Watch the Most Dramatic Moments from 24H Spa
Source: Sports Car 365
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Volante Rosso Adds Second McLaren, Skips Hidden Valley
Photo: GT World Challenge Australia Volante Rosso Motorsport has announced the acquisition of a second McLaren 720S GT3 Evo for its GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS. The Sydney-based team entered into a partnership with McLaren at the beginning of the season, fielding a solo 720S to be shared by team owner Josh Hunt and Geoff Emery along with its Trophy class-entered Aston Martin Vantage GT3. Now it has revealed it has purchased the McLaren that finished second in the 2020 running of the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour in the hands of 59Racing, and which has since raced in New Zealand, which will now be brought to Evo spec. However, the team also revealed that it will not be present for the upcoming round of the series at Hidden Valley Raceway, near Darwin, later this month, with the focus now on preparing for the following round at Sydney Motorsport Park in September. Hunt, who also serves as team director, commented: “We are really pleased to expand our McLaren ...
Thiim Dominates at Norisring to Grab Points Lead
Photo: Gruppe C Photography Nicki Thiim charged to the summit of the DTM standings after securing Aston Martin’s first series victories on a dominant weekend at the Norisring that featured a frightening collision for Kelvin van der Linde and Maximilian Paul. Thiim was in flying form aboard the No. 7 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo as he claimed pole for both races. He was able to hold onto the lead at the start of the opener and continued to occupy first place after the pit stop sequence when the race was red-flagged with 20 minutes to go after the scary Turn 1 collision. Paul had hit the barriers in his Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Temerario GT3 and speared out of control directly into the side of van der Linde’s BMW M4 GT3 EVO, which sent his door flying. Van der Linde was taken to hospital for precautionary checks but escaped injury while Paul suffered a suspected fractured leg. After a lengthy delay to extract the drivers, recover the cars and repai...
Marc van der Straten Passes Away at 78
Photo: Laurent Cartalade/MPS Agency Marc VDS Racing founder and owner Marc Van der Straten passed away on Sunday at the age of 78. The Belgian, who most recently lent his team’s name to the 2025 European Le Mans Series LMP2 championship-winning Panis Racing squad, as well as the Boutsen-run VDS Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo that currently competes in GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, held a storied history in both two and four-wheeled competition. While Marc VDS Racing became a three-time Moto2 World Championship-winning team in 2019, the team achieved considerable success in GT competition, both in the FIA GT1 World Championship and Blancpain Endurance Series, including winning the 24 Hours of Spa in 2015 with a BMW Z4 GT3 featuring drivers Lucas Luhr, Markus Palttala and Nicky Catsburg. The team ended its in-house GT3 racing operations that year to focus entirely on motorcycle racing, although made a comeback in recent years with branding on LMP2 and GT3 machinery. “B...
GetSpeed Team JR286 Wins 12H Nürburgring
Photo: Racingpixels/Creventic GetSpeed Team JR286 overcame a flurry of penalties and rain showers to take a triumphant first win of the season at the Michelin 12H Nürburgring. Tanner Harvey took the No. 286 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo that he shares with Steve Jans, Jonathan Hirshberg and Patrick Liddy across the line with a gap of just over a lap to the No. 88 Up2Race Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo. The Team JR286 squad were in the strongest position when the race resumed at midday on Sunday. It was one of the only cars to undertake a full refuel and service before an unusual red flag was deployed just before the overnight intervention. This meant that it could complete a regular opening stint on Sunday while most of its rivals had to dive into the pits in the opening laps. This, combined with a mammoth two-and-a-half hour stint by Steve Jans, saw the GetSpeed crew secure first place in the opening hours. When rain arrived, Jans was significantly faster than some of his rivals and maintained a ...
Forestier Racing by Panis Dominates at Imola
Photo: Bruno Vandevelde/MPS Agency. The Forestier Racing by Panis crew of Louis Rousset, Oliver Gray and Esteban Masson triumphed in the Imola round of the European Le Mans Series, denying United Autosports victory in the team’s 500th race. A blistering final stint from Masson ensured the No. 19 Oreca 07 Gibson crossed the line some 52 seconds ahead of the No. 22 United Autosports entry of Griffin Peebles, Gregoire Saucy and Ben Hanley. It was a second win of the season for the Forestier Racing by Panis crew to narrow the points deficit to the United Autosports squad, while the podium was completed by the No. 25 Algarve Pro Racing machine of Matthias Kaiser, Tristan Vautier and Jake Hughes. Rousset maintained the lead from pole at the start but was passed at the Villeneuve Chicane by Adrien Closmenil in the No. 37 CLX Motorsport machine that also started on the front row shortly before the first virtual safety car period of a chaotic opening to the four-hour contest. However,...