Spectacular parade launches the entries for 24 hour race in Belgium

SRO Motorsports Group is pleased to announce the list of drivers and teams that will compete in the Total 24 Hours of Spa, the fourth round of the Blancpain Endurance Series. 66 cars in total across the three classes will compete this weekend at the incredible Spa-Francorchamps circuit set deep in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium.

With the official entry list now confirmed, a heady list of the most desirable car marques in world motorsport feature; Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes, Nissan, Porsche, each one of them steeped in their own rich heritage, together a significant part of the rich fabric of modern motor racing.

There are many reasons why the Total 24 Hours of Spa is a special event in the motorsport calendar, but one word can sum it up perfectly, atmosphere. Spa itself is a small town with a big history, and today, the Wednesday before the main event, officials, organisers, teams and drivers came together and travelled in the race cars on public roads to the town centre as part of a parade that has been carried out through the years.

As the sun beat down on the vast array of GT cars and drivers, a magical event took place, enabling the big numbers of fans that attended the event to get up close and personal with the cars and drivers they will support from the sidelines over the coming days. The Total stage in the town centre was the centre of feverish excitement, providing drivers with an opportunity to introduce themselves to the public and in return the drivers signed thousands of autographs.

Team Belgium, the 26-strong group of Belgian drivers headed up by Koen Wauters that will participate this weekend, added to the overall ambience, and the group were the centre of the media frenzy, all taking their moment to meet the excited public. Following the driver briefing in the late afternoon, the team were presented with exclusive red jackets to highlight their Team Belgium status and took part in a special photo call in the town square.

Quotes:

Rene Rast, #1 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi R8 LMS ultra - Pro Cup
"Last year was difficult, this year will be even more so. At the end of the day you need a bit of luck to win the Total 24 Hours of Spa, and hopefully we will have that with us. Competition this year is so strong, BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Ferrari have impressive teams, the McLaren could well factor here too. For me, the atmosphere is what makes this event special. Moments like this in the town; so many people, all enthusiastic about motor sport, is what makes this for me personally. It all belongs to the race and makes it what it is."

Stef Dusseldorp, #7 Hexis Racing McLaren MP4-12c - Pro-Cup
"It's a nightmare, we have no chance, I joke! This event is utterly incredible, how can you not love it? Our car is well prepared, the team is superb and in Alex and Alvaro I have two of the best guys in the car with me. Twenty-four hours is always special, but this is on the best track in the world. If it rains, it doesn't matter to me or the fans, it is just electric."

Andrew Howard, #99 Beechdean AMR Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 – Pro-Am Cup
“We’ve learnt a lot from racing here last year and I hope we’ve come back stronger. Last year was such a shock to the system, the weather, the intensity of 66 plus cars of the same specification going around Spa and the level of professionalism from so many teams. Coming back has meant we can use all the experience we got last year to give us the best possible chance in 2013. With Stefan joining Jonny, Daniel and I, we have a really good line-up, but we know first of all we must finish, that is our aim. The parade is a great way to start the weekend and it is nice to meet the fans before we get busy racing.”

SRO