The GT4 South European Series heads to Spain for its second round this weekend, at the magnificent Circuit del Jarama, which will provide some remarkable novelties.
After its season opener round at Nogaro, at the traditional Coupe de Pâques event, the series organized by Race Ready with the SRO Motorsport Group support will pay a visit to the circuit nearby Madrid.
The Spanish track was designed by John Hugenholtz, who would also go on to design Zandvoort and Suzuka circuits, and was open in 1967 July 1st. A Formula 2 race, won by Jim Clark in Lotus Ford, was the first event held there.
The Spanish track staged the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix in nine occasions between 1968 and 1981, and produced the memorable last win from Gilles Villeneuve, in 1981.
The Circuito del Jarama has a long history of GT racing, playing host to the BPR Global Series in 1994 and 1996, the FIA GT in 2001 and 2002 and the FIA GT3 in 2010. Along the years, amazing machines such as the Porsche 911 Turbo S LM, the McLaren F1 GTR, the Ferrari 550 GTS Maranello, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 GT3, among others, highlighted in the Spanish track.
The GT4 South European Series will bring back to Jarama the international GT racing, with its second event of its inaugural. season.
The Spanish track will stage remarkable novelties in the series’ entry list. Miguel Cristóvão and Francisco Abreu, at the wheel of an imposing Mercedes-AMG GT4 from Veloso Motorsport, will be challenged by a brand-new Virage Racing’s Aston Martin Vantage GT4 that will be shared by Nicholas Silva, American, and Jon Aizpurua, Austrian.
Portuguese drivers César Machado and Mariano Pires will be also in the mix, who will share the Ginetta G55 GT4 entered by France’s team ABM Grand Prix.
Virage Racing will have one of its new Aston Martin Vantage GT4 in the Am class, entered to C. O. Jones, English, and Peter Peters, Dutch. The duo won’t have an easy ride with the opposition from two Ginetta G55 GT4 – one for Alex Arbesu, a driver that will debut in GT racing with Deyscom Sport; other shared by A. Martín and Jorge Cabezas in the NM Racing Team colours, a team lead by the driver Nil Montserrat that also takes part in the European GT4 Series with a different driver line-up.
If the Pro-Am and Am class promise excitement, we can expect the same treat in the GTC with five entries. Ginetta will be well represented, with four G50 GT4 cars, but will have to defend from one KTM X-Bow Super Light.
In the English brand camp, Tockwith Motorsport will keep it duo from Nogaro – Marmaduke Hall and Edward Moore – but will have strong opposition from Javier Escobar and Kosta Kanaroglou, each one at the wheel of an E2P’s Ginetta G50 GT4.
Plemar Sport will be in the fight with another of the British machineries, which will be shared by Juan Reina Martín and Lorenzo López. The exoticism in the class will be given by the 2TYM Racing’s KTM X-Bow Super Light, shared by Miguel Fernandez Yuste and José Martinez Bueno.
The Circuito del Jarama’s round of the GT4 South European Series will have drivers from six different nationalities and teams from five countries, showing the interest in the series.
Diogo Ferrão, Race Ready’s CEO, is excited with the first round of the “Spanish tour”. “It will be a great weekend at a historic circuit that produces exciting race in front of huge crowds. We gathered a strong and competitive field, which promises fights in all classes. This will be important for all the fans at the circuit and to the ones that will follow the races live in the TV. It’s a fantastic way to start the GT4 South European Series’ ‘Spanish tour’”.
As usual, both races will be broadcasted live in the series’ social platforms. The first race will start Sunday at 11h30 (GMT+1) and the second at 16h15 (GMT+1)
