Catching up with the news from yesterday was a more concise provisional entry list for this year’s Spa 24 being released by race organisers, detailing an expected grid of sixty GT3 cars for this year’s event that will start at the end of the month.

Having again been affected by the ongoing COVID-19 saga in terms of dates, this year’s event has reverted back to closer to its ‘usual’ summer fixture after having been moved out to a wet and wild date in October for last year’s event and (importantly) for this year, the public are being invited back!

This news comes out just as catastrophic events have also been seen right across central Europe (including Belgium and Germany) where huge volumes of rainfall have come down over the previous days leading to flash floods, structural damage and a large loss of life as a result. Even today, the Spa Francorchamps circuit posted images of service roads into the circuit having been literally washed away and destroyed after this week’s rainfall – that goes on top of previous damage caused to the racetrack surface only a few weeks ago.

Getting back to the racing, this week’s entry list doesn’t really give up all the news that we were expecting as whilst it did again confirm the three car Garage 59 Aston Martin Racing entries across the Pro, Pro-Am and Silver Cup classes – it didn’t potentially mention all of their drivers?

The #95 Pro Cup car effort for AMR Factory drivers Nicki Thiim, Marco Sorensen and Ross Gunn was again confirmed as was the #188 Pro-Am car for full season GT World Challenge Europe (Endurance Cup) drivers Alex West, Chris Goodwin and Jonny Adam. They will also be joined by a fourth driver at Spa – now confirmed as being Charlie Eastwood.

The only expectation that hasn’t been confirmed either way is a 4th man for the teams #159 Silver Cup entry for season long drivers Valentin Hasse-Clot, Alex McDowall and Nicolai Kjaergaard. Earlier releases from the team stated a 4th driver for both their full season cars and sources within the team suggest that a 4th driver may still be on the cards – but who??

A bronze driver test kicks off the Spa 24 proceedings on Tuesday 27tyh July with Practice, Pre-Qualifying, Qualifying and night practice taking care of Thursday. Hopefully, we will get to see the #95 car in Super Pole on Friday evening before the start of the 24hr itself being waved off at 16:30hrs (local) on Saturday.

Photo credits - GTWCE

Streamed live over the internet from the beautiful Pavillon Cambon Capucines in Paris, the FIA today announced the accepted entries for both the World Endurance Championship (including the 24Hours of Le Mans) and the ACO rules European Le Mans Series.

For the WEC it was confirmed that Aston Martin Racing would field a three car squad within GTE Pro with a further two cars within GTE Am class - a nett increase of one from the previous season.



Within GTE Pro the full factory #97 car of Darren Turner and Stefan Mucke; the re-generated Young Driver team (recently confirmed as transferring from from Am to Pro class) featuring Nikki Thiim, Christoffer Nygaard and Marco Sorensen together with a third car for Fernando Rees and Alex McDowell were all confirmed. The third driver for the #99 Rees/McDowall entry is we understand expected to sign within the next few days and will be announced in due course.

As intimated last night, it was also confirmed that the #99 Pro car entry will not be entered under the Craft Bamboo banner.

In GTE Am we will see the return of the 2014 GTE Am Championship runner's up #98 car of Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy and Mathias Lauda. For 2015, and returning from their 2014 sabbatical within the ELMS championship will be the Gulf Racing Vantage of Roald Goethe and Stuart Hall. Due to the recent rule changes within GTE Am concerning driver ratings a third but now silver rated driver is also currently under negotiation but will be announced until prior to the Prologue in March.



Over in the European Le Mans Series a GTC entry for Caspar Elgaard and Kristian Poulsen in their new Massive Motorsport V12 Vantage GT3 was confirmed but there was disappointment for Beechdean Motorsport however, who's season ELMS entry was rejected.



All thats left now is the 50 day (and counting) until the official Progue (test) at Paul Ricard, France over the 27/28th March.

Photo Credits - WEC / Richard Leach / Massive Motorsport