Weekly Racing Roundup (2.24.20)

***Mauro Ricci has become the first confirmed full-season entry for the GT Sports Club Europe. The long-time AKKA ASP driver will compete in the SRO Motorsports Group’s Bronze-only series with a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.

***Sainteloc Racing is putting together its GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS program, and is set to run three Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evos in the Sprint Cup, and either two or three in the Endurance Cup, with two confirmed for the Total 24 Hours of Spa.

***Sainteloc’s drivers are yet to be decided but Audi works drivers Christopher Haase and Markus Winkelhock are expected to return. The team is also eyeing a second Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli round alongside Spa.

***ABSSA Racing has confirmed the return of its McLaren 720S GT3 for the GTWC Asia season, with Keita Sawa again leading driving duties alongside a yet-to-be-decided co-driver.

***Thai sqaud Vattana Motorsport will join the Asian GT3 championship with a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo, running in the Am Cup with Chonsawat Asavahame and Pitsanu Sirimongkolkasem sharing driving duties. Asavahame contested four rounds last year, taking three victories in eight races. Sirimongkolkasem, meanwhile, has been a regular in the Thailand Super Series in recent seasons.

***R-Motorsport has signed James Pull for the full GTWC Europe season, to drive one of its Aston Martin Vantage GT3s in the Silver Cup at both Endurance and Sprint races. Pull drove a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo for Barwell Motorsport last year.

***Kelvin van der Linde and Patric Niederhauser will defend their ADAC GT Masters title this year, signing again with HCB-Rutronik Racing in the German series. Dennis Marschall and Carrie Schreiner have already been announced in the team’s other Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo.

***Sven Mueller will share Precote Herberth Motorsport’s Porsche 911 GT3 R with Robert Renauer again, reverting to car No. 99 after carrying No. 1 last year as 2018 champions.

***BMW has finalized the allocation of its DTM drivers within the RMG and RBM teams. Marco Wittmann, Timo Glock and new signing Lucas Auer will drive for BMW Team RMG, while Team RBM will run Philipp Eng, Sheldon van der Linde and Jonathan Aberdein. Stefan Reinhold is team principal for RMG, while Bart Mampaey runs RBM.

***Dan Harper, Neil Verhagen and Max Hesse will race for BMW Junior Team throughout the NLS season and Nürburgring 24, driving an M2 CS Racing.

***An appeal by Vincenzo Sospiri Racing against SPS Automotive Performance following last year’s International GT Open round at Monza has resulted in a large fine and reversal of the Pro-Am champions. The issue centered around SPS’ Fabrizio Crestani, driving in the Pro category, hindering VSR’s Frederick Schandorff (Pro-Am) to benefit SPS’ Pro-Am car.

***It has resulted in a fine of €50,000 for SPS and the German team’s Pro-Am drivers Tom Onslow-Cole and Valentin Pierburg losing the class title to a disqualification from Race 2, with Schandorff now crowned solo class champion.

***Jordan Albert, Will Moore and Matt Nicoll-Jones will drive Academy Motorsport’s two Ford Mustang GT4s in the Intelligent Money British GT Championship. Team owner Nicoll-Jones and long-time Academy driver Moore will reprise one of the series’ long-standing Silver lineups, while Albert will drive with a TBA Silver driver.

***HHC Motorsport has confirmed plans to run a pair of McLaren GT4s in British GT, with Gus Bowers and Chris Wesemael its first set driver pairing.

***Jarett Andretti and 17-year-old Colin Mullan will drive Andretti Autosport’s McLaren 570S GT4 in Pirelli GT4 America this year. The pair raced together at four GT4 America events last season.

***A series of upgrades have been made to the Revolution A-One prototype cars ahead of the UK Sports Prototype Cup season. The car’s new aero package generates 50 percent more downforce, with sub two-minute lap times expected on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.

***Hagerty, the world’s largest membership, insurance and media organization for enthusiast vehicle owners announced a new, multi-faceted Official Partner agreement with IMSA.

***Lemons of Love is hosting a competition to win a Global Mazda MX-5 Cup car, the first chassis built by Flis Performance for Mazda Motorsports. Find out more here.

***A number of sports car drivers will take part in this weekend’s ABB FIA Formula E Championship rookie test at Marrakesh, including Kelvin van der Linde, Fred Makowiecki, Pipo Derani, Mattia Drudi and Filipe Albuquerque.