Weekly Racing Roundup (4.12.21)

***BMW factory drivers Nick Yelloly and Jesse Krohn will line up for Schubert Motorsport in ADAC GT Masters this season. Yelloly won in Schubert’s BMW M6 GT3 at the Red Bull Ring last year. The downscaling of BMW’s factory GT Le Mans program in IMSA has enabled Krohn to sign up for his first proper run in GT Masters since 2016 with Schubert.

***In addition to its GT Masters entry, Schubert will make its ADAC GT4 Germany debut with a single BMW M4 GT4. Series rookie Marcel Lenerz is the first confirmed driver.

***2017 GT Masters champion Jules Gounon will return to the series driving a Zakspeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. Mercedes works driver Gounon’s teammate is to be announced. Zakspeed’s second pairing features Constantin Schoell and Hendrik Still.

***Zakspeed has also named its GT4 Germany crews and will be fielding two Mercedes-AMG GT4s, including one for reigning GT4 European Series Silver Cup champion Theo Nouet and Jan Marschalkowski. American driver Robert Haub teams up with Gabriela Jilkova in the second entry.

***Marco Holzer and Johannes Stengel will drive for the newcomer Team Joos Sportwagentechnik outfit in GT Masters. The pair will drive a Porsche 911 GT3 R.

***TFT Racing’s GT3-spec Porsche will return to the Michelin Le Mans Cup with Porsche Young Professional Julien Andlauer once again teaming up with Nicolas Leutwiler.

***Luka Nurmi became the youngest-ever Ferrari Challenge winner with his victory in the second race of last weekend’s European season-opener at Monza. The 16-year-old Finn crossed the line four seconds ahead of Iron Lynx driver Michelle Gatting, who came away from the meeting with an early Trofeo Pirelli championship lead after winning race one. 

***The Touring Car Legends series, featuring grids of classic DTM and German Super Touring machinery from the 1980s and 1990s, is to feature on the Nürburgring 24 event package with a pair of 30-minute races.

***Inter Europol Competition will have two Ligier JS P320 Nissans on the grid for this weekend’s European Le Mans Series opener after initially declaring the absence of its No. 14 entry due to travel restrictions for a planned Brazilian driver lineup. The Polish squad will have Moto 2 motorcycle race winner Mattia Pasini, Julius Adomanvicius and Alessandro Bracalente as its new trio, while Julien Falchero joins the No. 13 entry.

***Esmee Hawkey has been dropped from Iron Lynx’s ELMS crew. The team issued a statement last week alleging that Hawkey’s manager applied for and obtained her FIA Bronze driver rating using incorrect information. It then parted ways with Hawkey, who was due to share a Ferrari 488 GTE Evo with Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey.

***GT4 European Series Pro-Am champions Jan Kasperlik and Bastian Buus won’t return to Allied-Racing’s entry in the series this year, owing to their new programs in GTWC Europe and Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. The team’s new Porsche pairings for an expanded three-car 2021 effort are Nicolaj Moller-Madsen/Joel Sturm (Silver Cup), Joel Camathias/Alexander Hartvig and Constantin Dressler/Dennis Fetzer (both Pro-Am). Madsen is Allied’s only returning driver from last season.

***Selleslagh Racing Team has announced its involvement in this weekend’s GT4 European Series opener with two Mercedes-AMGs. O’Neill Muth/Luca Bosco and Johan Vannerum/Sven Van Laere form the pairings. Selleslagh is officially entered on a race-by-race basis but is set to be present at all six rounds this season.

***French outfit Team Fullmotorsport has added a second full-season Audi R8 LMS GT4 entry to its GT4 European Series stable. Christophe Hamon and Michael Blanchemain will race in Am Cup.

***Triple 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner Darren Turner will drive an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 in the Intelligent Money British GT Championship. Turner will team up with Matt Topham at Newbridge Motorsport, which is embarking on its first full season of British GT this year.

***James Baldwin clinched the British GT Esports Championship title with one round to spare following his victory in the most recent race held on Silverstone. Baldwin’s Team Rocket RJN McLaren teammate Alex Buncombe finished second. Results

***Boutsen Ginion’s BMW M6 GT3 will contest the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup with a new livery paying homage to the Michael Vaillant comic series. Vaillant creator Jean Graton passed away in January at the age of 97.

***Audi Sport customer racing Asia has announced the return of its Audi Sport Asia Trophy for a second term. All FIA Bronze-rated drivers running Audi GT3, GT2 or GT4 machinery across the region are eligible. The top three GT3 privateers will be combined into an entry for the 2022 Suzuka 10 Hours.

***Additionally, Audi Spot Asia has named Cheng Congfu, Chen Weian, Sandy Stuvik and Martin Rump as its official drivers this year.

***Frank Keller, the former NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer, has been appointed Track President of Daytona International Speedway. Former circuit President Chip Wile will now oversee 13 NASCAR-owned tracks in the role of Senior Vice President, Chief Track Properties Officer.

***Michelin will supply tires to the new SportsCar Championship Canada series for GT4 and TC machinery. The first race is on May 21 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

***Former FIA World Endurance Championship CEO Gerard Neveu has been appointed Motorsports Advisor of the Motorsport Games esports company. Neveu’s new position will involve liaising with real-world race series to reach agreements for esports integration into those championships.

On this weekend: Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup, GT4 European Series, GT2 European Series, Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe (all Monza), European Le Mans Series, Michelin Le Mans Cup (both Barcelona), NLS (Round 1), Super Taikyu (Sugo)