With AKKA ASP for Blancpain Endurance
• Pro-Am Vice-Champion setting sights on 2016 class title• Category race winner switches from Ferrari to Mercedes AMG GT3
Experienced GT and sportscar racer Michael Lyons gets his bid for the 2016 Pro-Am title in the prestigious Blancpain Endurance Cup underway at ultra-fast Monza this weekend, 23rd/24th April, where the Briton is aiming to make a big impact from the outset at the historic Italian venue.
After a strong race-winning campaign last year at the wheel of a Ferrari 458 Italia, a season he dovetailed with involvement in the European Le Mans Series, Lyons has switched to the AKKA ASP team for the new Blancpain season and will pilot an eye-catching Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3.
The 25-year-old, who resides in Bishop’s Stortford, will partner Italian driver Daniele Perfetti, the 2012 British GT Champion, and experienced GT driver, Frenchman Laurent Cazenave, at Jérôme Policand’s Toulouse-based squad.
Providing the ultimate in GT racing year-on-year, the grid for the championship-opening Blancpain Endurance Cup event at Monza will feature almost 60 cars – proof, if it were needed, of why the category is so popular with drivers, teams, manufacturers and spectators alike.
“I’m really pleased to be racing with AKKA ASP this year and I feel we’ve got a great chance to do well”, said Lyons, “The focus was always to come back to Blancpain this season and try and go one better than last year, with Daniele and Laurent I think we can mount a very strong challenge.
“I’m determined to try and win the championship and I know Daniele wants to add another title to his British GT Success. Blancpain is a fantastic championship with such a high standard, many other Pro drivers and factory supported drivers to compete against, and huge grids. For me, Blancpain is the place to be.”
Lyons carries a lot of confidence into the Blancpain Endurance Cup campaign after a strong winter and off-season where he has been winning races in the realms of historic competition and where he also shone in the Sebring 12 Hours in America.
Additionally, he took part in last month’s prologue test day for the European Le Mans Series with Murphy Prototypes – lending his services to the team he contested the pan-European category with last year, in order to assist its pre-season development
“It was a busy off-season”, reflected Lyons, “While Sebring didn’t work out in the end, I was really happy with my stint as we went from last in class to the lead and I then finished my run in third. It’s been good in the historics too, I won the first two Group C races in Jarama and had two class wins in the FIA Historic F1 at Zolder.
“It’s been good keeping busy, I helped out the guys at Murphy with the ELMS prologue test as a bit of a favour, but now I’m focused on Blancpain and making the best start we possibly can to the new season with AKKA ASP. Monza’s going to be incredible with such a huge grid, I can’t wait!”
Following practice and pre-qualifying at Monza on Saturday, 23rd April, final qualifying for the opening round of the 2016 Blancpain Endurance Cup will take place at 09.00 (local time) on Sunday, 24th April, with the three-hour race scheduled to commence at 15.00 (local time).
Live television coverage will be screened in the UK on Motors TV, broadcast beginning at 13.30 UK time, with the addition of online streaming HERE Total Control Racing - Latest News?
