GT Open

Official GT Open 2008 season preview

© International GT Open

The long wait is coming to an end: next week-end, the Vallelunga circuit, nested in the hills surrounding Rome, will host the season-opener of the third edition of the International GT Open, the continental series that is attracting more and more attention in the GT scene.

For Jesús Pareja, the organizer of the GT Open, “the objective in 2008 is to continue building-up on the success we have enjoyed so far and consolidate ourselves as the real show-case for GT2 and GT3. while keeping the same focus: to offer the best value on investment for teams, their sponsors and their drivers, and maintain costs under control”.

This successful approach remains therefore unchanged for 2008, a season that will see few modifications to the principles underlying the series. The most notable are the following:

• The number of categories is brought down to two, with the merging of the former GTB (mainly, GTs coming from mono-brand cups and trophies) into the GTS class (equivalent to GT3), alongside the GTA (GT2) class;
• The reduction of the time handicaps for the GTA class (now 15, 10 and 5 seconds for the first three of each race) in order to influence less the fight at the top of the field;
• The inclusion in the calendar of an eighth event and of a landmark venue such as Spa-Francorchamps.

The International GT Open retains its format of two races per event: a ‘Pro-Am’ race of 65 minutes on Saturdays and a ‘GT Open’ race of 45minutes on Sundays, while TV coverage has been expanded through new agreements in key markets, alongside the usual broadcast service provided by the Eurosport network. The series will continue to pair with the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) in 4 events (Valencia, Estoril, Oschersleben and Monza).

This said, 2008 promises to be another exciting season on the track. As in previous years, the expected average of entries per event should be somewhere around 35 cars, with peaks well over that number in some events, while the level of participants, both in terms of teams and drivers, continues to increase. In the GTA category, everything seems set for a new, thrilling duel between Ferrari and Porsche (which took the title last year with the Autorlando’s 997 RSR driven by Richard Lietz and Joel Camathias), while the GTS category will see great technical variety and a quite open battle between the various Viper, Corvette, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche.

All you need to know about the 2008 GT Open in a nutshell:

2008 Calendar
19-20 April Vallelunga (Italy)
17-18 May Valencia (Spain)
31 May- 1 June Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium)
12-13 July Estoril (Portugal)
30-31 August Oschersleben (Germany) *
20-21 September Magny-Cours (France)
4-5 October Monza (Italy)
1-2 November Barcelona (Spain)
* To be confirmed + Only GTA.

Race format:
Two races per event, with flying start (unless otherwise decided).
‘Pro-Am’ race on Saturday (of max. 65 minutes).
‘GT Open’ race on Sunday (of max. 45 minutes).
The last event is a single 2-hours race giving double points.

Drivers:
Both professional and amateur drivers can compete. Drivers must have qualified to be able to participate in the races. Two drivers are entered per car and a driver change is compulsory at half-race approximately, with an imposed pit stop of minimum 1 minute.

Handicap system:
The handicap system is based on time. The “penalty” is added up to the compulsory time the car has to spend in the pit lane at the moment of the driver change.

The handicap applies to the three first classified in the previous race and consists in 15, 10 and 5 seconds in the GTA class and 20, 15 and 10 seconds in the GTS class respectively. The handicaps are cumulative up to a maximum of 30 (GTA) and 45 (GTS) seconds. They are withdrawn whenever the car ends a race below the third position (highest handicap is the first to be dropped).

Scoring system:
Are established a title for drivers, two category cups (GTA, GTS), also for drivers, and a Teams cup.

Drivers score and sum up points individually, awarded to the first nine positions according to the scale: 12-10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1. The endurance race (in Barcelona) gives double points (positions at mid-race and final).

Additional points are awarded to the five first positions by category (GTA and GTS), according to the scale 10-8-6-4-3, which is also used for the class and Teams cups.

Eligible Cars:
As stated in its name itself, the International GT Open aims at being open to most of GT cars, to ensure the greatest variety possible of makes and models.

Are admitted to the International GT Open:
• Vehicles complying with the FIA Grand Touring car definition;
• Homologated vehicles of group GT2 FIA/ACO
• GT vehicles complying with the GT2 FIA/ACO rules except for the provision on minimum of units produced
• Vehicles of group GT3 FIA homologated by the FIA and other GT cars that may be accepted in this category.

Categories:
GTA: Open to all vehicles homologated by FIA as GT2, vehicles complying with GT2 rules of the ACO and vehicles not homologated by the FIA but complying with GT2 FIA rules with the exception of the provision on minimum number of units produced. All of them will have to comply with the 2006 restrictor and weight tables of the FIA.

GTS: Open to all cars complying with the FIA GT car definition and the GT3 Technical Regulations of the FIA; the Organizing Committee of the GT Open retains the right to decide on corrective measures to ensure a balance in performances.

Tyres:
Mono-brand competition. Each car will have 3 sets of tyres for the week-end.

(GT Open)