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Local professional driver James Walker will make his European racing return this weekend when he competes in the Michelin Le Mans Cup at the world famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.
Having previously raced at Spa-Francorchamps in British F3, the sportscar star is confident of challenging for victory on the track in the UK-based Steller Motorsport team.
He will be behind the wheel of an Audi R8 GT3 LMS EVO II in round four of the Michelin cup this Saturday 24 August with teammate Andrew Bentley.
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The racing grid will feature 42 cars this season, divided into two classes: LMP3 and GT3, the latter of which Walker will compete in. The eligible car list in that category extends to every constructor which has an approved FIA GT3 chassis, including Aston Martin Vantage, Honda NSX, Audi R8 LMS EVO II, Ferrari 296, Porsche 911 GT3 R Type 992 and Lamborghini Huracan EVO2.
Although Walker took a step back from racing for a number of years, his prior success shows his driving calibre.
Of note, he won the European Le Mans Series in 2012 racing a Ferrari 458 Italia GTC and also competed in the famous 24 hrs Le Mans with co-drivers Jonny Cocker and Roger Wills the year after.
A season in the FIA World Endurance Championship was followed by another in the European Le Mans before he moved back to Jersey with his young family. With the children now a little older, he is getting back in the racing seat.
Having already won at Spa-Francorchamps in World Series by Renault and challenged there again with Ferrari in the European Le Mans series, Walker is no stranger to the fast and challenging circuit.
Speaking about his upcoming return this weekend, he said: “To have the opportunity of returning to a top tier European championship with a team like Steller Motorsport is an absolute privilege.
"I was fortunate enough to have tested the Audi GT3 earlier in the year around the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit, which went really well. I was really impressed with the operation of the team and the level of commitment from every single team member. Following that test, conversations and discussions continued, resulting in a plan being put in place for my return to racing.
"Spa-Francorchamps is up there with the fastest and most challenging race circuits in the world, which is why it’s probably top of my list. Having won there before, I really do think we go there as a team with a chance of victory.”
Managing Director of Steller Motorsport, Gary Blackham added: "It’s great to have James joining us in our Audi GT3 car at the Spa Francorchamps round of Michelin Le Mans Cup.
"James has already been testing in the car at Silverstone and, despite having been out of race cars for a few years, was up to front-running pace in no time and providing superb, consistent feedback to the engineering team.
"We believe his natural talent and raw pace will allow him to battle against the fastest drivers, whilst his wealth of experience will aid him in coaching his amateur teammate to become a pro-am pairing that is in contention for a strong result at the fearsome Belgian circuit.
Live streaming of qualifying and the full race will be available for free to view on the official MLMC website.
The race is also available online on Eurovision Sport and live coverage can be found on Motorvision (Pan Europe) and Shift TV (Pan Balkan).
You can also follow Walker's progress throughout this weekend by following him on Steller Sport's Instagram
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