2-Hours Final Race to Decide Overall, GTA and GTS Titles
GT Sport today released the provisional entry list for the Catalunya GT Open, the season closing event of the series, which will take place in the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelò next 11 November, according to the 2-hour single race format traditional for the GT Open grande-finale.
While the official deadline for entries expires on Monday 5 November, the list published today already contains 65 cars, a record for the 2007 season and 2 units above the 63-car homologation threshold of the Catalan track.
The Catalunya GT Open is expected with great enthusiasm by fans and ... with anxiety by top contenders, as it will be decisive for the attribution of the overall GT Open title and the class titles in GTA and GTS. No less than ten drivers (Lietz-Camathias, Montermini-Maceratesi, Busnelli-Massironi, Pasini-Livio, Bonetti and Peter) can still claim the overall crown; they are all within 40 points and will fight hard for the 44 points still at stake.
The Catalunya GT Open will be raced as a single 2-hour (70 laps) race, with points awarded after 60 minutes and at the end of the race, while the mandatory driver change and the time handicap will be served twice, one in each half of the competition.The provisional entry list of the Catalunya GT Open sees no major changes among the top teams and the regular competitors, none of which are willing to miss the most important event in the calendar, but is enriched, as it has become usual for this event, by the many additional teams joining the grande-finale from other series.
A strong French representation includes Noël Del Bello Racing, Ruffier Racing, Yannick Mallegol, Georges Cabannes, First Racing, R Racing and Pro GT Alméras, which will bring a wide array of cars (Porsche 996 and 997 Cup, Ferrari 430, Dodge Viper, Lamborghini Gallardo) to the grid, while it has to be noted the presence of Antony Beltoise in the Ferrari 360 prepared by Sofrev ASP.Anglo-Dutch Marcos Racing is bringing a second Mantis for Van Zuylen-Van Putten, while from Germany comes the Lamborghini Gallardo of RS Line Racing driven by Stiefel-Raja. From Italy, two new Ferrari 430 in the GTs class, entered by Sport Garage.
The Portuguese delegation will be led by Porsche 997 of ASM Portugal with Bastos-Del Noce at the wheel, the Marcos LM 600 of Nogueira-Coimbra, and the Mosler MT900R of the Mello Breyner brothers. Also back is the Andorran Ferrari 430 of Cerqueda-Pérez Sala.Quite naturally, a high number of Spanish entrants are to take part in the fiesta. The list contains a significant number of cars and teams already seen in the GT Open or regularly participating in the Spanish GT Championship, such as the Moslers of Motor Competición and Zener Racing Team, the Ferrari 430 of V-Line, the Porsches 997 Cup of Escuela de Pilotos, CD HST Racing and Move Racing, and the Ferraris 430 Challenge of Lario Racing, Escuela de Pilotos and CETEA.
With such a field and so much at stake, Montmelò is ready to live an exciting racing event and to turn a mild autumn Sunday into something rather hot!
Barcelona Timetable
Thursday 8 November
11:00-12:00 Free Practice 1 (GTA)12:15-13:15 Free Practice 1 (GTB+GTS)14:45-15:30 Free Practice 2 (GTA)15:45-16:30 Free Practice 2 (GTB+GTS)
Friday 9 November
11:00-11:25 Free Practice 3 (GTB+GTS)11:30-11:55 Free Practice 3 (GTA)15:30-15:55 Free Practice 4 (GTB+GTS)16:00-16:25 Free Practice 4 (GTA)
Saturday 10 November
09:50-10:10 Qualifying 1 (GTB+GTS)10:10-10:15 Qualifying 1 (GTB+GTS+GTA)10:15-10:35 Qualifying 1 (GTA)12:45-13:05 Qualifying 2(GTB+GTS)13:05-13:10 Qualifying 2 (GTA+GTB+GTS)13:10-13:30 Qualifying 2 (GTA)
Sunday 11 November09:00-09:15 Warm-up
14:00–16:10 GT Open Race (70 laps, max. 130 min. – Rolling start)
