Press release
The marquee event of the Blancpain Endurance Series, the Total 24 Hours of Spa, featured a record field of GT3 cars rumbling through the Belgian Ardennes from 26-29 July in pursuit of one of motorsport's most coveted trophies.
The Blancpain Reiter No.24 Lamborghini LP600+ of Marc A. Hayek, President & CEO, Blancpain, along with Dutch duo Peter Kox and Jos Menten and Germany's Albert von Thurn und Taxis combined for a brilliant 11th place overall in a gruelling Total 24 Hours of Spa at the daunting Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.
It was also a 6th place in the PRO-AM class for the quartet.
A record entry of 67 cars assembled on the grid – the biggest number of GT cars every assembled in one category for the gruelling endurance classic. Torrential rain in the first few hours provided a stern challenge for drivers and pit crews. The Safety Car was required on many occasions as a number of cars were caught out by the treacherous conditions.
The No.24 car, which started in seventh position, third in the PRO-AM class, made a steady start with Kox doing the lead stint. The black Lamborghini had held the lead in the PRO-AM class at the end of hour seven but entered the pits shortly after with a wheel hub problem. By the halfway stage, it was back contesting for the top positions and all four drivers combined to climb back up the rankings with a impressive all-round performance.
As in previous years, the VIP guests from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg could explore the universe of Blancpain in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Village. The weekend experience included an exclusive view of the race as an insider. A visit to the pit box, the time keeping and race control, Lamborghini VIP laps at the mythical Spa- Francorchamps and first class dining on the terrace were all part of the Blancpain Endurance Series, the Total 24 Hours of Spa event.
The Blancpain VIP's had the opportunity to attend the famous gridwalk. This was a unique moment as the VIP's could feel the excitement at the starting grid by being around the cars, the drivers and the mechanical team just before the start of the race. Most definitely this will be a great memory not in the least because of the unforgetable performance of DJ Faithless.
Race Calendar 2012Round 1 / April 13th – 15th, Monza, Italy
Round 2 / June 2nd – 3rd, Silverstone, UK
Round 3 / June 29th – July1th, Paul Ricard, France
Round 4 / July 25th – 29th, Total 24 Heures de Spa, Belgium
Round 5 / September 22nd – 23rd, Nurbürgring, Germany
Round 6 /October 13th – 14th, Navarra, Spain
