clubsport MR

Duncan Huisman claimed pole position for the first of the two Zandvoort races in Qualifying 1 with a time of 1m46.625s. Huisman set his fastest time five minutes into the session, which was only bettered by Racing Team Holland by Ekris Motorsport driver Ricardo van der Ende. However, Van der Ende’s fastest time was disallowed for improving under yellow. His second fastest time was not enough to beat Huisman’s fastest time, resulting in the first series pole for the Porsche GT4 Clubsport MR. The Academy Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT4 of Dennis Strandberg was third fastest.

Championship points leader Peter Terting qualified his PROsport Performance Porsche Cayman PRO4 GT4 13th in GT4 PRO, while second placed Nicolaj Møller Madsen finished the session in 16th place. Italian Luca Anselmi qualified the Villorba Corse Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4 in ninth place in GT4 PRO.

The Sin Cars Sin R1 GT4 of Sergiu Nicolae claimed pole position in GT4 AM, after NMT Racing’s Tristan Boorsma’s fastest lap was disallowed for a yellow flag violation. GT4 AM points leader Jan Kasperlik ended the qualifying in seventh place, one place behind his rival Jérôme Demay.

Racing Team Holland by Ekris Motorsport 1-2 in Qualifying 2

Bernhard van Oranje and Rob Severs helped each other to make it a Racing Team Holland by Ekris Motorsport 1-2 in Qualifying 2. The Dutch teammates gave each other a tow, which helped Van Oranje to claim pole position for the final race of the season. Just under four minutes from the end of the session Van Oranje put in a 1m47.393, 0.360s faster than teammate Severs. Reiter Young Stars driver Mads Siljehaug qualified his KTM X-Bow GT4 in third place.

Jörg Viebahn was tenth fastest in GT4 Pro, two places behind PROsport Performance teammate and title rival Andreas Patzelt. The Villorba Corse Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4 of Patrick Zamparini, currently third in the standings, qualified fourth in GT4 PRO.

Despite a spin at turn 3, rookie Eduard Anton put the Sofia Car Motorsport Sin R1 GT4 on pole in GT4 AM. The Romanian driver beat the Street Art Racing Aston Martin Vantage of Damien Dupont, with the Brookspeed Porsche GT4 Clubsport MR of Graeme Mundy taking third place.

Having won three of the eight races so far this season with their Porsche Cayman PRO4 GT4, Terting and Viebahn are the title favourites and are highly motivated to finish the job at the Dutch race track. But with a maximum of 50 points still to play for this weekend, their teammates Møller Madsen and Patzelt can still win the drivers title in GT4 PRO. The Danish-German duo won one race so far this season and will have to aim for more wins at Zandvoort to stay in the hunt until the final race on Sunday.

Allied Racing’s Jan Kasperlik saw his lead at the top of the GT4 AM class reduced to 14.5 points, after Street Art Racing driver Jérôme Demay claimed three podium finishes in the last three races. Both Kasperlik and Demay won two races this season and it will likely come down to the final race of the season to decide the GT4 AM champion.

It has been over a year since the Competition102 GT4 European Series visited Circuit Park Zandvoort and last time out the KTM X-BOW GT4 claimed two pole positions and a double overall victory on its race debut. The nature of the track suits the KTM very well and with eight Reiter Young Stars Cup cars entered, an overall podium finish should be possible. Lennart Marioneck is the current Reiter Young Stars Cup points leader, while Caitlin Wood leads the female driver championship. Both RYS champions will be awarded a seat in the 2017 Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup.

After scoring a podium finish in Hungary, Sergiu Nicolae joins Sofia Car Motorsport again at the Dutch track. He will be partnered by fellow Romanian Eduard Anton. Dutch team NMT Racing have entered a BMW M3 GT4 for Tristan and Yorick Boorsma. The two Dutch brothers made a successful series debut at Zandvoort in 2015, finishing second in GT4 AM in race two.

Two British Aston Martin Vantage GT4s join the series at Zandvoort this weekend. Generation AMR Super Racing have entered Matthew George and James Holder for the season finale, while Academy Motorsport has confirmed Dennis Strandberg and Will Moore as its drivers for the weekend.

Pieter-Christiaan van Oranje and Tim Coronel return to the series, having missed the Hungarian round two weeks ago. Van Oranje and Coronel will race one of the Allied Racing BMW M3 GT4s, while Liesette Braams and Gaby Uljee will share the wheel of the second car again. A total of 12 Dutch drivers are set to compete in front of their home fans, including triple European GT4 champion Ricardo van der Ende. His Racing Team Holland by Ekris Motorsport team is still looking for its first win of the season.

