Asia’s biggest GT championship – Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia – returns with a new name and 30-car entry for Season Three’s opening round this weekend (April 5-7) when 25 GT3s – the highest number ever at Sepang – five GT4s and eight manufacturers tackle two 60-minute sprint races.
The championship previously known as Blancpain GT Series Asia now comprises one-third of SRO Motorsports Group’s new global sprint racing platform, which also has outposts in Europe and America.
The format provides further incentives for manufacturers to support their customer teams and drivers across GT3’s biggest markets in not only the pursuit of regional success but also the outright Blancpain GT World Challenge crown, which is collectively contested over 18 events. Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG have both nominated their full quota of four drivers, which must include a mix of amateurs and professionals, this weekend.
Indeed, following the first event in America last month, focus now switches to the Asian championship’s Malaysian season opener. New regulations designed to encourage greater regional representation mandate at least one Asian driver or resident per GT3 Pro/Am and Silver Cup entry, while only drivers from across the region and Australasia are eligible to contest GT3’s Am Cup and the GT4 class.
The rest remains largely unchanged, with two 60-minute races held at each of this year’s six events in five countries. Pitstop success penalties, SRO’s world-renowned Balance of Performance expertise, and standardised Pirelli P-Zero DHD2 tyre also prevent any single crew, team or manufacturer from dominating.
New champions are guaranteed across every class after three of the biggest teams – FFF Racing, GruppeM Racing and KCMG – were awarded official manufacturer contracts for SRO’s major international championships as recognition of their Blancpain GT Series Asia success.
Providing teams and drivers with a platform to develop and ultimately compete at GT racing’s highest level was one of the championship’s original guiding principles.
Several teams will be eager to make the same impression at Sepang, which – despite those high-profile graduates – features a larger entry list and four more GT3 cars than 12 months ago.