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Photo: Fabrizio Boldoni/DPPI The planned launch of the Hypercar class in this winter’s Asian Le Mans Series is in jeopardy, with only two cars, and reportedly a single FIA Bronze-rated driver, having signed up for the new headline category. Sportscar365 has learned that an AF Corse-run Ferrari 499P, for Cetilar Racing’s Roberto Lacorte, as well as an entry for an Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 LMH with a yet-to-be-determined Bronze driver, have been entered for the dubbed ‘Winter Le Mans Series’ that’s due to kick off at Paul Ricard in November. This comes despite a high level of initial interest for the new privateer class, which saw plans from BBM Sport to field up to two wingless Peugeot 9X8s, alongside as many as three Ferrari 499Ps, up to two Porsche 963s and at least one Isotta, as well as an initial expression of interest from Vanwall. However, interest levels are understood to have dropped when the calendar moved entirely to Europe , due to the Middle ...

Photo: Xynamic Proton Competition have decided to withdraw from the Michelin 24H Barcelona this weekend following a biking accident for driver Jörg Dreisow. The defending Michelin 24H European Series teams’ champions will not compete in the season finale, effectively ending the team’s bid to retain its title. The No. 73 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo currently sits 22 points adrift of championship leaders GetSpeed Team JR286 in the overall standings, and holds a narrow second place in the GT3 Pro-Am points table. The Proton squad celebrated a class victory in the event last year. Despite taking class wins in both the 12H Spa and the 12H Nürburgring earlier this year, the German squad were yet to take an overall victory this season. Dreisow was expected to contest the 24-hour endurance race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya alongside Lucas Wolf, Manuel Lauck and Porsche-contracted driver Joel Sturm. “For us as defending champions in the 24H Series, it was a very difficult d...

Photo: Honda ARTA Honda driver Kaku Ohta has acknowledged closing the points deficit to Toyota and TOM’S in this weekend’s Sugo round will be vital for his title aspirations. Ohta, who shares the works-backed No. 8 Honda HRC Prelude-GT with Hiroki Otsu, faces a 23-point disadvantage at the halfway point of a campaign that remains at eight races with the addition of a second race for the Motegi double-header in November. He and Otsu are coming off the back of consecutive podium finishes, finishing second from pole in Fuji in August and third last time out at Suzuka after Honda made a major leap forward with its new Prelude-GT in the aftermath of a troubled first two races. ARTA’s sister No. 16 car of Tomoki Nojiri and Ren Sato took the win at Suzuka, leading a podium lockout for Honda at its home venue . Although the No. 8 Honda is laden with a fuel flow restrictor for the first time this year at Sugo as part of a 54 kg handicap, Ohta says that beating No. 36 TOM...

Source: Sports Car 365

Photo: Chris Green/CPT Lamborghini factory driver Loris Spinelli has been officially confirmed as the third driver in Chicago Performance and Tuning Co.’s lineup for next month’s Desder Indianapolis 8 Hour, joining Nicolai Elghanayan and Mads Siljehaug in the Pro-Am class entry. As first reported by Sportscar365 last month, the Italian, who has been assisting the team in its partial season GT World Challenge America powered by AWS program, will be at the wheel of the No. 64 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 for the season-ending round, which doubles as the final leg of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. “Loris has been a key part of this program from the very beginning, working closely with Mads and Nicolai to help bring both the car and the drivers up to speed at Sonoma and Road America,” said team manager Christopher Lester. “Now, we’re excited to officially welcome him behind the wheel and into our lineup for Indianapolis.” Team principal and Ch...

Source: Sports Car 365

Photo: SRO Motorsports Australia SRO Motorsports Australia has announced that former Formula 1 race director Michael Masi has joined the organization as its new head of sporting. Masi takes on the role ahead of this weekend’s penultimate round of the GT World Challenge Australia by AWS season at Sydney Motorsports Park. His duties will entail “ensuring processes and procedures are followed under the standard of SRO Global, managing the Stewards, Race Director and other race officials, as well as implementing international best practices as per other SRO series”. Masi is best known for his three-season tenure as F1’s race director, as he succeeded the late Charlie Whiting in 2019, and notably presided over the controversial 2021 title-decider in Abu Dhabi where Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to the crown. The fallout from Masi’s decision-making, widely regarded to have influenced the outcome, led to his removal from the role in early 2022. He subse...