Peter Terting (#18 PROsport Performance Porsche): “I’m really looking forward to the big final at Zandvoort. It’s a very spectacular circuit, which doesn’t allow any mistake. I did have some cool races here in the past in DTM and GT Masters, so I know the track well. Compared to Budapest my car has been given a 50 kg weight increase, which will make it hard to win. The team and I will do our best to score as many points as possible and for sure I want to be on the podium in Zandvoort!”

Jan Kasperlik (#22 Allied Racing Porsche): “We are the AM championship leaders and everyone can be sure we will do everything possible to win the title. At Zandvoort surviving the first race without any damage is important, as between the two races there’s only just enough time to do a short service and check the setup of the car. There’s no time to repair major accident damage.”

Open game for the universities – every team still has a chance to win the title

It is just a gap of 47,9 points who seperates the 8th placed CVUT Prague (RYS Team Hohenberg Event) from the leading FH Aachen (RYS Team WP). But this gap is not as big as it looks like. At Zandvoort the Universities still can collect points in four different categories like pit stops, fuel challenge, engineering and team manager. Additionally, all teams will get points for their marketing work after the final event. No position in the standings is secured before Zandvoort, every team still has a realistic chance to win the overall competition. Everyone has to fight 100% at the final races of the season!

The smallest gap by the way is between the first and second placed universities. Just 0,9 points separate the FH Aachen and the Universität des Saarlandes (RYS Team KTM).

Female drivers – duel for the Championship win

Caitlin Wood (RYS Team Kiska) and Laura Kraihamer (RYS Team KTM), these two girls will fight for the Championship win and a GT3 cockpit in the Blancpain Sprint Series 2017. While Caitlin Wood could catch four victories and Laura two, the Austrian driver collected more pointes in the exams. Both stepped onto the winners podium in every race.

50 Points will be given away at Zandvoort; 13 points separate the two female drivers after four events. “I have made great progress during the season”, says Caitlin Wood. “Especially the Hungaroring qualifying had been a big step forward and I hope to continue this way at Zandvoort.”

Laura Kraihamer looks forward to the final round extremely motivated: “Zandvoort seems to be an amazing track – as all the other tracks this season, I only know it from the simulator. I have prepared myself particularly intense for this round. The team from Uni Saarland and Reiter Engineering have done an amazing job so far and I am very optimistic that we will have a great car in Zandvoort. The championship win is still in reach and I hope that we can finally show full potential, without facing unfavourable circumstances.”

Male drivers – tough competition for Zandvoort

In the maths, five of the male Reiter Young Stars have a chance to win the Championship. Leader with 147 points in the books is Lennart Marioneck from RYS Team Holinger. He collected two race victories so far in Monza and Hungaroring. Mixed feelings for him by thinking about Zandvoort: “The track is very special and definitely not easy to drive. I have driven their twice and I like it. But you have to be careful, it is tight and less space for mistakes. The gravel beds are extremely deep. Once you´re in there, you get stuck.” Weather coould be a critical factor: „I prefer driving in the dry, but the KTM is a very stable car in wet conditions. But Zandvoort in the wet is a risk!”.

With a gap of 15 points, RYS Team Pankl driver Marko Helistekangas is second. He lost the lead in the first Hungaroring race, where he finished just in ninth place. He also has two victories in stock (Spa / Hungaroring) and took maximum points in the exams. Thomas Krebs (RYS Team WP) and Cedric Freiburghaus (RYS Team True Racing) are close together with 114 and 112 points in third and fourth. Still theoretical chances are active for Chris Vlok. The RYS Team InterNetX driver collected 100 points.

The Pershore-based outfit, which won the British GT Championship GT4 class teams’ title in 2015, will line up its successful partnership of Dennis Strandberg and Will Moore, who competed together throughout ’15 with a view to a potential entry in 2017.

Academy and Strandberg were provided a taste of the European GT4 field earlier this season when it combined with the British GT grid at the Silverstone 500, in a single-round entry.

Strandberg has also competed in the Volkswagen Racing Cup and tested various machinery including touring cars in 2016.

The Swedish racer scored a brace of second-place finishes on his debut in the Germany-based TCR series at Hockenheim last weekend with the Target SRL squad, teaming up with series champion Josh Files.

After a successful campaign with Academy in 2015, Moore competed in this year’s British GT Championship in an Audi R8 LMS GT3 machine.

The European GT4 Series will comprise of two, 50-minute races around the Dutch coastal circuit this weekend.

Dennis Strandberg:

“I’m looking forward to getting back with the 2015 crew. This will be my second race with the team this season and after some bad weather left us off the podium on that occasion, I’m really eager to get us back up there and I know we have the team and the car to do that.

“Will and I have done different things this year but I’ve still followed him and he’s done a great job in GT3 and has great pace.

“To race at Zandvoort with just GT4 cars on the grid will be fun. I’ve never been to the circuit, not even been around on a simulator, so I’ll be going over lots of onboard footage.

