Masters Sports-Prototypes Series Information

Historic motor racing organiser Masters Historic Racing confirmed details of its series of races for Group C/GTP/IMSA sports cars.

To be known as Masters Sports-Prototypes, the name echoes the World Sports-Prototype Championship tag for which these cars ran in during the 1980s and early 1990s. Group C was a key period in the evolution of international sports car racing, technology from which has become commonplace in road cars.

Masters Sports-Prototypes will have a calendar of races at key venues and will run with a 20-30 minute sprint race and a 40–60 minute pit stop race at each circuit. Races will be designed to allow competitors to run without the need and costs of refuelling and drivers will be able to benefit from Masters’ hospitality and customer-focused paddock atmosphere.

In addition, Masters has appointed experienced Group C authority Sean Roberts as the Series Coordinator. Sean brings a wealth of knowledge on the cars and teams having created the Rothmans Porsche team in the 1980s in addition to a 13-year association with sports car teams and the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Races will be run for the Masters Sports-Prototypes within Masters Events at the Barcelona GP Circuit (April 8-10), Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit (May 29-30), GP Historico do Porto (June 17-19), Donington Park (September 2-4) and one further mainland Europe date which will be announced soon.

Sean Roberts said: “I very pleased with the positive response that we have had so far from competitors with appropriate sports-prototypes such as Group C, IMSA and GTP cars and others and also from existing historic racers who are sourcing and preparing such cars to race in Masters Sports-Prototypes. We can offer Masters Sports-Prototype drivers a great racing calendar at historic events for 2011 within the camaraderie of the established Masters paddock, as well as the added bonus of the Masters hospitality at each event. Two of our races will be at current Grand Prix circuits, two more have hosted Grands Prix and the Boavista circuit in Porto will certainly give these cars a chance to show themselves to the 100,000 crowd that the event attracts! We look forward to a successful season and a successful launch at the Catalan Classic in Barcelona in April.”

For more information, visit www.themastersseries.com.

[Source: Masters Historic Racing; photo credit: Marcel Hundscheid]