ST Racing will make a return to European endurance racing competition at next month’s 24H BARCELONA, with IndyCar star Pippa Mann and GT4 up-and-comer Fabian Duffieux alongside Samantha Tan, Neil Verhagen and Jon Miller at the 25th edition of the 24H BARCELONA.

 

ST Racing contested its first full endurance racing program in the 24H SERIES in 2021, securing both the Overall GT Teams’ championship and the Overall GT Drivers’ titles. The team will contest the 24H BARCELONA for a third time, aiming to defend their 2021 GT4 class victory with two newcomers to the driver line-up.

 

Team co-owner Samantha Tan and BMW works driver Neil Verhagen, who currently lead the PRO/AM standings in the GT World Challenge America, will continue their partnership in Barcelona alongside ST Racing staple, Jon Miller.

 

Samantha Tan, team co-owner / driver: “We’re very excited to return to the 24H BARCELONA with such a strong and diverse driver lineup. It’s always a thrill to compete at such a historic event, and having Pippa and Fabian join our team brings an exciting new dynamic. We will be racing with the new G82 BMW M4 GT4, and we’re eager to build on the successes we’ve had here in the past. The 24-hour race is one of the most challenging formats in motorsport, but I’m confident in our team’s ability to rise to the occasion and fight for a strong result.”

 

Kenneth Tan, team co-owner: “We are excited to be back racing with Creventic and at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, one of our favourite destination race tracks in the world. I come to Catalunya about four times a year and have many friends in the area so its always a fun time here. We have also raced well at this circuit over the years. I remember the last time we were here for the 24 hour in 2022 our BMW M4 GT3 was leading the race by a lap before an unfortunate engine failure caused us to retire at the 14th hour. We are therefore very motivated to race here once more and get back into 24-hour racing, which I find a lot more fun with all the challenging strategies and calls. Makes for a very interesting and exciting race where we have excelled in the past. On top of that, we have always enjoyed our time racing with Creventic over the years with the atmosphere being so family-oriented and the officiating consistently fair and logical. So yah, we can’t wait. Vamonos!”

 

Jon Miller, STR38 Motorsport team manager / driver: “The Barcelona 24 hour is one of our team’s favorite events. We’ve had success here in the past and are looking forward to returning with a strong group of drivers for our GT4 entry in 2024. Adding Pippa and Fabian to our lineup positions us with an experienced and formidable crew who all know how to win races.”

 

Pippa Mann and Fabian Duffieux are set to make their debuts with ST Racing in Barcelona.

 

Pippa, a former racer winner in Indy NXT is best known in America for her 7 starts at the Indy 500 from 2011-2019, where she became the 8th female driver (of 9 to date) to qualify for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Since then she has competed in a variety of sports car events and series across North America and Europe, including the Indy 8 Hour in a GT4 car, Pro Am podiums in Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, and a win in the SP8T GT4 class at the grueling Nurburgring 24 hour race. In 2023 she set the fastest lap in the class, and in 2024 she and her team-mates returned to the podium for the 4th time.

 

GT racing newcomer Fabian Duffieux completes the line-up. After whetting his racing whistle in the UAE’s Procar Championship in late 2021, this Belgian-born, Dubai-based athlete has gone on to race in the GT4 European Series. Like Samantha and Jon, Fabian is also a former 24H SERIES champion, having secured GT4 Drivers’ honours (also aboard a BMW M4 GT4) in the Dutch promotion’s 2023-2024 Middle East Championship.

 

Fabian Duffieux, driver: “I'm thrilled and excited to join ST Racing for the 24 Hours of Barcelona. It's an incredible opportunity to be part of such a dedicated and talented team, and I'm looking forward to giving my all on the track. Together, I believe we have the potential to achieve great things in this iconic endurance race.”

 

Pippa Mann, driver: “I’ve been following Sam’s career, and the STR team she has built from afar for years, and I met Sam briefly on the grid at the Nurburgring 24 hour race a couple of years ago, so I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to join her team for the upcoming Barcelona 24 hour race this September. The BMW M4 GT4 platform is one I’m familiar with from racing at the Nordschleife with the Girls Only team, and I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to work with them as we try to defend their race win from 2021.”

 

Following its championship success in the 24H SERIES in 2021, ST Racing started its first campaign with BMW’s M4 GT3 at the 24H DUBAI in 2022. ST Racing took victory with the BMW at Mugello – marking the first overall series win for the Bavarian brand in more than a decade –and marking the first global victory for the BMW M4 GT3.

 

Following the 24H BARCELONA on 13-14-15 September, ST Racing brings its GTWC America season to a close at the Indianapolis 8 Hours on 4-5-6 October.