GENNEP (9 April, 2024) – The sixth Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS is set to feature one of its most competitive grids yet, with both ‘GT3’ and ‘992’ receiving more entries than ever before at the event.

The second European round of the 2024 24H SERIES powered by Hankook, to be held at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on 19-20-21 April, has already received 50 entries, 18 and 20 of which have been registered for ‘GT3’ and ‘992’ respectively.

The sixth edition of the Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS could consequently feature one of its strongest grids to-date. More than a dozen reigning / former 24H SERIES champions, 10 different manufacturers (including McLaren and Ferrari) and teams representing 18 different nationalities – from as far afield as Antigua, the USA, South Korea and New Zealand – are set to take the starting grid.

Saintéloc Junior Team (#18) took its first overall win in the 24H SERIES at last year’s Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, and will hope to replicate that result on 19-20-21 April. The French team enters the same Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II that, tellingly, started 2024 with outright pole at the Hankook 24H DUBAI.

Reigning GT3 Teams’ champion Haas RT (#1), and last year’s Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS polesitter, makes its series return at Spa with its Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II. Just over one year on from its first-ever win in Mugello, the Antiguan team will hope to secure its second series win in Belgium.

2009 24H DUBAI winner Land-Motorsport (#34), also set to represent Ingolstadt at Spa, makes its series return in the Ardennes, one year on from taking a GT3-AM podium.

Juta Racing rounds out the Audi R8 entrants thus far for Spa-Francorchamps. The Lithuanian team has entered two, ‘EVO II’ generation R8 LMS GT3s for the event (#71 and #72), and will look to follow-up a strong GT3-Pro/Am podium in Mugello.

Like Juta Racing, 2019 Hankook 24H DUBAI winner Car Collection Motorsport also brings a dual GT3 line-up to Belgium. The German team started its year with outright victory at the Hankook 6H ABU DHABI with its new Porsche 992 GT3 R, and has registered two examples of the German brand’s GT3 flagship for Spa-Francorchamps (#12 and #80).

Amazingly, while the 2017 Overall GT Teams’ ‘Continents’ champion is a former class winner at the event, the Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS is one of the few 24H SERIES events Herberth Motorsport (#91) has yet to win overall. An anomaly the Bavarian team will hope to change in 2024 following its overall runners-up spot at Mugello’s European season opener.

‘EBM’ (#84), the eponymous entry of two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner (and reigning Nürburgring 24 Hours victor) Earl Bamber, makes its first start of the European season at Spa-Francorchamps, two years on from its last outing with CREVENTIC at the same event. The New Zealand team did, however, support Grove Racing’s entries at both the Hankook 24H DUBAI and the Hankook 6H ABU DHABI earlier this year. Like Herberth Motorsport, EBM will run a 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 R.

E2P Racing (#90) is the last GT3 team, thus far, representing Porsche. The 2022 991 Teams’ champion ended its Hankook 12H MUGELLO heavily against the wall – fortunately without injury to Antonio Sainero – and will hope its 991.2-generation GT3 R can continue its frontrunning pace in Spa.

An impressive run for the BOEM by Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 (#8) at Mugello started with outright pole position and concluded with GT3-Pro/Am victory. The sister, standalone ‘Kessel Racing’ entry meanwhile (#5), which has been upgraded to a 296 for Spa, posted the event’s fastest lap. Could the Swiss team continue that momentum and secured a record-breaking third overall win for the prancing horse at the Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS?

Reigning GTX Teams’ champion RD Signs – Siauliai Racing Team (#69) endured a tough start to its first program with the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 in Mugello, losing two hours to collateral front-end damage on the opening lap. No doubt the Lithuanian team will look to build on the class podium it secured at Spa in 2023, and put Mugello firmly behind it.

CP Racing (#85) started its GT3-AM Teams’ title defense with a strong 3rd overall in Mugello, and, after a troubled run at Spa last year, will be aiming for another podium finish in the Ardennes and replicate its 2022 GT3-Am class win.

But for a costly differential failure, 2017 Overall GT Teams’ ‘Europe’ champion Hofor-Racing (#11) might well have fought for a GT3-AM podium in Mugello. The Swiss team, a class podium finisher at Spa in 2018, will hope to kickstart its European program in Belgium with its Mercedes-AMG GT3. Similarly, Italy’s MP Racing (#58), which, interestingly, joined Hofor-Racing on the event’s A6-Pro podium in 2018, will look to bounce back from a Mugello DNF in Spa with its own AMG GT3.

The returning ARC Bratislava (#44) and series debutant Blackthorn (#35) round out the GT3 entrants thus far with a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO and Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Following a one-off run with the outgoing ‘1.0’ in Mugello, 2021 GTX Teams’ champion Vortex V8 has registered two of its new, ‘2.0’ lightweight sports cars for Spa. A model that has started all three of its 24H SERIES events so far from class pole position.

Fresh from its recent GTX victory in Mugello, 9und11 Racing (#719) will hope to go two-for-two with its Porsche 991 GT3 Cup MR at the Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS. An event at which the German team took its second 24H SERIES class win in 2022.

‘Team CMR’ (#795), which raced under the ‘Toro Verde GT’ banner throughout the 2023/2024 24H SERIES Middle East Trophy, makes its series debut as a standalone entity at Spa with Ginetta’s developmental G56 Cup.

Significantly, several defending – of former – 24H SERIES champions will compete in the 992 class at the 2024 Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS on 19-20-21 April.

