SPS Automotive confirms drivers for Endurance Cup effort with Mercedes-AMG

SPS Automotive confirms drivers for Endurance Cup effort with Mercedes-AMG

SPS Automotive has confirmed two cars featuring five drivers for the 2020 GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS season. 

The programme will see the German squad contest its first full campaign in the series, having made a one-off appearance at the Circuit Paul Ricard 1000kms in 2016. 

SPS will field a pair of Mercedes-AMG GT3 entries this season. The #44 car will contest the full Endurance Cup campaign with a trio of experienced gentlemen drivers, while the squad's #20 machine will run in the Pro-Am class at selected long-distance rounds.

The Am Cup entry will feature an all-German line-up, with Christian Hook, Manuel Lauck and Florian Scholze sharing the #44 Mercedes-AMG. Hook and Lauck both switch from Rinaldi Racing, where they formed part of the Am Cup-winning crew at last year's Total 24 Hours of Spa. 

Hook has competed in GT3 racing since 2016 and ran the full Endurance Cup schedule for the first time last term. Lauck, meanwhile, has competed extensively for more than 15 years, including spells in FIA GT1 and Lamborghini Super Trofeo. 

Their line-up will be completed by Scholze, who made his Endurance Cup debut in 2018 and last year clinched the Sprint Cup title in the Am class. 

The Pro-Am car will see 2016 Blancpain GT Series champion Dominik Baumann competing alongside accomplished gentleman driver Valentin Pierburg. The latter won last year's GT Open Pro-Am title with SPS and now makes the step up to GT World Challenge Europe competition. 

The squad will be present with its Mercedes-AMG entries at next week's GT World Challenge Europe test days at Circuit Paul Ricard (12-13 March), while the season-opening race takes place at Monza on 17-19 April.