EVENT: WORLD CHALLENGE EUROPE SPRINT CUP, BRANDS HATCH WHEN: MAY 4-5
These days, grand prix weekend aside, there are depressingly few opportunities to see international championships in the UK. Rejoice, then, in the annual appearance of GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup which hits Brands Hatch on the first weekend of May.
OK, Brands is a bit narrow for a modern GT3 car (or rather the cars are a bit wide for the Kent circuit), but they make a stirring sight, especially as Sprint Cup grids have grown.
A first-lap charge through Paddock Hill Bend is a spectacular one, as is the run around the Grand Prix loop.
And stunning as the cars are, impressive as the drivers are, there is one more thing that makes GT racing special: the sound. The sound. Every car has a different engine note and the symphonic soundtrack echoing around the Kent countryside is one that should have fans tingling.
With a number of drivers moving into WEC or switching brands for
2024, the entry list is impressive and jumbled, while the addition in recent years of a Silver and Gold Cup, the championship has attracted the next generation of GT stars. There are battles all though the field and don’t worry about the difficulty of overtaking: the regulation pitstops are natural ones, as quick as you can do them. The correct way I’d argue…
And, and, and: Welcome back Valentino Rossi.
The MotoGP legend had never raced at Brands on two wheels and was blown away by the support for him when he rocked up in 2022. OK, the Rossi Factor is dropping a little, but there will still be a sea of yellow as his fans come out for an annual chance to cheer him on.
Rossi has moved to the WEC for this year, but still wanted to do selected SRO GT races. The Spa 24 Hours is on his agenda and the Honorary
BRDC Member couldn’t resist coming back to Brands.
Two 60-minute sprint races are flat out all the way. There will be little to match it at Brands Hatch this year. DA
‘Rossi could not resist a return to Brands...’
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