Competition102 GT4 European Series to compete in first three-hour race at Silverstone

The third round of the Competition102 GT4 European Series features a three-hour endurance race, a first in its history. The competitors join the British GT Championship, a fellow series organised by SRO Motorsports Group. Not less than 33 GT4 vehicles in a total of a 51-car field are expected to start the ‘Silverstone 500’ on Sunday.

Duncan Huisman and Luc Braams are leading the championship after scoring a fifth and two second places during the first two rounds. The V8 Racing drivers competing with the Chevrolet Camaro GT4 are not only facing familiar rivals at the British Formula 1 circuit, but also drivers and teams that are unknown to them.

The Dutchmen realised in the streets of Pau that endurance specialist PROsport Performance forms serious competition. Andreas Patzelt and Nicolaj Møller Madsen, racing the Porsche Cayman PRO4 GT4, took a victory and a second place in France and are just two points down. Luca Anselmi with the Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4 is just five points short.

Jan Kasperlik and Dietmar Lackinger are leading the AM division of the Competition102 GT4 European Series. The Allied Racing drivers took two second places at Monza and two wins in Pau.

Meeting new drivers

Unfamiliar to most competitors are Graham Johnson and Mike Robinson. They are the current championship leaders of the British GT Championship’s GT4 class, driving the Ginetta G55 GT4. A total of seven Ginettas, fourteen drivers, will be challenged. In addition to that, five Aston Martin Vantage GT4 vehicles, one Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4 and one Porsche Cayman Clubsport GT4 are part of the British series.

The Competition102 GT4 European Series’ teams are less familiar with the Toyota GT86 and the McLaren 570S GT4. The latter made its debut in the British GT Championship this season and it will be interesting to see how the drivers cope with a new type of race car and if drivers competing in the British GT Championship will enjoy an advantage racing on home soil.

Lap record holder

Ricardo van der Ende, former champion of the Competition102 GT4 European Series, is the current British GT lap record holder in the GT4 class. The Dutchman drove a 2m16,016s with the BMW M3 GT4 at the Silverstone GP track in 2013. This weekend he competes with the newly developed Ekris M4 GT4, sharing the car with Bernhard van Oranje.

Additional drivers

Registered on the #103 BMW M3 GT4 are veteran Frans Verschuur and Liesette Braams who formerly raced in Europe’s main competition for GT4 vehicles. Local driver Michael Epps will be partnering the experienced Hendrik Still in the Sin Cars Sin R1 GT4. Polish racers Lucasz Kreski and Lukasz Habaj will be competing with the Villorba Corse’s Maserati Trofeo MC GT4.

The race starts 12:50 p.m. local time on Sunday 12 June. It will be shown live on Motors TV. As usual, live timing and comments are available on www.gt4series.com/live.

Remaining calendar 2016

11 – 12 June: Silverstone / Endurance – British GT Championship (UK)
8 – 9 July: Spa-Francorchamps / Endurance – 25 Hours Fun Cup (Belgium)
23 – 25 September: Budapest / Sprint – DTM (Hungary)
7 – 9 October 2016: Zandvoort / Sprint – Final race (Netherlands)

Competition102 GT4 European Series

The Competition102 GT4 European Series consist of six rounds, held at premier race tracks in Europe and partnering top level GT or touring car championships except from the last round in Zandvoort where the GT4 category will be the main programme. The championship includes two endurance races and one round at a street course.

Competition102, unique fuel for maximum performance

Competition102

Competition102 is premium petrol with an octane number of 102. The unique high octane number of 102 (RON 102) and MON number of at least 90 ensures optimal performances. Competition102 is suitable for all petrol-powered vehicles: from classic (Formula 1) cars and normal passenger vehicles to cross motorcycles and high performance racing cars. Competition102 fuel is exclusively produced, stored and distributed by Salland Olie Maatschappij B.V. in the Netherlands. It’s available at over 60 petrol stations nationwide and is sold in 60-litre barrels.

Pirelli, official tyre supplier

Pirelli is a tyre manufacturer and world leader in the automotive industry. It has an exclusive relationship with over 50 racing series worldwide, including Formula One.

Pirelli has a long and illustrious history in endurance racing, and has also claimed a huge variety of class wins in GT racing all over the world. The design of the new Pirelli GT tyres meets the needs of GT racing while maintaining the performance characteristics that endurance drivers have appreciated in the past. The slick tyres used for GT racing are branded Zero: just like the slicks that have become a central feature of Formula One. The name P Zero is used in the highest categories of motorsport such as GT racing.

SRO Motorsports Group, architect of modern GT Racing

SRO Motorsports Group was founded by Stephane Ratel and has specialised in the promotion, support and organisation of many national and international motorsport series since 1995.

In 2016, SRO Motorsports Group will promote several championships and series, such as the Blancpain GT Series, including the iconic Total 24 hours of Spa, the British GT Championship, the Blancpain Sports Club with the GT Sports Club and the Ultracar Sports Club, the Competition102 GT4 European Series and the Intercontinental GT Challenge.

SRO Motorsports Group runs also the SRO Race Centre by MMC, a high-level technical centre at the Paul Ricard Circuit in the south of France.

SRO has offices in London, Paris and Liège.