Dramatic build up to Spa 24 Hour for Supercars drivers

Chaz Mostert’s Mercedes-AMG entry into the Spa 24 Hour race in Belgium will return for warm up, after a new car was flown in from Germany following a major crash that left two-time Bathurst 12 Hour winner Kenny Habul hospitalised.

Habul has withdrawn from this year’s CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa following an accident in Thursday’s Pre-Qualifying session.

The Intercontinental GT Challenge championship leader was taken to hospital for X-rays and CT scans after extricating himself from SunEnergy1 Racing’s Mercedes-AMG, which came to a halt on the exit of Raidillon.

The US-based Australian was in visible discomfort after the accident, which also forced the team to change chassis ahead of Saturday’s race. 

The new car was prepared by HRT – which is running SunEnergy1’s entry this weekend – at its Nurburgring workshop just across the border in Germany. 

The car failed to contest qualifying and will start the race from pit lane as a result of the chassis and engine switch.

It was a dramatic few hours, Aussie Liam Talbot was named to replace Habul in the race alongside Mostert, three-time 12 Hour winner Jules Gounon, but the team announced another replacement in Adam Osieka just hours ago.

Meantime Aussie entries Grove Racing, that includes Shell V-Power ace Anton De Pasquale and Stephen and Brenton Grove – owners of the Penrite Racing Ford squad in the Supercars Championship – will start from 17th in the race.

The fourth driver in their crew, former Triple Eight co-driver Earl Bamber put in a scintillating lap after sneaking into the Superpole round by less than a 10th of a second a day earlier.

His Superpole lap was good enough for 17th which is where the Grove Porsche will start from for the 24 hour race.

West Aussie Jordan Love will drive for the Haupt Racing Team in a Bronze Cup entry, while Aussies Alex Peroni, Ricky Capo and Calan Williams also feature on track in the famous race which can be seen on YouTube in Australia.