British GT Championship leaders Barwell Motorsport and international factory Ferrari squad Kessel Racing will both field additional GT3 entries at Spa-Francorchamps next weekend (July 7/8).
The entry list for the series’ annual Belgian excursion always features several new cars, which often use British GT’s event to gain important additional mileage ahead of the subsequent Total 24 Hours of Spa.
Barwell’s two regular-season Lamborghinis are joined by a third Huracan GT3 at Spa where Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Pro/Am championship contenders Adrian Amstutz and Patrick Kujala will run in their familiar yellow and black colours.
The pair, together with Martin Kodric, won last weekend’s six-hour race at Paul Ricard but will reprise the same two-driver partnership that carried them to 2016’s Lamborghini Super Trofeo Pro/Am title.
Barwell currently lead TF Sport in the British GT Teams’ standings but will not benefit from their additional Spa entry, which is ineligible for team points.
“Adrian and Patrick’s main reason for entering is to prepare for the 24 Hours, but they’ve certainly got no intention of simply making up the numbers: they’re aiming to win,” said Barwell team principal Mark Lemmer. “They’re a very quick Pro/Am pairing who have been battling Jonny Adam and TF Sport all season in the Blancpain GT Series, so know the level they’ll be up against next weekend. Patrick is also a former Super Trofeo Pro class champion so we’re expecting him to be right on the pace of Phil [Keen] and Sam [Tordoff] in our other two cars.”
Meanwhile, Spa also sees Ferrari factory-supported outfit Kessel Racing make its British GT debut. The Swiss squad has achieved success all over the world since its formation in 2006 and is currently reigning Blancpain GT Series Pro/Am and Am Cup champions.
In Belgium it fields a single Ferrari 488 GT3 for experienced Thai racer Piti Bhirombhakdi and former German and Japanese F3 champion Carlo van Dam. The duo are currently second in Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup’s Pro/Am standings where they compete with Kessel.
British GT’s complete Spa entry list will be revealed next Monday.