From 29 June to 2 July, another season highlight is on the agenda for the Haupt Racing Team. At the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, HRT will take up the fight for class wins and championship points with two Mercedes-AMG GT3s at the 75th edition of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. In addition, HRT will provide technical support for SunEnergy1 Racing's #75 Mercedes-AMG GT3.
- Two Mercedes-AMG GT3s from HRT in action.
- One Mercedes-AMG GT3 each in the Bronze and Pro-Am Cup.
- Technical support for SunEnergy1 Racing by HRT.
The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa is considered the biggest GT3 race in the world and is undoubtedly the highlight of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS race calendar. HRT will compete in the 2023 season with a Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the total of five endurance races of the Endurance Cup of this highly competitive international racing series. After a promising start to the season with a class victory and another podium finish in the Bronze Cup, the team from Drees is also one of the favourites for class victory in this category at Spa-Francorchamps and is targeting further top finishes on the legendary, seven-kilometre "Ardennes rollercoaster".
Team owner Hubert Haupt (GER), Arjun Maini (IND), Sébastien Baud (FRA) and Jordan Love (AUS) will share the wheel of the #79 Mercedes-AMG GT3, which will contest the entire season in the Bronze Cup in the Endurance classification. The Australian Love is competing in the Sprint Cup races of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe this year and will support the trio of drivers from the Endurance Cup at the season highlight.
The sister car with the #64 expands the line-up of the Haupt Racing Team in Spa-Francorchamps. Jordan Love's team-mate from the Sprint Cup, Frank Bird (GBR), will enter the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa together with James Cottingham, Matt Bell (both GBR) and the US-American Naveen Rao in the Pro-Am Cup. The British-American trio of Cottingham, Bell and Rao will be racing for the Haupt Racing Team for the first time but bring plenty of experience from other international GT and sports car series.
In addition to running the two HRT cars, the Haupt Racing Team will also provide technical support for SunEnergy1 Racing's #75 Mercedes-AMG GT3 at Spa-Francorchamps. The team also competes in the Pro-Am Cup with the driver quartet of Kenny Habul (AUS), Martin Konrad (AUT), Nick Catsburg (NED) and Chaz Mostert (AUS).
Hubert Haupt, team owner HRT / #79 Haupt Racing Team: "After the class win in Paul Ricard, we are of course very motivated and come to Spa-Francorchamps with a lot of tailwind. We are well prepared for this endurance classic want to have a word in for the class victory.”
Sébastien Baud, #79 Haupt Racing Team: “I'm really looking forward to the start of the 24 Hours of Spa. We've worked really hard and had a fantastic start to the season. We're going to have to keep up the good momentum and get to the end of the 24h race with a good pace without making any mistakes.”
James Cottingham, #64 Haupt Racing Team: “I'm very excited to be racing my first 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps. This event has been on my bucket list for a long time. During the winter I was able to prepare for this event at the Gulf 12 Hours and the 24H Dubai. I've been driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3 for two years now and I've already gained some experience on this track in historic races. Now I'm looking forward to starting this adventure with such an experienced team like HRT.”
Matt Bell, #64 Haupt Racing Team: “I’m looking forward to getting back to Spa for the 24 hours. It’s been a few years since I’ve done the race! It’s one of the highlights in the sports car racing world so always a privilege to be on the grid. I think the Pro-Am class is very competitive, but we have joined one of the best teams in the paddock with HRT and put together a great lineup, so we are feeling very ambitious! It’s great to team up with Naveen again as well, we won the IMSA Prototype Challenge together in 2020 so we have a successful history driving together. We are turning up to push for the win once again!”
Nick Catsburg, #75 SunEnergy1 Racing: “The 24 Hours is Spa are always a highlight of the season. I’m really looking forward to work together with Kenny, Martin and Chaz! The team will be new to me, so I am eager to start working with a new group of people. The goal is for sure the Pro-Am victory!”
Sean Paul Breslin, team principal Haupt Racing Team: "We are going to Spa full of anticipation and with a lot of optimism. After the good results at the first two events, we have set our sights high for this race. With around 70 GT3 cars, there will be a lot of traffic on the track. It will be crucial to get through the race without any major incidents. We are also very happy that SunEnergy1 Racing has trusted us to support them in this endurance classic. We will do our best with all the cars."
About HRT
HRT stands for HAUPT RACING TEAM. The motorsport team was founded in July 2020 by racing driver and entrepreneur Hubert Haupt and has firmly established itself in international GT3 sport within a very short time. As well as numerous race wins and top results, HRT’s greatest success came in 2021 when it won the Drivers’ Championship in the DTM. The team’s programme is demanding and diverse: among other things, HRT starts in the DTM, the Nürburgring Endurance Series, the GT World Challenge Europe, and the 24-hour races at the Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps. Many of these race outings are as a Mercedes-AMG Performance Team with extended factory support. HRT is also involved in professional sim racing and is a sought-after partner for technical development projects and motorsport events of all kinds. As of the 2023 season, the team’s new operations centre is the HRT Race Base in Drees, which is located at the Nürburgring. The headquarters of Haupt Racing Team GmbH are in Grünwald near Munich.
