There will be plenty to play for when the Blancpain GT Sports Club touches down in Belgium next weekend (29/30 July) for not only its penultimate round of the season but also as an official support act to the Total 24 Hours of Spa.
SRO’s series reserved for fully-amateur drivers is also the only international championship to balance GTE, GT3 and one-make machinery in the same class. And that level of variety will again be on show in the Ardennes where 23 cars comprising seven manufacturers – including one debutant – and 9 different models will line up for both races.
Ferrari is once again the best represented brand with no less than 12 entries split between GTE and GT3, two of which are the new-for-2016 488 model. Nine are shared between Kessel Racing and AF Corse, whose drivers currently occupy first and second respectively in the Overall standings.
Five Audis and two Mercedes offer the biggest numerical threat, while single entries from BMW, Lamborghini and Corvette add further variety.
But it is likely to be the Renault RS01’s series debut that raises most eyebrows. Originally designed for its own single-make championship, the car has since raced against GT3 machinery in other multi-class categories. Spa, however, represents the first time in SRO history that the RS01 will be eligible for outright honours thanks to Blancpain GT Sports Club’s GT3, GTE and single-make performance balancing.
Davide Roda, who will drive Oregon Team’s Renault at Spa, believes the car should compare favourably against its pure GT rivals.
“I have been racing in the Renault Sport Trophy this season and think the RS01 in its GT3 configuration could be a very good car for Spa,