Two Defending Winners in KCMG’s Porsche Entry for Spa

KCMG has announced that it will run two Pro-category Porsche 911 GT3 Rs at the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa with a driver lineup involving two of last year’s winners.

Nick Tandy and Laurens Vanthoor will seek to defend their 2020 crown, teaming up with 2016 winner Maxime Martin.

KCMG’s other Porsche entry will feature Josh Burdon, Alexandre Imperatori and Edoardo Liberati who recently represented the Hong Kong-based outfit at the Nürburgring 24.

KCMG is continuing to run two Porsches at the 24 Hours of Spa after doing the same last year, when its lead car was driven by Kevin Estre, Michael Christensen and Richard Lietz who finished 13th trying to defend their 2019 victory.

That marked the team’s first time running GT3 Porsches at the Belgian enduro, off the back of an entry with a Pro-class Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 in 2018.

“We’re delighted to be going back to the 24 Hours of Spa with a very good two-car entry,” said team manager Matt Howson.

“Last year we fought for victory until we hit some bad luck, so we have unfinished business in 2021

“Not only do we arrive with Josh, Alex and Edo fresh off the back of a fantastic run at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, but we also welcome three world-class Spa 24 winners in Laurens, Nick and Maxime to complete a formidable lineup.

“It’s a pleasure to have Nick back as a former KCMG driver in the [2015] World Endurance Championship as well as two of the fastest Belgian drivers on the planet at their home race.

“We are stronger than ever as a team and with continued support from Porsche, our expectations are high for Spa.”

Tandy and Vanthoor won last year’s rain-affected 24H Spa alongside Earl Bamber, who is set to drive for Porsche outfit GPX Racing this time around as part of his full-season Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup role.

Their new co-driver Martin has been piloting a Frikadelli Racing Team Porsche at the Nürburgring of late, but this will mark his first time driving a 911 GT3 R at Spa.

The Belgian, who won Spa in 2016 at the wheel of a ROWE Racing BMW M6 GTT3, was one of Aston Martin’s GTE-Pro class winners at Le Mans last year and remains a factory driver for the British marque following its works team’s exit from the WEC .

“The 24-hour race at Spa is one of the highlights of any driver’s season, so I’m delighted that KCMG is putting together a fully focused attack on the event and that they’ve given me the chance to be part of it,” said Tandy.

“Together with Laurens, we go back as reigning winners of the event and adding another previous victor in Maxime makes me confident we have everything needed to challenge for success.”

Martin added: “I had the chance to win there in 2016, Laurens has twice and Nick won last year so we have a very strong lineup.

“KCMG has nothing to prove, it’s one of the best teams out there. I’m really looking forward to seeing how we start at the Official Test.”