“To go into TCR on my debut, qualify second and take two, second place finishes show that I’m not a bad driver after all!”

Will Moore:

“It’s great to bring the gang back together. The 2015 season was a good year and although we took some second place finishes, we didn’t get that elusive top step. We’re going to try and put that right this weekend.

“It’ll be nice to go out there and discover what European racing is about. Although I’ve raced with the European GT4 Series at Silverstone and Spa this year, I was in a GT3 car.

“It’ll also be nice to be back out in the Aston which I’ve not driven for over a year. I’ll find out what sort of jump down there is from GT3 to GT4.

“We’re on the back foot with neither Dennis or myself racing around Zandvoort before. But with the team and drivers, we’ll have a great chance.”

Matt Nicoll-Jones, team owner:

“This weekend will give the team an idea of what we could expect to be up against if the car is on the European GT4 grid in 2017.

“The team’s plans are coming together for next year. We aim to return to regular competition with both domestic and European championships of interest at this stage. That is where we want to show what the team is capable of.”

Team Principal Amadio says: “In race-2 everything went in the right way, at last. The whole team did a great job and this result gives us the right confidence for the final round at Zandvoort. In Hungary we shown competitiveness through the whole weekend and only a puncture denied us of another 25 points for the championship. We must be very proud of that”.

Zamparini adds: “We had two pole positions, we set the fastest lap in Saturday’s race. We were really unlucky because we had a blown tyre. On Sunday Luca struggled a bit in the first part, because the others were on new tyres while we had used ones from race-1. When I went in I knew I was faster than the others, but we were a bit lucky today with the safety car. I pushed for a few laps and then tried to make it to the end. It has been a great weekend, if we had not blown the tyres on Saturday we would have been on top of the podium as well”.

Anselmi ends: “We knew that this circuit didn’t really suit the Maserati, but we did a really good job. The car was perfect since the very first lap I did. I had some problems with the tyres in the first couple of laps of race-2, but when you win it is all good!”.

After an extra formation lap, Villorba Corse driver Patrick Zamparini pulled away and held onto the lead into the first right-hander. Jörg Viebahn pushed hard to close the gap and on the run down to turn 5 he put his Porsche Cayman PRO4 GT4 next to the Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4 and moved into the lead of the race. Zamparini stayed right behind the Porsche and when Viebahn made a mistake, the Italian was able to retake the lead.

While Zamparini and Viebahn continued to race each other for the lead, Mads Siljehaug was involved in a hard but fair battle for sixth position with Paolo Meloni and Jérôme Demay. The RYS Team Hohenberg driver first passed the Maserati of Meloni, before going after the GT4 AM leading Aston Martin of Demay. Zamparini came into the pits with 26 minutes left, handing over to teammate Luca Anselmi. As Anselmi headed back out onto the track, Viebahn came in to hand over his Porsche to Peter Terting. The extra lap and a faultless stop was not enough to take the lead and the German driver rejoined several seconds behind the Maserati.

Terting, however, was much quicker than Anselmi and after 14 laps he had reduced the Italian’s lead to just 1.1s. A puncture on the Villorba Corse Maserati meant Terting took the lead on the next lap and soon after, Racing Team Holland by Ekris Motorsport driver Simon Knap also passed Anselmi to take third place. By the time the Maserati had reached turn 13 the tyre came off the rim, but it made it back into the pits.

Knap was not in a position to challenge Terting in the final part of the race and, despite having some brake issues, the German Porsche driver went on to take victory in the GT4 PRO class. After 25 laps he came across the line to take the chequered flag, with Knap finishing 6.739s behind him in second place. Knap’s teammates Ricardo van der Ende and Bernhard van Oranje were scored in third place, despite having to serve a drive-through penalty during the race and initially crossing the line in fourth place.

Nicolaj Møller Madsen finished in front of the second Ekris M4 GT4, but he was given a 25-second time penalty post-race for exceeding track limits. The Dane had been in a fantastic fight for the final podium position in the final minutes of the race when he was hit by Mauro Calamia, who was then hit by Maciej Dreszer. All three cars suffered damage, but while Calamia spun Møller Madsen was able to keep his Porsche on the track and crossed the line in third, only to be penalized and drop to seventh overall.

In GT4 AM Street Art Racing’s Damien Dupont was in the lead after the pit stops, but the Aston Martin driver was unable to keep the PROsport Performance Porsche Cayman PRO4 GT4 of Riki Christodoulou behind him. On lap 20 Christodoulou made his move to pass Dupont and take the lead. In the remaining five laps he built up a 7.772s lead over the Belgian driver. Massimiliano Tressoldi secured a GT4 AM podium finish for Swiss Team.

