After successfully completing the winter season in the Middle East, SPS automotive performance now begins its preparations for the motorsport season in European series. Like last year, the team from Willsbach near Heilbronn will again start in the GT World Challenge Europe. It will also contest a full season in the International GT Open, under the team name SPS automotive performance. Plans to compete in other top-class racing series are also in full swing.
As it did last year, SPS automotive performance will again field two Mercedes-AMG GT3s in the new Endurance Cup season within the GT World Challenge Europe. Some of the world’s top GT3 teams and drivers line up in the high-class SRO series. The team from Willsbach will again go in pursuit of valuable championship points in the five endurance races, which include the legendary 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Plans are also in place to run at least one Mercedes-AMG GT3 at selected events in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup. Expectations are particularly high in this competition, as the team is the team finished runner-up in the Pro-Am class last season. With two class victories and a further seven podiums to its name last year, SPS automotive performance was among the most successful teams in this highly-competitive series.
Stephan Sohn’s team also has its sights set on other attractive formats. After a two-year break, an SPS automotive performance Mercedes-AMG GT3 will return to the International GT Open. The team can look back on a long success story in this popular series, with many victories and titles. The impressive record so far reads 13 overall and class victories, 15 podiums and the Pro-Am title in 2018. SPS automotive performance will now look to challenge for victory in the International GT Open at seven circuits in seven countries in the 2022 season.
Selected outings are also planned in this year’s Michelin Le Mans Cup and the 24H Series. Encouraged by the recent title win in the GT-AM class of the Asian Le Mans Series, plans are afoot to start in the European equivalent. The ACO series features both GT3 cars and LMP3 sports cars – in separate classes – at some of the best-known racetracks in Europe. The highlight of the season is the race within the framework of the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the world-famous Circuit des 24 Heures. SPS automotive performance also has past experience of this international series: In its debut season in 2019, the team claimed four podiums and finished fifth overall in the GT3 class. At the start of the year, SPS automotive performance produced an impressive display at the opening round of the 24H Series in Dubai, where one of its Mercedes-AMG GT3s finished third overall. The second car also achieved an outstanding result, finishing runner-up in the GT3-AM class.
Stephan Sohn, team principal SPS automotive performance: “The many restrictions over the past two years have meant that we have had to tone down our motorsport programme a little. In the GT World Challenge Europe, we have found a new sorting home, in which we were also successful. We also want to expand our involvement in other international racing series again, in which we laid the foundation for our success in the past. In all the series, we are able to provide professional, semi-professional and amateur drivers with a competitive package. The plans are not yet complete, but I think we will be able to announce our final programme in the near future.”
