Optimum Motorsport is set to make its first start in the 24H SERIES in three years, and its first at the Hankook 24H BARCELONA since 2015.

A regularly competitor at – and two-time class winner of – the Hankook 24H DUBAI between 2012 and 2019, Optimum Motorsport lines up for only its second start at the Hankook 24H BARCELONA this weekend. While its first in 2015 was with a Ginetta G55 GT4 (which secured 4th in-class), the British team has registered a McLaren 720S GT3 EVO for the 2024 event. 

Interestingly, this weekend also marks Optimum Motorsport’s first European start with CREVENTIC since the Hankook 24H PORTIMAO in 2017.

“It’s great to be back on the grid racing in the Hankook 24H BARCELONA,” team principal Shaun Goff explains. “This year’s race celebrates the 25th edition, and it’s set to be as competitive as ever with close to 40 entries.”

Optimum Motorsport has confirmed that American teammates Todd Coleman, Aaron Telitz and Robert Megennis will partner Denmark’s Frederik Schandorf for their 24H SERIES debuts. Schandorf previously contested the Hankook 24H DUBAI in 2019 with Leipert Motorsport, and took victory in GTX. 

Coleman, a Ferrari Challenge North America class winner, most recently took on his second season in IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge series alongside PRO driver Telitz, the pair even picking up overall victory at Mid-Ohio. Telitz meanwhile, the 2016 Pro Mazda champion and Indy Lights race winner, entered his sixth season of IMSA Sports Cars in 2024 with Vasser Sullivan, the eponymous team of 1996 CART/IndyCar champion Jimmy Vasser. 

American-British-Korean driver Megennis – like Telitz, an Indy Lights race winner – stepped into sports car for the first time in 2020, and most recently took on the Michelin Pilot Challenge with BMW loyalist Turner Motorsport. Schandorf meanwhile brings nearly four years-worth of experience of racing McLaren’s 720 GT3 Evo, having competed in the IMSA Sports Car Championship with Inception Racing, and taken GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup honours with the British team in 2022.

“We’re excited to have Todd, Aaron, and Rob onboard with us,” Goff continues. “We’ve seen the pace the trio have out in the States, from racing against them in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship to seeing their great results in Michelin Pilot Challenge. Paired with Fred’s wealth of experience in the McLaren, I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do together out on-track and contesting for the overall race win.”

Optimum Motorsport’s McLaren is the sole example of Woking’s GT3 flagship in the field, and one of six manufacturers – McLaren, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Mercedes-AMG and Lamborghini – represented in the GT3 field alone. 

The team last competed at (and took pole for) the Hankook 6H ABU DHABI in 2021, has raced regularly at CREVENTIC’s flagship event – the Hankook 24H DUBAI – since 2012. In that time, Optimum Motorsport has taken SP3-GT4 class win in 2012 and 2015, and twice finished in the top five in 2016 and 2017 with an Audi R8 LMS GT3.

Following optional CREVENTIC Track Days on the Wednesday and Thursday, official track action gets underway with Free Practice on Friday 13 September between 12.45 hrs and 14.15 hrs local time. This will be followed by two hours of qualifying later that same afternoon between 16.30 hrs and 18.30 hrs.

The 25th edition of the Hankook 24H BARCELONA gets underway at 12.00 hrs on Saturday 14 September, and is scheduled to run uninterrupted until 12.00 hrs the following day (Sunday 15 September). Following the 24-hour event, CREVENTIC will crown its new European champions with a celebratory prize-giving.

The action will be live with commentary from radiolemans.com on the official 24H SERIES YouTube channel. Regular updates will also be published on X (@24HSeries), Facebook (24H Series) and Instagram (24H Series). Further information can be found at www.24hseries.com.