Blancpain endurance series 2012

[JorritVD]

Team RaceArt with BMW Z4 GT3 in Pro/Am Cup

Drivers:
Roger Grouwels
Phil Bastiaans
Niels Bouwhuis
Robert Nearn
Jaap van Lagen



http://www.raceart.eu/news/bmw-z4-gt3-confirmed

[rich07]

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

yes, seems to have the old v4o cars too - wonder how many BMWs Bartels has bought, he can't do VLM, BES and GT1 with two cars surely. Are there two for GT1 and two for Europe?

There'd have to be more then two, if there were only two then a big crash in one race would affect the other series programmes. Not sure how much money Bartels has these days (heard rumours of Vitaphone was scaling back its sponsorship a while back). Would make sense to race two in GT1 and have the other two for BES and VLN.

[alexkiller8]

hoping that vita4one will run both cars in pro class (JorritVD where did you pic that gtr2 pic?)

[JorritVD]

Originally Posted by alexkiller8

JorritVD where did you pic that gtr2 pic?

It's my own picture, I've helped the team with the designs

[Rodger Davies]

AMG Customer teams release mentions Premium Motorsports Poland as running an SLS in BES this year, has anything more been heard about this programme?

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by JorritVD

It's my own picture, I've helped the team with the designs

Why not orange instead of red?

[JorritVD]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Why not orange instead of red?

team's choice

[rich07]

According to Anthony Kumpen's website he is sharing a KRK Mercedes SLS with Wauter and Karl Wendlinger. Was thinking he might end up racing a SLS when I heard Wendlinger had been appointed a brand ambassador/driving instructor to AMG recently.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by JorritVD

team's choice

Ok
I have the impression orange suits better to the Grouwels Vastgoed and Phil Bastiaans Driving Experience logos.

[AndrewF31]

Don't think this is April fools but an Audi Sport Unofficial page on FB (which held the flag for Audi Sport until Audi Sport opened their own page) is reporting Audi Sport Italia will compete in the Spa 24 hours with an R8 LMS Ultra with Filipe Albuquerque, Eduardo Mortara and Dindo Capello.
Haven't heard about Audi Sport Italia in the Italian GT Championship so still waiting for more confirmation to really believe this.

[Speed-King]

Audi Sport Italia ran a pair of R8s in last year's Italian GT season, so I guess it's safe to believe that.

[rich07]

Sounds too sensible to be an April Fools joke, if it were you'd expect the lineup to include all their Le Mans stars, McNish, Kristensen etc. Looks pretty plausible especially with Dindo in a Audi running under the Audi Italia banner, hope it happens.

[Coach Ep]

Anybody seen a timetable yet? Les than 2 weeks before the start of the opening event...

[Rodger Davies]

I suspect you can take a copy of last year's and change the last number on it from a '1' to a '2'. Are we still expecting the 'revival series' to show up at all?

[Tim the Grey]

This has been on the website since early December?
http://www.blancpain-endurance-serie...em.php?key=217

[Rodger Davies]

I assume he's looking for details such as race start time, qualifying times etc.

I retract my previous statement as the dates imply that the event starts on a Friday this year, and not the Saturday as in 2011. Might be a day of optional testing, but you've made me curious now!

[Marcel ten Caat]

As things were on the draft timing...Practice and pre-qualifying Friday, Qualifying Saturday, Race Sunday

[tbz]

Kessel Racing confirmed Valentino Rossi for Monza.

[rich07]

Originally Posted by tbz

Kessel Racing confirmed Valentino Rossi for Monza.

A nice addition to the grid. I recall he enjoyed taking part in the Vallelunga Six hour a couple of years ago so its good to see him back in GT racing. However Im surprised Ducati let him do this just after the start of a motogp season.

[alexkiller8]

at least is really unprobable that he will break some shoulders/legs bone driving a gt3 car. Will be nice to see the pace of rossi, if is good maybe he can run also during 24h of spa (i didn't check if clashes with some motogp race). Afterall in his youth he already experienced endurance races (8h of suzuka)

[GregoryDG]

Originally Posted by alexkiller8

at least is really unprobable that he will break some shoulders/legs bone driving a gt3 car. Will be nice to see the pace of rossi, if is good maybe he can run also during 24h of spa (i didn't check if clashes with some motogp race). Afterall in his youth he already experienced endurance races (8h of suzuka)

There is a MotoGP race the same weekend as the Blancpain races in Silverstone, Paul Ricard and Spa...

[GTKers]

He could race on other series tough

[alexkiller8]

as third driver for AF Corse in some race of ELMS, or some other race in blancpain or italian GT won't be so bad for him. Maybe next year a little though for le mans won't be so bad, afterall if i remember well in 2010 alesi during his AF Corse season in an interview said that he would be really happy if rossi could join him in the french race.

[Simmi]

I think it's only a matter of time before we see Rossi at Le Mans. Can't wait!

[rich07]

Originally Posted by alexkiller8

at least is really unprobable that he will break some shoulders/legs bone driving a gt3 car. Will be nice to see the pace of rossi, if is good maybe he can run also during 24h of spa (i didn't check if clashes with some motogp race). Afterall in his youth he already experienced endurance races (8h of suzuka)

Not so much the chance of injury (there is always the chance though-on two wheels or four) but I thought that something like this may be frowned upon by Ducati as they may have seen it as a distraction. But then again its The Doctor and if he wants to do something like this, he just does it and I guess the team just has to grin and bear it.

Shame about the clash with Spa-would be nice to see him in a longer race again.