GTO: Series Catalunya preview

Audi R8 And BMW Alpina Make Their GT Open Debut In Barcelona Phoenix Racing And Sport Garage Among The Many Interesting Additional Entries At The Traditional Automn's Catalan Event Fassler-Camathias (Trottet Ferrari) To Defend Championship Lead ...

Published: Oct 24, 2009, 3:20 PM

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Audi R8 And BMW Alpina Make Their GT Open Debut In Barcelona

Phoenix Racing And Sport Garage Among The Many Interesting Additional Entries At The Traditional Automn's Catalan Event

Fassler-Camathias (Trottet Ferrari) To Defend Championship Lead From The Assault Of The Porsches Ahead Of Closing Event In The Algarve

The International GT Open is heading to the Circuit de Catalunya for one its most traditional and popular events. Exceptionally, the Barcelona round will lose its status of "closing event" of the season, as the series will hold its last round one week later in the Algarve, but the Catalan rendez-vous will still play a key role in the fight for the title and won't lose its main characteristic: being an event that attracts numerous entries from all over Europe. As a further note of interest, many new teams, cars and drivers will make their first appearance in the GT Open this time.

Over 40 cars are expected to be present in Montmelò. The autumn event will see the first appearance ever in the International GT Open of the Audi R8 and the BMW Alpina B6. The super-car from Inglostadt, which has had an impressive debut in the GT3 scene this year, is brought by GT stalwart team Phoenix Racing, from Germany, and driven by the Swiss duo composed of Lloyd La Marca and former F.1 driver Jean-Denis Deletraz. As for the BMW Alpina B6, two units entered by France's Sport Garage are confirmed to be present. The diversity in the GTS (GT3) category will be further enriched by the additions of two Lamborghini Gallardos from Ruffier Racing, the several Ferraris F430, the Porsches 997 Cup of Germany's Attempto Racing, the Aston Martin of RSV Motorsport (with Severin- Amorim) and one Ascari KZ1.

In the Super GT (GT2) category, it is to be noted that IMSA Performance will bring a fourth Porsche 911 GT3 RSR for Polette-Noyriel, while a number of prominent Iberian team will also be present. These include the Ferraris F430 of PCR Sport (Mayola-Carol), Motor Competicion (Villalba-Gutierrez) and Automòbil Club d'Andorra, and the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Drivex, with De Castro-Amaral at the wheel.

On the sporting side, Marcel Fassler and Joel Camathias, who took the lead in the overall standings thanks to a double win in the last event in Monza, will try, at the wheel of their Trottet Ferrari, to confirm their current good form. The Swiss outfit, though, can expect very strong opposition from the three Porsche teams that are still in contention for the title.

Richard Lietz-Gianluca Roda (Autorlando) are 14 points behind, while Pedro Couceiro- Manuel Gião on the second Autorlando car and top IMSA Performance duo composed of Raymond Narac-Patrick Pilet will try to keep their title chances alive until the last round in the Algarve.

In the GTS category, the Kessel Racing pair of Philipp Peter-Michal Broniszewski can aim at taking the crown already in Barcelona, but they will be again under the attacks of Villois Racing's Aston Martins.

The definitive entry list for Barcelona will be issued early next week. The Barcelona week- end will also see the final round of the Euro F.3 Open, with the battle for the title between Celso Miguez (Drivex) and Bruno Mendez (Campos Racing) reaching its climax.

-credit: gto

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