SRO announces new Asia-Pacific GT series

A new Asia-Pacific series will join an otherwise largely unchanged package of GT-based championships organized by SRO in 2018.

The new Asia Pacific 36 series will bring together the Sepang 12 Hour, the Bathurst 12 Hour (which is also the opening round of the International GT Challenge) and the Hampton Downs 12 Hour in New Zealand. Sepang's place as the Asian round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge calendar will be filled by the Suzuka 10 Hours.

Elsewhere, the existing formula of 10 races - five in the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup and five in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup - will be maintained in 2018, with only minor changes to the existing calendar. Zolder will swap dates with Misano, to become the season opener.

Further evolutions include an increased focus on the Pro-Am category, to preserve the status of the amateur driver as the backbone of the series, and increased prize money. On the sporting side, GPS positioning of the cars will be introduced.

The highlight of the 2018 Blancpain GT Series season will be the Total 24 Hours of Spa, which celebrates its 70th edition next year. The endurance classic is also included in the third season of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.

The Blancpain GT Series Asia will continue with a similar calendar in 2018, but there will also be a stand-alone GT4 Series that will race together with the GT3 cars in Fuji and Suzuka.

The traditional GT4 European Series will have all six events on F1 circuits during the Blancpain GT Series weekends, and will sometimes be mixed with regional Cup grids. It will be the only GT4 Series allowing a Silver class.

"I am delighted to confirm that all the series organized by the SRO Motorsports Group show a clean bill of health," said SRO founder and CEO Stephane Ratel (pictured).

"Not only do teams and drivers want to be part of modern GT racing, but an ever increasing number of race fans thoroughly appreciate the spectacle that is on offer. As the SRO Motorsports Group, we will do our utmost best to provide them with the best GT racing in the world for years to come."