Motorsport doesn’t get much better than this weekend’s offering on the High Speed Television Channel, as we bring you live and uninterrupted coverage of one of the oldest and most prestigious endurance races on the planet, with an extra sprinkling of single-seaters, prototypes, motocross, Minis and Aussie V8s for good measure. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you won’t be disappointed!
First up is the 68th Spa 24 Hours, the highlight of the GT racing calendar and a double points-paying round of the Blancpain GT Series. The biggest GT3-only event on the planet, with 65 cars drawn from across the world including the Australian Lago Racing outfit, the Spa 24 has developed a well-founded reputation for unpredictability as the sheer weight of traffic, fatigue and the Belgian circuit’s unique microclimate are all factored in. Factory teams from Audi, Mercedes, Bentley, BMW, McLaren and Nissan have all been entered, showing just how seriously manufacturers are taking this event, but predicting a winner is a futile task. This really could be anybody’s game!
The GTs won’t have Spa all to themselves however, as the FIA F3 European Championship joins the Blancpain Sports Club on the support bill. A strong weekend at Zandvoort for Nick Cassidy has thrust the Kiwi into outside contention for a championship that has so far been dominated by Williams junior driver Lance Stroll. But two DNFs from the Dutch track showed that the Canadian is not infallible, which will also provide hope to his closest challenger Maximillian Gunther. Who will take this opportunity to shine in front of the watching bosses from the top manufacturers?
There’s more single-seater slipstreaming coming your way from Fuji, as the stars of Japan’s Super Formula series stretch their legs on the famous 1.4 kilometre straight. With former F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan, Le Mans winner Andre Lotterer and GP2 champion Stoffel Vandoorne, who is still waiting to find out on his McLaren F1 future, taking on the very best domestic talents including Kazuki Nakajima, Kamui Kobayashi and Hiroaki Ishiura, both national pride and overall victory are at stake…
Action from the IMSA Sportscar Championship comes thick and fast during July and this weekend is no different, with highlights from Round 8 at Lime Rock Park. At just 49 seconds in an LMPC car, laps come thick and fast around the Connecticut bull ring, where the single-make prototype class will take centre stage. Starworks pair Renger van der Zande and Alex Popow have been the men to beat this season, but face significant opposition in defending event winner and main championship rival Tom Kimber-Smith. GTLM and GTD traffic will make this one a tasty affair!
Bike fans will also be catered for, with delayed-as-live coverage of the FIM MXGP from Lommel, where the passionate Belgian fans will be hoping the 2010 and 2006 MXGP runner-ups Clément Desalle and Kevin Strijbos can recapture their best form. Watch for Yamaha factory rider Jeremy Van Horebeek to impress too – a regular fixture in the leading pack this year, could the 25-year-old could upstage champion elect Tim Gajser and take his first win of the season?
To top it all off, we’re also serving up highlights of all the Mini Challenge action from Brands Hatch and the Supercars Championship from Queensland as in-form Shane van Gisbergen seeks to prevent Red Bull Racing Australia team-mate Jamie Whincup from getting his 100th category win. Let battle commence!
Saturday 30th July
09:30 – LIVE Blancpain GT Sports Club, Rd 4, Spa-Francorchamps10:35 – IMSA Sportscar Championship, Rd 8, Lime Rock Park12:00 – LIVE FIA F3 European Championship, Rd 7, Spa-Francorchamps13:05 – Super Formula, Rd 3, Fuji15:00 – LIVE Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, Rd 4, Spa 24 Hours
Sunday 31st July
06:00 – LIVE Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, Rd 4, Spa 24 Hours16:15 – Delayed-as-Live FIM MX2, Rd 14, Lommel, Belgium17:10 – Delayed-as-Live FIM MXGP, Rd 14, Lommel, Belgium18:05 – Delayed-as-Live FIM MX2, Rd 14, Lommel, Belgium19:00 – Delayed-as-Live FIM MXGP, Rd 14, Lommel, Belgium20:30 – FIM EnduroGP World Championship, Rd 7, Italy21:00 – Supercars Championship, Rd 8, Queensland22:35 – Mini Challenge, Rd 5, Brands Hatch
