Walkenhorst Motorsport ready for the world’s biggest GT3 race

The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa is regarded as the world’s biggest GT3 race. No fewer than 67 high-calibre GT cars have been entered for the event in the Ardennes – which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Among the participants is the 2018 winning team Walkenhorst Motorsport, the team from Melle has entered three Aston Martin Vantage GT3s for the season highlight of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup.

“Our victory in 2018 is one of our absolute highlights in the team’s history. Back then, as a relatively unknown team in the international GT scene, we beat all the factory-supported teams. It was a real David vs Goliath story. Now, with the fantastic support of Aston Martin Racing, we are once again aiming for top positions in the 24-hour race at Spa,” explains Managing Director Jörg Breuer.

The top car with starting number #34 will be driven by three Aston Martin factory drivers. David Pittard, Ross Gunn and Henrique Chaves from Portugal will take turns at the wheel of the Vantage GT3. The drivers already have a wealth of experience with the new 2024 version of the Aston Martin and know all the intricacies of the car, so they will start the race well prepared. In addition, all three drivers are familiar with the demanding endurance race and are ready to attack the top results.

Romain Leroux, Lorcan Hanafin and Maxime Robin will line up as the Silver Cup trio in the #35 car. The three talented drivers all have experience in endurance races and were able to familiarise themselves with their car at the Fanatec GT World opener in Le Castellet and at the official test days of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. Now the youngsters are ready to take on the season highlight in international GT3 racing with Walkenhorst Motorsport.

Tim Creswick, Mex Jansen and Ben Green will also contest the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa in the #36 car in the Bronze Cup. The three drivers impressed at the season opener of the SRO series at the Circuit Paul Ricard, with British driver Ben Green even being the fastest Aston Martin driver in the field in his qualifying segment. The three drivers will be supported in the endurance classic by American Bijoy Garg, who recently won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 class and will therefore bring plenty of 24-hour experience to the driver line-up. The 21-year-old American is also a talented racing driver and is therefore a perfect fit for the Walkenhorst Motorsport team, which has developed many young drivers into top drivers in recent years.

“We are very motivated and well prepared for the 24-hour race in Spa. For us as a team, the race is one of the absolute highlights and it is also a fantastic race for the fans. 67 GT3 cars on around seven kilometres of track make for fascinating motorsport. We are very happy with our three line-ups and are convinced that we can fight for top results in the three classes. The entire team and our drivers have shown an enormous amount of commitment and dedication in the immediate preparations. We are obviously delighted that Bijoy, with his fantastic performance at Le Mans, will strengthen our team at Spa with his experience,” concludes Niclas Königbauer, Managing Director of Walkenhorst Motorsport.

The anniversary edition of the 24h Spa will be recorded on 29 June at 16:30. Fans can follow the race worldwide in the live stream on YouTube, which will be broadcast by the series in several languages, including German. Two practice sessions and the four-part qualifying also await the participants of the endurance classic on Thursday. The fastest 20 cars from qualifying will compete for the best grid position in the Super Pole on Friday afternoon.

But the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa also offers a full programme for the fans on site. On Wednesday, the cars will drive along the public roads into the centre of Spa, where fans will have the opportunity to take a closer look at the cars and get autographs from their stars. There will also be concerts at the race track on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with star DJ Robin Schulz performing on race day. To celebrate the 100th anniversary, many legendary vehicles from the race’s history will also be on display.