A raft of new entries have been confirmed for this year’s Total 24 Hours of Spa, including no fewer than five 2019-spec Aston Martin Vantage GT3s.
These additions come two weeks ahead of the official Blancpain GT Series test days at Circuit Paul Ricard, where teams will lay the first foundations for their assault on the 24 Hours.
Three of the Astons will come from the R-Motorsport stable, with all contesting the top-tier Pro class. The Swiss squad has announced a pair of full-season Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup entries with the new machine, while a third car will be added for the season’s marquee race.
The #62 will see 2016 Total 24 Hours of Spa winner Maxime Martin joined by Matthieu Vaxivière and Matt Parry, both of whom have experience of the twice-around-the-clock event. The #62 started last year’s race from pole position thanks to Martin’s rapid qualifying effort.
The team’s #76 will see established R-Motorsport men Jake Dennis and Marvin Kirchhöfer joined by Aston Martin works driver Alex Lynn, who will be making his first start at the Belgian endurance classic.
The team will add further firepower for the season’s biggest race, with a third Vantage GT3 set to be driven by Ricky Collard, Hugo de Sadeleer and Ferdinand Habsburg.
Competing as #760, the additional car features a trio of exciting young drivers aged 22 and under. Collard contested last year’s Total 24 Hours of Spa as part of the ROWE-BMW line-up, while De Sadeleer and Habsburg will make their debuts at the event in July.
The Garage 59 squad will also field the new Vantage GT3. Having switched from McLaren machinery for the 2019 Endurance Cup campaign, the British outfit will run cars in the Pro and Am Cup categories, with the Total 24 Hours of Spa representing the main event for both.
No drivers have yet been announced for the programme, though Chris Goodwin, Andrew Watson and Jonny Adam will test the car this week. Adam is an Aston Martin factory driver while Watson and new team co-owner Goodwin drove for the squad at last year’s Total 24 Hours of Spa.
Finally, AKKA ASP Team has revealed two of its programmes for the season ahead, both of which are set to contest the 24 Hours. The all-star trio of Raffaele Marciello, Vincent Abril and Michael Meadows will lead the French outfit’s assault on the Pro class, while experienced gentlemen racers Jean-Luc Beaubelique and Mauro Ricci will be joined by rising professional star Jim Pla in a Pro-Am entry.
Further entries for this year’s Total 24 Hours of Spa are expected as the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup grid continues to take shape. Preparations for this year’s race will begin on Monday 22 July, with the first track action taking place the following day. The festivities will continue on Wednesday 24 July with the annual parade to Spa town centre, quickly followed by practice and qualifying on Thursday and Friday (25/26 July).
The race itself will play out across Saturday and Sunday (27/28 July). A host of exciting support series will precede the main event, while further entertainment – including the Fan Zone and music concert – will run throughout the on-track contest.