The GT Open Visits Germany for the First Time• Oschersleben to mark start of second half of the season• A seventh different winner in the 2007 series?• Aicart-Guerrero (GTA Mosler) to defend provisional lead• A 30-plus car entry and fight in all classes expected

While most Europeans are still enjoying their holidays, the summer break is over for the teams and drivers of the International GT Open, as activity in the track resumes on the week-end of 25-26 August in Oschersleben.

The Motorsport Arena, one of the most recent and modern motorsport complex in Europe, located near Magdeburg in Saxony-Anhalt, will host the fourth event of this year, which marks the start of the second half of the season. “It is the first visit of the International GT Open to Germany”, says series organizer Jesús Pareja, “and we are very delighted with coming to a country which is one of the cradles of motor racing. This is a key step for our championship, which aims at becoming the best platform for GT2 and GT3 pro-am racing”.

For the this occasion, the International GT Open will again be in partnership with the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) and the International Formula Master in what promises to be an exciting racing week-end.

Entries for the Oschersleben GT Open will officially be closed on Monday 20 August: over 30 cars are expected. The number includes all the regular competitors of the series, which sees this year a fight close for victory, with six different winners in the six races so far. Playteam Sara Free has clinched two wins (one each for Montermini-Maceratesi and Massironi-Busnelli), while the Ferraris 430 of GPC (with Peter-Bonetti) and of RSV Motorsport (with Romero-Sundberg) have also won one race each. The winners’ circle is completed by Lietz-Camathias (Autorlando) who gave Porsche its first victory in the series in Magny-Cours five weeks ago and by Aicart-Guerrero in the GTA Mosler, who lead the overall standings with 71 points.

The Spanish pair are 14 points ahead of Busnelli-Massironi and Roda-Mowlem (both with 57 points) while three pairs are tied in fourth place with 54 points (Peter-Bonetti, Camathias-Lietz and Livio-Pasini). In the GTB class, Scuderia Giudici’s drivers are in first four positions (with Arlotti-Gini, 38 points, in the lead), while in the GTS class the fight is close between the Vipers of Scuderia Latorre (Romagnoli-Larini, 36 points and Armetta-Marchetti, 34) and the sister car of Racing Box (Azzoli-Mocci, 32 points)../..Among developments to note ahead of Oschersleben is the usual mid-season review of car performances. Following this assessment, two model cars included until now in GTB class, the Porsche 997 GT3 Cup and the Marcos Mantis, have been re-qualified as GTS class vehicles.

On a separate matter, the French Motorsport Federation (FFSA) has announced that it will hear on 28 August (two days after Oschersleben) the appeal lodged by participant nr. 11 (Autorlando) after the GT Open race in Magny-Cours against the 1-lap penalty inflicted to it (and several other participants) for an infringement to the sporting rules during a safety-car period.

Both the Pro-Am and the GT Open races in Oschersleben will be broadcasted live, as usual, by the Eurosport network.

Oschersleben Timetable

Friday 24 August12:15-13:00 Free Practice 115:45-16:30 Free Practice 2Saturday 25 August09:45-10:00 Qualifying 1 (GTB+GTS)10:00-10:05 Qualifying 1 (GTA+GTB+GTS)10:05-10:20 Qualifying 1 (GTA)17:10-18:15 Pro-Am Race (35 laps – max. 65 min. – Rolling start)Sunday 26 August11:15-11:25 Warm-up14:30–15:15 GT Open Race (28 laps – max. 45 min. – Rolling start)