After a lengthy summer break, the SD Team-backed Porsche GT3 crew will return to the track this weekend at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps hoping to resume its Michelin Le Mans Cup trophy hunt.
The trip to Belgium signals the end of a mammoth seasonal break for the Le Mans Cup, which last raced on the undercard of the world-famous Le Mans 24 Hours back in mid-June. With over two months gone, the SD Porsche team is ready, refreshed and raring to get back into action. A total of 39 cars will contest the Spa round, with 11 running in the GT3 category.
For this event Nick Jones will be joined by Nico Menzel aboard the #18 Porsche 911 GT3 R, with Sven Müller having a clashing commitment in the GT World Challenge. German driver Menzel is no stranger to competing with the Porsche brand, having been an official driver for the Stuttgart marque since 2021. During that time he’s been a multiple race winner in championships such as the ADAC GT Masters and Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (formerly VLN) in Germany, and has also competed in the GT World Challenge, International GT Open and German Carrera Cup.
Jones and the High Class Racing team head into the fifth round of the year on strong form following the car’s excellent podium finish during the second Road to Le Mans sprint race last time out in France. That result capped an impressive debut weekend with the team for Müller, and Menzel will be hoping to hit the ground running in a similar fashion as the team aims high again this weekend.
Despite the long break from racing, the High Class crew and Jones recently enjoyed a successful test at Mugello in Italy, to ensure both the car and driver are in great condition to come out fighting in Belgium. Jones also has form at Spa, having finished on the podium during last year’s Le Mans Cup event at the track.
Jones currently runs fifth in the Le Mans Cup GT3 Drivers’ Championship, but with three races remaining this year and a heap of points still on offer, there’s every chance of climbing higher with a strong result at Spa.
Nick Jones says: “I’m really looking forward to getting back on track, and Spa is such a special circuit. I’ve been lucky enough to race on many amazing tracks around Europe, and Spa is still one of the best. It’s fast, flowing, and just amazing to drive in a GT3 car. The whole team is still buzzing from the podium at Le Mans, so we’re going into this one aiming high. Sven was new to the team for Le Mans, and look what we achieved there, so having a change of co-driver isn’t a barrier to success. I have no doubt Nico will step in and be quick from the outset – he’s got enough experience with these cars and a great pedigree behind him, plus the car is feeling great after the Mugello test. Personally, I’m aiming for top-three in the championship, and to get there we need consistent points for the rest of the season. If we can keep things clean and maximise our own race, then there’s no reason we can’t be up there fighting for another trophy at Spa, but we know the Ferraris will still be the cars to beat.”
Nico Menzel says: “I’m excited for this weekend and to meet everybody at the team for the first time. Spa is like my second home – only about an hour and 15 away from my hometown of Adenau near the Nürburgring – and it’s absolutely one of my favourite tracks on the planet. The mixture of a Porsche GT3 and Spa is very special combination. The team is looking strong, and scored a great result at Le Mans, so no question we will be aiming to do something similar this weekend. I’m looking forward to getting going!”
Action for the Spa round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup gets underway with twin free practice sessions and the bronze driver test on Friday, August 23, before qualifying at 11:55 CEST on Saturday. The 110-minute race is scheduled to begin at 16:05 CEST. Live timing is available for all sessions on the official Le Mans Cup website, while the race will be streamed live on the championship’s YouTube channel.
