Defending 992 Teams’ champion Red Ant Racing is looking to successfully defend its title across a full European campaign with CREVENTIC in 2023, and gets the ball rolling with 992-class pole position at the 2023 Hankook 12H MUGELLO.
Words – James Gent
Images – Petr Frýba | Nico Mombaerts
Defending 992 Teams’ champion Red Ant Racing is eyeing another title campaign in 2023, having confirmed that its #903 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup will compete at all European rounds of this year’s 24H SERIES powered by Hankook.
The Belgian completed a successful maiden campaign in the 24H SERIES last year with its fourth class win of the season at the Hankook 24H BARCELONA, securing the 992 Teams’ championship and the 992 Drivers’ title for Redant father-and-sons Bert, Ayrton and Yannick in the process. Red Ant Racing makes its return to the 24H SERIES this weekend at the Hankook 12H MUGELLO with two Porsche Cup cars, and has not shied away from its podium aspirations as the team looks to successfully defend its championships in 2023.
“We chose CREVENTIC’s series with five great meetings in Europe because we felt very good in this competition last season,” team principal Bert Redant explained to Belgium’s Autosport Wereld. “In 2022, we became European champion in the category for the Porsche 992 GT3 Cup and will defend that title this year.
“That assignment is for three young drivers: Ayrton and Yannick Redant, and Kobe de Breucker. Their assignment is of course clear, namely to perform strongly in the various competitions and to fight for the title.
“We are also using a second car, but the crew will rotate during the course of the season. In Italy, the car is for Dirk and Tom Van Rompuy, Steve van Bellingen and myself. We will announce who will drive further before the races. We start this competition in the well-occupied 992 ‘Am’ category and definitely want to fight for the podium.”
Bert Redant moving across to the sister #904 entry this weekend generates a reunion with van Bellingen, the pair having previously competed together with KS Motorsport in the Belgian Touring Car Series, at the 24 Hours of Zolder, and the Spa 24 Hours, among others.
“It is very nice that we can all get back to work on a circuit together,” van Bellingen continues, heading into his 24H SERIES debut. “I share the Porsche with Bert and our engineer Koen. That is of course a bit of motorsport nostalgia and I am really looking forward to working together this weekend. Let’s hope to be on the podium.
“I can already tell you that I will definitely be working with this wonderful of the Redant family again this season.”
Additional – Red Ant Racing’s Hankook 12H MUGELLO got off to a good start, with Ayrton and Yannick Redant setting the fastest 992 times in their respective 15-minute qualifying sessions, securing the #903 Porsche 9th on the overall grid and 992 class pole position. The sister #904 meanwhile will line up 10th in-class after a tough session that included an off, at-speed, and a spin exiting turn one during Q3.