Red Ant Racing, the 992 Teams’ champion of 2022, will be looking to follow up a commanding class win in Mugello on home turf at Spa-Francorchamps. The Belgian team has entered two Porsche 992 GT3 Cups for the event (#903 and #904) and already has two 992-Am class wins at the event – in 2022 and 2023 – to its name.

Last year’s Overall GT Teams’ champion Atlas BX Motorsport returned to the 24H SERIES as ‘Hankook Competition’ (#911) at Mugello, and looks to continue its transition from GT4 to one of the series’ most competitive classes at Spa.

Reigning TCR Teams’ champion Holmgaard Motorsport (#902) similarly steps up to the 992 class for 2024, and makes its series return at the Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS. The Danish team took its maiden 24H SERIES win at the event in 2022, and followed that up with its second in 2023.

Team Sorg Rennsport (#927) continues its 992 transition at the Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS. The 2020 Overall GT Teams’ ‘Continents’ champion, which started 2024 with a TCX podium in Dubai, already has a class win (2023, TCX) and two class podiums (CUP1, 2017 and 2019) under its belt at the event.

SebLajoux Racing continues its affiliation with 2017 CUP1 Teams’ champion DUWO Racing (#908) at Spa, while two-time class champion – and two-time event class winner – Speedlover (#979) returns to the series for its home endurance race.

Finally, and following a premature end to its Hankook 12H MUGELLO weekend, reigning 992-Am Teams’ champion RPM Racing is back on the grid for Spa. 992-Am rival Neuhofer Rennsport (#985) will look to put a similarly disappointing weekend in Tuscany behind it in Belgium.

Series staple HRT Performance took 992 victory last year in Spa, and, doubly impressive, finished inside the overall top five. The German team has entered a second Porsche 992 GT3 Cup for this year’s event (#928), potentially to support its sister car’s full 24H SERIES campaign (#967). Switzerland’s Orchid Racing Team (#917) also continues its European program with CREVENTIC at Spa.

NKPP Racing (#992) is one of only five teams on the grid for this year’s Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS that also competed at the inaugural TCE-only edition in 2017, and will hope that experience will secure the ‘Dutch police’ liveried Porsche another 992-Am podium at Spa. The Dutch team continues its collaboration with Bas Koeten Racing, overall winner of the Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS together with ‘LMS Racing’ in 2017, which has also entered a standalone Porsche (#925) for Spa.

MRS GT Racing (#988) will hope for a strong result on its first European start of the year with CREVENTIC. As will Lithuania’s Porsche Baltic (#993), which endured a nightmare weekend in Tuscany, and Mühlner Motorsport (#921) after a Hankook 24H DUBAI plagued by electrical problems.

San Marino’s GDL Racing (#969) and 24H SERIES debutant Hans Weijs Motorsport (#972) out the 992 entries thus far.

Notably, five of the 992 teams competing at this year’s Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS – Team Sorg Rennsport, Red Camel-Jordans.nl, Mühlner Motorsport and MRS GT-Racing (which also competes in CREVENTIC’s co-organized Prototype Cup Germany), and Neuhofer Rennsport – have registered for the inaugural Michelin 992 Endurance Cup powered by Porsche Motorsport on 6/7 September.

Sweden’s ALFAB Racing (#400) is set to make its first series start since the Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS in 2022, and will do so with McLaren’s new Artura GT4. This marks the first time that Woking’s new GT4 flagship will contest a 24H SERIES event.

Last year’s GT4 Teams’ runners-up Buggyra ZM Racing (#416) started its second successive 24H SERIES program strongly in Mugello with GT4 victory, despite a fuel pump change. The Czech-based team, running under the UAE flag, also took class victory at the 2023 Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, and will be looking to do so again with its Mercedes-AMG GT4.

Lionspeed GP (#424) ended its first 24H SERIES program as a standalone entity with a fighting runners-up spot in Mugello, front-running pace the German team will want to convert to GT4 victory at Spa with its Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. Tellingly, together with Team Sorg Rennsport, Lionspeed GP finished on the GT4 podium at last year’s event.

Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport (#431) will similarly look to bounce back from rear axle-issues in Tuscany with its BMW M4 GT4 and replicate its 2018 class win at Spa.

Britain’s Simpson Motorsport (#438) and Belgium’s Hamofa Motorsport (#419) round out the GT4 entrants so far. Like Hofor Racing, both teams will run G82-gen BMW M4s, the latter on its 24H SERIES debut, the former in a bid to secure its first GT4 class win in the 24H SERIES.

Alongside its 992 entry, Team Sorg Rennsport (#127) has also confirmed a Porsche 718 Cayman CS GT4 Clubsport in TCX. Belgium’s HY Racing (#169) meanwhile enters a ‘GTS’ variant of the Porsche Cayman for its 24H SERIES debut.

Former SP3 and TCX Teams’ champion CWS Engineering (#278) rounds out the field so far. The British team took SP3 victory at Spa in 2018, and has entered its established Ginetta G55.

Following a CREVENTIC track day on the Wednesday, and the Malmedy City Parade on the Thursday, official track action for the 2024 Hankook 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS gets underway on Friday 19 April. After 90 minutes of Free Practice between 12.10 hrs and 13.40 hrs local time, three 15-minute Qualifying sessions will be broadcast – live! – from 15.30 hrs to 16.25 hrs later that afternoon. The first five hours of the race itself will run between 12.50 hrs and 17.50 hrs on Saturday 20 April, with the final seven hours, after the event’s customary overnight intervention, set to run from 10.50 hrs to 17.50 hrs on Sunday 21 April. Entries are still open, and further details can be found HERE