Mantella Autosport Announces Three KTM X-BOWS for PWC

Mantella Autosport will shift from IMSA’s Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge series to Pirelli World Challenge for 2016, and is set to field three KTM X-BOW GT4s next year in the GTS class.

Additionally, Mantella Autosport will become the official Canadian importer and distributor for the newly developed car.

Anthony Mantella ran the last two seasons in the Continental Tire Challenge, with two Aston Martin Vantages in 2014 and a switch to two Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.Rs this past year, but didn’t drive a handful of races citing Balance of Performance concerns.

Additionally, Mantella’s team was the only full-season GS team to run a pro-am lineup, and as such, found themselves at a competitive disadvantage compared to pro-pro squads.

In World Challenge, Mantella will drive the No. 8 X-BOW, with Martin Barkey continuing in the team’s No. 80 X-BOW, with continued support from MBRP, Inc.

A third car, the No. 88 entry, is available for interested customers.

“I’m excited to bring Mantella Autosport Inc. to the Pirelli World Challenge and back to my roots in sprint format racing,” Mantella said.

“I’m confident with the experience we have gained in professional endurance racing that we can achieve great results.

“I’m equally excited about the newly formed relationship with Reiter Engineering/KTM and am looking forward to promoting the X-BOW GT4 and supporting all Canadian interest in the product, it truly is an amazing machine.”

ANSA Motorsports has also announced an X-BOW program for GTS, and the introduction of the Maserati GranTurismo MC, fielded by several teams, will change the look of the class.

Mantella’s departure from GS, meanwhile, provides another car count hit there after news came out today Nissan North America would shift its primary focus to World Challenge.

Stevenson Motorsports is leaving its Camaro program behind as well, with its step up to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and a move to the new Audi R8 LMS.