44 Full-Season Entries for BES

The Blancpain Endurance Series has attracted 44 full-season entries, as the SRO-organized series starts its fourth season.

After having on average around 60 cars on the grid last year, the series has shrunk to a more manageable size, as Stéphane Ratel already stated at the Spa 24 Hours last year he was expecting a decrease in numbers.

ENTRY LIST: Monza 

In total 12 brands are represented in the series, with Audi, Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes, Nissan and Porsche all represented with at least one car.

The Pro-Cup features 12 cars, with the two Audis of 2012 champions Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, the two Mercedes of reigning champion HTP Motorsport and two brand-new factory Bentleys among the clear favorites.

They are joined by the previously announced Black Falcon Mercedes, Reiter Camaro, Oman Racing Aston Martin, while Saintéloc Racing and ART Grand Prix will field an Audi and two McLarens respectively, with yet to be finalized lineups.

Once again the Pro-Am Cup makes up the bulk of the field, with 22 cars entered in the class. Nissan GT Academy Team RJN returns with two of its GT-R GT3s assigned to a new batch of fresh GT Academy graduates, while TDS Racing also ups its game with  two BMWs and Emil Frey Racing returns with an improved version of its Jaguar.

There’s an influx of new teams such as Graff Racing (Porsche), the Chinese Brother Racing Team (Audi), Villorba Corse (Ferrari), Autorlando (Porsche) and AF Racing International (Lamborghini) amongst others.

The Gentlemen Trophy completes the field with 10 entries.

“Looking at the entry lists for the Blancpain GT Series, we are very delighted to see the many top-level drivers and teams who are joining us for this year’s competition,” Ratel said.

“Their professionalism will help us continue the success story that started during the inaugural year of the Blancpain Endurance Series in 2011.”

The Blancpain Endurance Series kicks off at Monza in a week’s time. With AF Racing International not present in Monza, there will be no Lamborghinis on the grid.