Grid grows significantly for second round of new retro series
First-time entries include Nissan GTR and McLaren MP4-12C
Races to run on Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 May at Spa Classic, organised by Peter Auto
The GT3 Revival Series returns to action this weekend (23/24 May) to stage the second event of its debut season, which takes place as part of Spa Classic.
As the venue for the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, the Ardennes circuit is synonymous with GT3 racing. By 2011 it had become the premier class at the twice-around-the clock contest, helping to establish Spa as the world’s biggest GT race. Indeed, many of the cars featured in the GT3 Revival Series forged their reputation at the 24 Hours.
Now, they will join a sensational line-up of machinery at Spa Classic. Created in 2011 by Peter Auto, the event has grown to become one of Europe’s leading historic meetings, with around 500 drivers and 370 cars expected at this year’s edition. The 2026 programme includes a fantastic array of vintage sports prototypes, touring cars and sportscars spanning more than half a century.
Here’s what to look out for when the GT3 Revival Series hits the track at Spa-Francorchamps.
The grid has expanded to 44 cars and 11 brands
That's 16 more than tackled the season-opening round at Circuit Paul Ricard and includes two manufacturers that will be represented for the first time.
The Nissan GTR Nismo is among the most beloved GT3 cars ever produced. Powered by a twin-turbo V6, the Japanese machine is affectionately known as "Godzilla" by its many fans around the world. At Spa Classic, Team Parker Racing will run a GTR for Andrew Bentley and Max Lynn.
The event will also see the McLaren name on the entry list with the MP4-12C entered by Jordan Racing Team. This was the British marque's first GT3 car and is based on the eponymous road-going model, a project that was closely overseen by Ron Dennis.
A total of 11 marques will be represented at Spa Classic. In addition to McLaren and Nissan, there will also be machinery from Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche. The Audi R8 is the most popular choice, with 10 examples set to go racing this weekend.
There are now three separate classes competing for victory
The extra entries this weekend have resulted in a slight change to the class structure. Pro-Am remains a single class, though the field has grown considerably to 13 cars. Among them are first-time entrants Era Motorsport (Aston Martin Vantage), Équipe Europe (Audi R8), and Maxted-Page Motorsport (Porsche 997).
They will join several returning teams, including the Storic and Race Cars squad that swept the weekend at Circuit Paul Ricard. The French outfit's Ferrari 458 was a 24 Hours of Spa class winner with Jean-Luc Beaubelique at the wheel in 2013.
For the first time, the Am category and will be split in two. An enormous field of 25 cars will be entered in the Gen II class, which covers cars homologated between 2010 and 2013. Circuit Paul Ricard winner Benjamin Ricci is joined by his father Mauro in their Ferrari 458 GT3 Evo, while CMR (BMW Z4), Lionspeed (Porsche 997) and Team Motopark (Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG) also return.
In addition, there are several first-time entrants. Among them are Pyro Motorsport (Audi R8), Pastorelli Classics Cars (Ferrari 458) and Anderson Racing Team (Lamborghini Gallardo). With 25 cars fighting over three podium positions, this promises to be a particularly fierce contest.
A further five cars will compete in Am Gen I, which covers cars homologated between 2006 and 2009. This includes a trio of Callaway Corvettes – two from newcomer Seiler Racing and another from Scott Sport – as well as a Matech-built Ford GT and a Porsche 997 Cup S. There will be separate podiums for Gen I and Gen II, as well as for the Iron Cup which rewards the best-finishing crew with a combined age of 100 and over, or the best solo driver aged 60 and over.
Finally, the grid features an invitational entry: the Ferrari 458 Italia GTD run by Équipe Europe and shared by Pierre-Alain and Erwin France. Having previously competed in IMSA, the car meets different technical specifications and will not be eligible to compte for the podium – though it will add an extra dimension to the on-track action.
A host of drivers will make their GT3 Revival Series debuts
A total of 67 drivers will contest the Spa Classic races. And, with more than a dozen extra cars, many of them will be competing in the GT3 Revival Series for the first time.
They include the prominent London car dealer Joe Macari, who will drive a Ferrari 458. Best known for his involvement with historic racing, Macari has also competed in premier contemporary events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Spa 24 Hours.
Click here for the Joe Macari Performance Cars website by Racecar
World Touring Car Champion in 2012, Rob Huff will make his first start in a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG alongside fellow newcomer Philip Kadoorie. Another addition is Kyle Tilley, a sometime NASCAR Cup Series racer and a class winner at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Pierre Thiriet, a two-time LMP2 class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, will pilot an Audi R8 for Équipe Europe. Michel Ettouati, Jürg Aeberhard, Heiko Scharnhorst and Mario Cordoni are just some of the other newcomers who will join the grid this weekend.
We’ll see night racing for the first time
The format for the Spa Classic weekend is similar to that used at Circuit Paul Ricard, but with the added excitement of night racing at the Ardennes venue.
Free Practice sessions will run on Friday (22 May) at 12:55 and 19:05, each lasting 45 minutes. Qualifying takes place on Saturday at 11:55, with two sessions establishing the grids for Race 1 and Race 2 respectively. For two-driver crews, each will compete in one session and start the corresponding race; solo drivers must take part in both sessions.
Race 1 gets underway at 21:25 on Saturday, just minutes before sunset, while Race 2 is scheduled for 14:35 on Sunday. Both last 50 minutes and will air live and unrestricted on the GT World YouTube channel.
