Car Collection Revises 24H Spa Lineup

Porsche squad Car Collection Motorsport has revealed a tweaked lineup for next weekend’s CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa with Canadian racer Reinhold Krahn due to make his event debut as the team seeks to repeat its Pro-Am Cup success.

The crew of the No. 8 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo will still be spearheaded by Porsche-contracted driver Joel Sturm, while he will be joined by event regular Niccolo Shiro, Porsche debutant Nicolo Rosi and newcomer Krahn, who takes the place of Briton Kenzie Beecroft in the team’s original roster from the initial Spa entry list.

Krahn, 59, will be making his GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS debut at Spa on June 27-28 having contested the 24H Middle East series earlier this year.

Car Collection triumphed last year in the Pro-Am division with an entirely different lineup that comprised Noam Abramczyk, Mathieu Detry, Fabian Duffieux and Yuan Bo.

“The program came together at very short notice, so we have had a few intense weeks of planning behind us,” said team manager Romina Schmidt.

“Last year we won the Pro-Am class, so our aim this year is once again to fight for a top result. We have put together a strong quartet of drivers combining experience and speed.”

Krahn added: “The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa is one of the legendary races in global motorsport and a real highlight that every GT driver must experience at least once.

“I’m looking forward to being there and making the most of this opportunity.

“My aim is to be competitive, make a strong contribution to the team’s performance and ultimately fight for a podium finish.

“I joined the program relatively late, just a few weeks before the race, so there was no long-term preparation plan specifically geared towards Spa.

“However, I have gained experience in the Porsche 911 GT3 R over the course of the season, as I compete in the Michelin Le Mans Cup.”

The Bronze Cup-entered No. 74 Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo is another car to feature a revised lineup as FIA World Endurance Championship Ford Mustang GT3 EVO pilot Ben Tuck is taking the place of Lorenzo Patrese alongside Mathys Jaubert, Dennis Marschall and Dustin Blattner.

Tuck had previously raced for the squad in the European Le Mans Series last year.

Patrese will be on IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship duty that weekend with Conquest Racing.