Blancpain GT eyes US round with new Pirelli World Challenge link-up

Blancpain GT boss Stephane Ratel and the PWC president Scott Bove have admitted that they are working a plan for a BSS round to take place on the same bill as a PWC event.

Ratel said: "Getting an American circuit on the Blancpain GT Series calendar has always been one of my pet projects, and the best way to do that is to work together with people who know the ins and outs of racing in the US.

"It is no use for each of us to do our own thing in our own corner, when sharing our knowledge could produce far better results."

The collaboration between SRO and the organisers of the PWC, whose lead class is now exclusively open to the GT3 machinery that runs in the BSS, will include the top three cars in this year's US series being invited to compete in the BSS finale in October on the streets of Baku in Azerbaijan.

The teams running the cars will be offered the same financial and logistical support to attend as European entrants.

The top three in this year's Blancpain GT Series, which incorporates the BSS and the Blancpain Endurance Series, will then be offered the chance to race in a PWC event in 2016.

Cars in the two Blancpain series and the PWC run on the same Pirelli tyres, while the two series also collaborate on the Balance of Performance that is central to the GT3 category.

REMEMBER WHEN...
... Stephane Ratel last took one of his series to the US?

The FIA GT Championship calendar included poorly-supported rounds at Homestead and Watkins Glen at the end of 1999, the year before the relaunch of the series under the SuperRacing Weekend format.