24 Hours of SpaGT World Challenge

PREVIEW: 2016 Total 24 Hours of Spa – Superpole

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Garage 59 McLaren - Credit: Credit: Craig Robertson/Racephotography.net
Garage 59 McLaren - Credit: Credit: Craig Robertson/Racephotography.net

Following a fast and frantic day and evening of qualifying for the 2016 Total 24 Hours of Spa, Shane Van Gisbergen heads the time sheets in the #58 Garage 59 McLaren; Today will see the final Superpole session that will decide the top 20 grid positions.

Despite Van Gisbergen leading the way, the Mercedes competitors have shown a strong hand in the two sessions with 2013 Total 24 Hours of Spa victor Maxi Gotz impressing in the #86 AMG-Team HTP Motorsport Mercedes-AMG; Joining Gotz in the session will be five other Mercedes from Black Falcon (two cars with the Pro-Am entry fastest of the two so far), AKKA ASP, and another two HTP Motorsport cars.

Audi are the next manufacturer that is well represented in the Superpole session with a total of five cars, fastest of the five so far is the #28 Belgian Audi Club WRT R8 LMS which took Laurens Vanthoor to fourth fastest in the combined qualifying results. Sainteloc Junior Team, ISR (Pro-Am), Audi Sport Team Phoenix and another car from Belgian Audi Club WRT will all be taking part.

Team Parker Bentley - Credit: Credit: Craig Robertson/Racephotography.net

Team Parker Bentley – Credit: Credit: Craig Robertson/Racephotography.net

Bentley see three of their Continental GT3’s in the final session with Maxime Soulet finishing ninth overall in qualifying so far. Steven Kane set the fastest time for the other Team M-Sport car while an impressive effort from Callum Macloed saw the #24 Team Parker Racing Pro-Am car in fifteenth place.

Rowe Racing have both of their BMW M3 GT3’s in the top 20 with Alexander Sims setting the fastest time for the team in sixteenth place and Nick Catsburg taking the #98 car to nineteenth.

Mirko Bortolotti in the #16 GRT Grasser Racing Team car and Phil Keen in the #666 Barwell Motosport Pro-Am car ensured that the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 will be represented in the final qualifying session.

AF Corse Spirit of Race represent the lone Ferrari in the 20 cars with Alessandro Pier Guidi guiding the Ferrari 488 GT3 to twelfth place.

The Superpole session starts at 18:00 local time and lasts just 30 minutes, with the top 20 times being covered by less than one second, it is going to be a busy session which could go any way.

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Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Checkered Flag who grew up visiting race circuits around the UK also a freelance motorsport PR officer. Outside of motorsport a lover of music, photography, NBA and NFL.
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