Oliver Jarvis faves tough battle in Maiden Spaa 24 Hour race

Oliver Jarvis lines-up for his third twice-around-the-clock motor race of the season when the Cambridgeshire ace contests the Spa 24 Hours next weekend (27-28 July).The 29-year-old from Burwell near Newmarket competes in the annual Belgian race for the first time in his 12-year motor racing career at the wheel of an Audi R8 LMS ultra sportscar.Jarvis races a Phoenix Racing prepared Audi with Harold Primat (CH) and Christopher Haase (D).Oliver this year has already netted a win (Daytona 24 Hours) and a third place (Le Mans 24 Hours)driving an Audi R8 sportscar and R18 e-tron quattro respectivelybut believes the Spa race will be especially difficult.This will be a very tough race due to the strong competition throughout the massive entry, confirmed Jarvis. I always approach every race with the intention of winning, or at least fighting for a top-three podium result, but I believe were in for a really tough 24 hours.An incredible entry of around 70 cars is expected to compete in the 65th running of the race around the undulating, fast and sweeping 4.35-mile track in the Ardennes region near Lige.In the previous three rounds of the Blancpain Endurance Series, Jarvis has finished ninth (Monza, IT), 17th (Paul Ricard, F) and 12th (Silverstone, GB).Oliver continued: This race marks my maiden 24hrs of Spa but its one of those races that I have always wanted to do. Spa is one of the best tracks in the world and a personal favourite of mine.This will be my seventh career 24 hour race having raced at Daytona once, twice at the Nrburgring and three-times at Le Mans. I raced with the Phoenix team in DTM in 2008 and 09 and this year in the Blancpain Endurance Championship. Spa will be my 25th race with them. Meanwhile its my 26th race in an Audi R8 LMS GT3 sportscar.The 5.2-litre Audi R8 LMS GT3 sportscar forms Audi Sports customer racing programme around the world. The R8 LMS made its racing debut in 2009 and has won 18 championship titles and scored six outright wins in 24 Hour races and three in 12 Hour races.Phoenix Racing won last years corresponding race while the Belgian WRT team, winners of the 2011 Spa race, enters four Audi sports cars. Meanwhile Anglo-American team United Autosports enters a R8.Qualifying for grid positions is staged on Thursday and Friday with the race beginning on Saturday at 3.30pm (BST).

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