SMP Enters Blancpain GT Pre-Season Test; Eyeing Pro Cup Entry

[challenger24]

I will follow and report this car, team for this year.

See the news from today:

Following a three-year absence, SMP Racing will make a return to the Blancpain GT Series paddock to take part in official test days at Paul Ricard next week, with an eye towards a Pro Cup entry in the Endurance Cup.

The Russian team, based in the South of France, confirmed to Endurance-Info it will enter a Ferrari 488 GT3 for the test, with Davide Rigon, Miguel Molina and Viktor Shaytar set to share driving duties over the two days.

SMP already has one season with the Ferrari 488 GT3 under its belt, dominating the inaugural Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup with three victories and a GT3 class win in the Road To Le Mans race.

Pending the confirmation of the program, Ferrari could have three Pro Cup-entered 488 GT3s in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup this season.

Kaspersky Motorsport already announced it will field a 488 GT3 for James Calado, Giancarlo Fiscichella and Marco Cioci, while Pasin Lathouras’ yellow AF Corse Ferrari will returns to the Pro Cup with Michele Rugolo and Alessandro Pier Guidi.

Credit: http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-g ... test-days/

[challenger24]

Thanks to Motoaki

The schedule for races & test etc.

<Blancpain Endurance GT series >
Rd1. April 22-23 Monza(3hr)
Rd2. May 13-14 Silverstone (3hr)
Rd3. June 23-24 Paul Ricardo (6hr)
Rd4. July 25-30 Spa-Francorchamps(24hr)
Rd5. Sep30-Oct1 Barcelona (3hr)

<Italia GT>
Rd.1-2 April 29-30 Imola
Rd.3-4 June 3-4 Misano
Rd.5-6 June 17-18 Monza
Rd.7-8 July 15-16 Mugello
Rd.9-10 Sep 9-10 Imola
Rd.11-12 Sep 23-24 Vallelunga
Rd.13-14 Oct 7-8 Mugello

<Test for 488GT3 >
1. Feb 17-18 Barcelona
2. Mar 1 Monza
3. Mar 3-4 Paul Ricard
4. Mar 20-21 Mugello
5. May 8 Silverstone
6. July 4 Spa-Francorchamps
7. Aug 31 Barcelona

<XX/F1>
1. Mar 7-8 Paul Ricard Test
2. April 12-13 Mugello Test
3. May 3-4 Monza Test
4. June 27-28 Spa-Francorchamps Test
5. Oct 10-11 Imola Test
6. Oct 26-29 Finali Mondiali Mugello

[challenger24]

50 Cars Set for Blancpain GT Pre-Season Test at Paul Ricard

The entry list for the Blancpain GT Series Official Test Days has been released, with 50 cars set to run at Circuit Paul Ricard on Monday and Tuesday.

See http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-g ... ul-ricard/

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The 3 SMP drivers

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***SMP Racing has confirmed its Endurance Cup lineup. Viktor Shaytar and Davide Rigon were already announced via the official entry list, and now Miguel Molina has been added as the third name following the first test miles. The No. 54 Ferrari 488 GT3 will be run by AF Corse.

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Di Grassi, Molina Linked to AF Corse Drives

Audi stars Lucas Di Grassi and Miguel Molina could land drives with Ferrari in this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship, following the downsizing of the German manufacturer’s motorsports programs. (En Français)

Endurance-Info has learned that DTM race winner Molina has been linked to the third seat in the AF Corse-run Spirit of Race Ferrari 488 GT3, alongside the previously confirmed Thomas Flohr and Francesco Castelacci.

The 28-year-old Spaniard was part of Ferrari’s recent driver shootout to select its replacement for Gianmaria Bruni in AF Corse’s GTE-Pro full-season lineup, a seat that ultimately went to Italian veteran Alessandro Pier Guidi.

Molina, who has been confirmed for a Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup effort with SMP Racing, also in a Ferrari, could also be set for a full-season WEC GTE-Am campaign, having been dropped from Audi’s DTM lineup due to a series-wide reduction from eight to six cars per manufacturer.

Fellow Audi driver Di Grassi, meanwhile, is expected to be confirmed as a third driver in one of AF Corse’s GTE-Pro entries for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Brazilian, who starred at the wheel of Audi’s R18, has shifted his focus to Formula E for this year, although not having ruled out one-off races, such as a run at Le Mans.

Official announcements on both drivers could come later this week during the WEC Prologue test at Monza.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/di-g ... se-drives/

[challenger24]

“Quick” news.

Blancpain Endurance Cup: announced at Paul Ricard during the official test, 57 cars will participate in the Blancpain Endurance Cup this year. Thirty-four of them will race in GT3 PRO, while nineteen will compete in GT3 PRO AM; only four will take part in GT3 AM. In the GT3 PRO category the twenty-two Blancpain GT Series entries from HTP Motorsport, Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, Rowe Racing, Strakka Racing, Bentley Team M-Sport, Grasser Racing Team, Team AKKA ASP, ISR, Attempto Racing and Orange 1 Team Lazarus will be joined by eleven Blancpain Endurance Cup cars. Revealed in the previous weeks, eight of them will be brought on track by AF Corse, Kaspersky Motorsport, RJN Motorsport, Emil Frey Racing, HTP Motorsport again and Ombra Racing. The latest additions include a Mercedes-AMG GT3 lined up by Black Falcon, the Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 and the long-awaited SMP Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 which will be technically managed by AF Corse; it will be driven by Davide Rigon, Victor Shaytar and Miguel Molina, who has been chosen by the Prancing Horse for this role following last month’s positive at Vallelunga in the 488 GTE. This means that a total of three Ferraris, with four factory drivers at the wheel, will be fielded in the GT3 PRO class to battle for the Overall Team and Drivers’ Titles. In the GT3 PRO AM ranks, following the return of Kessel Racing, Rinaldi Racing and Team AKKA ASP for the Blancpain GT Series, fifteen more Blancpain Endurance Cup cars have been confirmed. As anticipated, six of them will be operated by Saintéloc Racing, Strakka Racing, Barwell Motorsport, Oman Racing Team and Attempto Racing. The latest arrivals consist of two further Ferrari 488 GT3s which will be on the grid thanks to AF Corse and Spirit of Race respectively; the first will be in the hands of Olivier Beretta, Lorenzo Bontempelli and Ishikawa Motoaki, with Andrea Bertolini and the two-time GT3 PRO AM Champions Niek Hommerson and Louis Machiels taking the reins of the second. Black Falcon and Team Zakspeed will enter two Mercedes-AMG GT3s each, while Roock Racing will represent Porsche with two 991 GT3 Rs. Raton Racing will make its debut with a Lamborghini Huracán GT3. In closing the GT3 AM category will see the Kessel Racing and Rinaldi Racing Ferrari 488 GT3s face the second Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 and the HB Racing Lamborghini.

[challenger24]

SMP Racing Ferrari Quickest in Pre Qualifying at Monza

Full story http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-g ... -at-monza/

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This weekend in Silverstone