Two Lamborghinis for a déjà vu the Italian way. A new chapter begins for the Grasser Racing Team from April 21 to 23. At the season opener of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, the squad from Austria will celebrate their race premiere with the new Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2. The third generation of the GT3 machine from Lamborghini Squadra Corse follows in the footsteps of its ancestors at a historic venue in Monza. GRT will start the new era with two cars on the legendary Grand Prix circuit next weekend. The number 58 entry will be driven by Ricky Capo, Sam Neary and Fabrizio Crestani. There is a driver change in the sister car. In the number 85, Kay van Berlo shares the cockpit with Clemens Schmid and Benjamin Hites.
The Monza 3h race marks the first of five stops in this year's GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. The 5.793 km-long circuit not only means a home race for the cars from Lamborghini but is also the cradle of the Lamborghini Huracán GT3. In 2015, the first version of the Italian's GT3 racer debuted at this very venue and immediately celebrated a sensational victory in the Blancpain Endurance Series in the GRT colors. The bulls from Austria will continue the successful history this season in the Silver Cup of the high-profile endurance series.
The Lamborghini team's two driver line-ups face the toughest competition in years at the season opener. With 55 cars from a total of eight manufacturers, the field is as diverse as it is strong. The GT3 world elite will be competing for victories in five classifications. In addition, the teams are also fighting for valuable championship points in the virtual Fanatec Esports GT Pro Series. This year, six drivers from six different nations are getting behind the wheel for GRT in the Silver Cup.
Austrian Clemens Schmid and Chilean Benjamin Hites will be supported by Kay van Berlo in the #85 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 at the season opener. The Dutchman is standing in for his brother Glenn van Berlo. The regular GRT driver is in action at Barcelona due to a commitment in the European Le Mans Series. For Kay van Berlo, who has been racing in the IMSA since 2021, it is the first appearance in a GT3 car from Lamborghini. The #58 car will contest the race weekend with Ricky Capo from Australia, Sam Neary from Great Britain and local boy Fabrizio Crestani in the regular line-up.
The action starts on Saturday morning at 9:00 am CET with a one-and-a-half-hour practice session, followed by pre-qualifying, also lasting 90 minutes, from 1:40 pm. In the evening, it's virtual action from 6:00 p.m. in the 60-minute Fanatec Esports GT Pro Series race in the racing simulation Assetto Corsa Competizione. For GRT, Clemens Schmid and Fabrizio Crestani will take place in the simulator. On Sunday, the three-part qualifying is scheduled for 9:00 a.m., with all three drivers hunting for fast lap times. The race over a distance of 3 hours will start at 15:00. The sessions will be streamed live on the official YouTube channel of the GT World Challenge Europe.
Gottfried Grasser, Team Principal of GRT: "After busy months in the workshop, it's time for racing. We are very happy to be back competing. The winter was very intense with preparations for the DTM and the GT World Challenge Europe. Two programs mean a heavy workload and on top of that we have a new car, the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, which we had to adjust to. The setup work was very insightful and we made good progress in testing. We have a competitive package and two strong line-ups to fight at the front of the Silver Class. Monza has been a good place for us in the past and we want to lay the foundation for a successful season with a strong result this weekend."