Peter Terting (#18 PROsport Performance Porsche): “It was good. Jörg did a really good job. It was tricky, because the track is really hard for the brakes so the temperature kept getting up and my pedal was getting softer and softer. In the end I had to reduce my speed and brake a little earlier, so I was struggling a bit towards the end. I could keep the gap and I was happy I could keep that, because I thought I would drop off, but we did make it until the end. We have to find a solution for tomorrow. I caught the Maserati and then he had this problem and it was very easy to pass him because he went off. In motorsport you need some luck, this time I had it. I am very happy and I’ll go for the championship now.”

Riki Christodoulou (#21 PROsport Performance Porsche): “I wasn’t sure who I was racing at the time. I had a good battle with one of the X-Bows, but the main battle was the Aston. I was behind him for some laps and tried to put a few passes on him at the exit of turn 1. It was a bit close and I had to back out a few times, otherwise it would have been a crash. But it all came together. I was patient when he tried to pass a guy into turn 3, I hung back, got the run and did him in turn 4. That was the turning point of the race. But my teammate and obviously my team did a great job.”

Team Principal Amadio says: “The season comes alive with the final rush at Budapest this weekend and at Zandvoort in October. Still one hundred points are to be assigned so the championship is wide open. We believe that the new Anselmi / Zamparini crew can be competitive and able to clinch an useful result. It will be very important not to make mistakes and to try to score as many points as possible already from race-1”.

GT4 race series are internationally gaining in popularity. They provide for high quality, nail biting motorsports while simultaneously offering an attractive price-performance ratio. With the newly developed Porsche GT4 Clubsport MR, Manthey-Racing positions ambitious drivers and teams to participate in national and international SRO GT4 races.

The technical highlights of the Upgrade Package include lightweight elements such as carbon fiber doors, carbon fiber front bonnet, a polycarbonate windscreen and an optional light weight battery which reduces the vehicle weight by around 40kg. The 2-way adjustable race suspension kit with linear bearing and the sway bar with blade adjustment further improve driving dynamics. Performance optimisation is rounded off with a rear wing larger than that of the basic vehicle, combined with extended wing brackets.

Besides the complete vehicle, an Upgrade Kit is also to be offered for existing Cayman GT4 Clubsport cars. It will be distributed by Manthey-Racing or, for the American market, by Porsche Motorsport North America.

“This is another important milestone in Manthey-Racing’s history,” says Manthey-Racing General Manager Nicolas Raeder. “With the Porsche GT4 Clubsport MR, and following the Cayman GT4 Trophy/Porsche Sports Cup Kit, we are now already offering the second options package on the basis of the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport racing car, and giving Porsche clients the opportunity to take part in the growing class of SRO GT4 racing.”

“The GT4 category is currently experiencing a boom,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “It offers affordable motorsport with cars of technical high-quality and, therefore, attracts a wide target audience. We see enormous potential around the world for privateer BMW teams for whom the BMW M4 GT4 is an option. Developing a classic customer racing car such as this and offering it to privateer teams has always been one of BMW Motorsport’s core competencies. This also was the case with the predecessor model, the BMW M3 GT4, which is still in action in international race series today. The BMW M4 Coupé provides the ideal basis for our new GT4 model. This is a strong base for our engineers to close the gap between our customer racing spearhead, the BMW M6 GT3, and the BMW M235i Racing for newcomers with a car that is extremely sporty in its production version. The BMW M4 GT4 is designed perfectly for simple use by privateer teams, who can celebrate successes around the world as ambassadors for BMW Motorsport with this model.”

Top quality and safety standards, excellent driveability and low running costs were the premises at the start of the development of the BMW M4 GT4. The entire drivetrain, including electronics, will be taken from the BMW M4 Coupé. The carbon bonnet comes from the BMW M4 GTS, and the BMW M4 GT4 has carbon-fibre doors, a special motorsport front splitter and rear wing, as well as a racing exhaust system. The seats, the brakes and the pedal box use solutions carried over from the BMW M6 GT3.

The offer of contesting races in existing GT4 classes with the BMW M4 GT4 is open to customer teams around the world. Germany, Europe, North America and Asia all have ideal conditions for the car. BMW Motorsport will also use the new challenger to bring talented young drivers closer to the GT3 class as part of the BMW Motorsport Junior Programme. The first cars are due to be delivered to customers in the second half of 2017. The first possible race appearance will be the 24 Hours of Dubai (AE) in January 2018.

Team Principal Amadio says: “After a positive round at Silverstone we head to the 2 Hours of Spa well aware that it will be a very challenging race where we have to focus our maximum efforts. We have a car, the Maserati, which suits well this legendary track characteristics and we have all the elements to be able to clinch valuable points for the championship. The most important thing is to be constant all race long”.