The definitive entry list for this season’s Blancpain GT Series will be published on the first day of the Official Test Days at Paul Ricard circuit – March 11th – but with most of the teams having finalised their entries, we can get a pretty good idea of what is to come in 2015.
In the Blancpain Endurance Series there will be more than 50 cars on the starting grid of the first race in Monza. No fewer than 21 cars will fight for the Pro Cup during the five rounds of the Series, a number about 50 per cent higher than last year. In the Pro-Am Cup we should see a comparable number of entries, with the Am Cup bringing the total grid to above 50 cars. Single-race entries for the Total 24 Hours of Spa will probably fill the starting grid for the season’s highlight event with over 60 cars.
Because the Blancpain Endurance Series is now blessed with a significant amount of prize money – 100.000 euro to be distributed at each of the five races – and the fact that only teams entered in both Endurance and Sprint Series will receive the full amount of said prize money, the number of racing squads competing in both Series has increased significantly. Half a dozen teams will be present in all twelve rounds of the Blancpain GT Series, bringing one or more cars to the track.
That means that the grid for the seven rounds of the Blancpain Sprint Series will be brimming with roaring GT3 machinery. Some 20 cars are expected at the start of the first race at the Circuit Paul Armagnac in Nogaro, a number which will increase during the season.
So, with less than a month to go to the first meeting of the season, the 2015 Blancpain GT Series is clearly living up to its name of most competitive GT series in motorsports. That will be confirmed by the presence of some of the biggest names of the sport on the entry list. But more on that next week…
2015 Blancpain GT Series Calendar
11th -12th March: Official Blancpain Endurance Series Test Days Paul Ricard
17th -18th March: Official Blancpain Sprint Series Test Days Misano
4th -6th April: Nogaro (Fra) – Sprint
11th -12th April: Monza (Ita) – Endurance 3 hours
9th -10th May: Brands Hatch (UK) – Sprint
23rd -24th May: Silverstone (UK) – Endurance 3 hours
5th -7th June: Zolder (Bel) - Sprint
19th -20th June: Paul Ricard 1000 (Fra) – Endurance 1000 kms
24th June: Official Test Day Total 24 Hours of Spa (Bel) – Endurance
3rd -5th July: Moscow City (Rus) - Sprint
23rd -26th July: Total 24 Hours of Spa (Bel) – Endurance 24h hours
4th -6th September: Algarve (Por) – Sprint
19th -20th September: Nürburgring (Deu) – Endurance 3 hours
2nd -4th October: Misano (Ita) – Sprint
24th -25th October: Baku World Challenge (Aze) - Sprint