British racer David Pittard will make his Total 24 Hours of Spa debut this season after signing a deal with 2018 race-winning squad Walkenhorst Motorsport.
The 26-year-old will drive a BMW M6 GT3 for the German outfit, which took a famous victory at the event’s 70th edition last July. Pittard arrives with a diverse range of experience from contemporary and historic racing and has previously worked with Henry Walkenhorst’s crew in other GT categories.
“The BMW M6 GT3 and Walkenhorst Motorsport have proven themselves to be a very competitive team that looks only to become stronger as they build upon each and every success,” commented Pittard.
“I have absolutely no doubt that it’s the best place for me to be in terms of showing my potential, achieving competitive results and working closely with BMW. I feel honoured to be a part of it.”
The news could mean that the Walkenhorst squad is planning an expanded effort in 2019. The team has already announced a full assault on the Intercontinental GT Challenge, which encompasses the Total 24 Hours of Spa, with Nicky Catsburg, Mikkel Jensen and Christian Krognes confirmed for the season-opening Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour (3 February).
Should that line-up remain in place for the full IGTC campaign Pittard would need to be part of a second M6 GT3 crew at Spa due to a three-driver maximum on Pro entries. A shuffling of BMW-contracted drivers Catsburg and Jensen is also a potential option.
Pittard will be hoping to join the list of British racers who have conquered the 24 Hours aboard BMW machinery, with Steve Soper (1992 & 1995), Alexander Sims (2016) and Tom Blomqvist (2018) previously triumphing for the German marque.
The 2019 running of the Total 24 Hours of Spa will begin in earnest on Wednesday 24 July with the annual parade to Spa town centre. This is followed by practice and qualifying on Thursday and Friday (July 25/26), with the race playing out across Saturday and Sunday (July 27/28). Tickets for the biggest GT3 race of the year are on sale now.