Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific’s teams and customers will be aiming for race victory this weekend at the 100th anniversary running of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.

First held in 1924, the 24 Hours of Spa is GT3 racing’s flagship event, with 67 cars battling across several classes at the mythical Belgian circuit. The 2024 event will be the 76th running of the race, with Porsche victorious on eight previous occasions, the second most of any manufacturer.

HubAuto Racing will be tackling the legendary race for the first time in Porsche machinery, with a star-studded line-up at the wheel of the Taipei-based team’s #992 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992). Past 24 Hours of Spa winners and Porsche Penske Motorsport drivers Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor have enjoyed a successful start to 2024, currently leading the World Endurance Championship standings. The duo will be joined by 2018 24 Hours of Nürburgring winner Patrick Pilet, who has extensive GT3 experience, including taking race victory earlier this year in Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia at Buriram.

Making their bow at a 24-hour race, Phantom Global Racing takes on Spa with a strong driver trio featuring Thomas Preining, Jaxon Evans and Joel Eriksson. The Chinese squad has impressed during its first season of competitive racing, picking up fourth on debut at the Bathurst 12 Hour, where Evans and Eriksson performed strongly. Reigning Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) champion Preining completes a line-up filled with talent, that will be targeting the top positions in the Pro class.

Earl Bamber Motorsport makes its return to the twice-around-the-clock race, competing in the Pro-Am class. Malaysian Porsche Carrera Cup Asia racer Adrian D’Silva is joined by 2020 Spa 24 Hours winner Earl Bamber, with Kerong Li and Brendon Leitch completing the quartet.

Hong Kong-based racer Antares Au tackles the event for the fourth year in succession, looking to repeat his Bronze class victory from 2023. Racing for Lionspeed X Herberth in the #80 machine, Au teams up with Porsche Driver Alessio Picariello, Martin Rump and Alexander Fach.

Each entry took part in the Official Prologue earlier this month, and will be looking to utilise that experience from the get-go, with Free Practice 1 set for Thursday morning. Qualifying follows that evening, where all drivers will be in action as they attempt to be part of the top-20 cars which will progress to Friday afternoon’s Superpole session. Finally, the race gets underway at 16:30 local time on Saturday.

Patrick Pilet, HubAuto Racing: “I’m excited that it’s finally race week! With our line-up and the team behind us, I believe we’ve got a good chance of challenging at the front of the field. I’m feeling strong after racing at Le Mans, and all the preparation went well on the test days here last month. We’re ready for the big show, and to fight for the podium positions!”

Laurens Vanthoor, HubAuto Racing: “This is my third 24-hour race in the space of six weeks, so I’m definitely prepared for this one! Spa is my local circuit as I only live an hour from here, making this event special for me. Our goal is to be up at the front of the pack and fighting for the podium positions, but we know it won’t be easy as the competition is always strong. The Prologue went well last month, and it will be great to get back out on track this week ahead of the race. We all competed at Le Mans, so we’re all coming into this one looking to fight for victory.”

Kévin Estre, HubAuto Racing: “We’ve got a great driver line-up which is needed in Spa, especially with the unpredictable weather at the circuit. We worked hard during the two practice days, and hopefully we can hit the ground running with a good performance. I’m looking forward to racing with Patrick and Laurens, and we’re aiming to bring home the victory for Porsche and HubAuto Racing.”

Morris Chen, Team Principal and Owner, HubAuto Racing: “We’re incredibly proud to participate in the 100th anniversary running of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa with Kévin, Laurens and Patrick behind the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 R (992). This historic event is legendary in endurance racing, and our team is ready to showcase our potential on this challenging circuit. Our aim is clear, to fight for a spot on the podium and make our mark on this incredible race.”

Jaxon Evans: “It’s a privilege to be part of the Phantom Global Racing line-up for the centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Spa. We have a strong crew behind us and together with Joel and Thomas, I believe we are capable of fighting for victory. It’s the biggest GT race in the world on one of the most iconic circuits in motorsport history, so it doesn’t get much better than this!”

Joel Eriksson: “It’s great to finally get the opportunity to race in the legendary 24 Hours of Spa, and I’m delighted to be doing so with such a great team and strong drivers alongside me. It’s been a dream to take part in this race and I believe we are in a good position to take a positive result. I’m looking forward to getting out there and giving it our all on the big day!”

Martin Young, Phantom Global Racing Team Director: “We’re really pleased to be taking on the 24 Hours of Spa this year. It’s going to be a big challenge, but one we’re very excited for. Following on from a strong start to the season in the Bathurst 12 Hour and in GT World Challenge Asia, we’re looking to continue that with a talented driver line-up of Thomas, Jaxon and Joel.”

Alexandre Gibot, Managing Director Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Ltd.: “The 24 Hours of Spa is always a highlight on the GT racing calendar, and this year we’re really excited to be supporting teams and drivers coming from Asia Pacific to race this weekend. With strong driver line-ups across three classes, we’re hopeful of positive performances. We know that Spa is an unforgiving circuit with changeable weather conditions, and to win this race takes a lot of skill and a certain amount of luck. I can’t wait for the action to start and to see our cars hit the track!”