Spa 24h

CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa presents sensational 67-car entry list for centenary edition

GT World Challenge Europe
Intercontinental GT Challenge
21 May. 2024 • 14:59
by
EI
© SRO / JEP

A field of 67 GT3 cars representing nine world-renowned manufacturers will have the honour of contesting the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa when the great race stages its centenary edition on 25–30 June.

 

The full entry list has been revealed during this week's official Prologue (21–22 May) and five weeks ahead of the main event, which will be the marquee round for both Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS and the Intercontinental GT Challenge.

 

Marking the anniversary of the very first running in 1924, this year's twice-around-the-clock contest promises to be a festival of fan activities and a celebration of the race’s rich sporting heritage. Since its first edition, the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa has always been much more than a race. Today it is a major event highlighted by concerts, a parade, exhibitions, and activities for fans of all ages.

 

The 2024 grid features each of the nine brands competing full-time in the Fanatec GT Europe Endurance Cup and is led by a 14-car entry from Mercedes-AMG, while Porsche is also superbly represented with 12 cars. BMW will defend last year's overall victory with a seven-car fleet, while there is the excitement of new machinery from Aston Martin and Ford. Italian marques Ferrari and Lamborghini, along with McLaren and Audi, complete a star-studded line-up.

 

While all 67 cars conform to GT3 regulations, the race will feature a total of five classes separated by the composition of the crews. Once again, the greatest number are entered in the Pro class, which boasts 24 cars driven by fully professional line-ups. Victory in the Bronze Cup (a crew with a pro driver, two semi-pros and an amateur) will be played out between 22 crews, while there will also be six cars in the Gold Cup, 10 in the Silver Cup and five in Pro-Am.

 

As for the drivers, fans of GT and endurance racing will recognise that the grid includes more professional competitors than any other race. Among them are 16 former winners, including the defending ROWE Racing BMW trio of Philipp Eng, Nick Yelloly and Marco Wittmann. There will also be a significant number of Belgian drivers hoping to triumph at their home event, with more than 20 on the entry list.

 

There should be plenty of support – Belgian and international – with fans expected to number in the tens of thousands. This will be especially evident at the parade, which will take the cars and drivers to Spa city centre on Wednesday 26 June. Beginning at 16:30, all CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa competitors, as well as representatives from the support races and a selection of historic cars, will follow the old 14-kilometre Spa-Francorchamps circuit. They will travel to the heart of Spa, where they will meet the fans in an event that is free for all to attend.

 

Free practice and qualifying will take place on Thursday and Friday, both for the 24 Hours and for this year’s support events. Spectators can look forward to a wealth of action from the Fanatec GT2 European Series Powered by Pirelli, the GT4 European Series Powered by RAFA Racing Club and McLaren Trophy Europe. They will also be treated to historic races, organised by Peter Auto, featuring classic GT and touring cars.

 

The centenary edition gets underway at 16:30 on Saturday 29 June. If the entry list is anything to go by, it will be a race for the ages.

 

Full Entry List is HERE

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