- Robert de Haan (Richardson Racing) and Lin Hodenius (Team GP Elite) take the titles in the Sport Division
- Dustin Blattner (Enrico Fulgenzi Racing) and Joe Warhurst (Team Parker Racing) champions in the Club Division
In the Catalan capital Barcelona, the participants of the brand new Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe completed their third and final race weekend. This third meeting of the winter championship confirmed all the good that has already been said and written about this new series. Moreover, the first champions were crowned in Barcelona. In addition, the promoter of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe immediately released the calendar for the 2024 season. In addition to the three existing meetings, the mythical Estoril will form the fourth round of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe 2024 calendar.
The philosophy of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe is clear: to offer great motorsport at a time when the majority of racing in Europe is in a deep hibernation. The third and final meeting of the season was fully in line with the agreements in Valencia and Portimao, so drivers and organization returned home from the track with a good feeling.
From a sporting point of view, a lot was at stake in Barcelona, because not only was there the hunt for the last victories of the 2023 season in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe, the title battle was of course also raging in full force.
In the Sport Division we saw no less than five different drivers on the six podiums in the Pro class, with minimal differences between the various drivers. In the first race, Benjamin Paque (August by NGT) broke the winning streak of Dutchman Robert de Haan. Britain's Adam Smalley (Team Parker Racing) and Sam Dejonghe (RedAnt Racing) finished second and third. With that victory, Paque reduced the gap to de Haan to three points, after the young Dutchman had to retire in the first race after a racing incident. The final may well have been right up the street for Frenchman Alessandro Ghiretti (Martinet by Almeras), but with a second place, the title still went to De Haan, who finished second, ahead of Paque, who pushed until the finish. Adam Smalley took home the bronze trophy.
In the Pro-Am Class, Horst Felix Felbermayr (Huber Racing) was first ahead of Lin Hodenius and Ryan Ratcliffe (Team Parker Racing), while Hodenius cemented his title in race two with a brilliant win ahead of Felbermayr and Ratcliffe. The men also finished the championship in that order.
Fight on all fronts
The gentlemen drivers of the Am Class also turned it into a real spectacle, with two victories and a title for Dustin Blattner (Enrico Fulgenzi Racing). Josh Stanton (Huber Racing) took second twice, also his final ranking in the championship and Michel Arfman (Team GP Elite), despite two third places from his rival Robert Sulma (Huber Racing), was good for the bronze.
In the GT4 Class, the title went to Team Parker Racing driver Joe Warhurst, despite two wins for his teammate Zac Meakin, who took silver. Jeroen Pronk was third twice and he gave his team, Team GP Elite, third place in the championship.
The last word therefore goes to Series Manager Lars Plato: “Not only did we have a very successful final weekend, with three new teams again, JW Raceservice, Martinet by Almeras and Tsunami Racing, but we can simply say that the entire first season of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe was more than successful. There was wonderful sport, coupled with an excellent organization thanks to all employees, for which we also thank you, and the whole thing was concluded with a very nice award ceremony. We are therefore very motivated to do even better in 2024, with one extra meeting on the calendar: Estoril. Appointment in 2024!”
