Euro action beckons for Sandy Mitchell in what’s shaping up to be a busy 2022 for the Angus endurance ace.
The Forfar 22-year-old is making a return to the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Championship this season, contesting the ultra-competitive Gold Cup class.
Lamborghini factory driver Mitchell will contest the ultra-competitive Gold category in a Barwell Motorsport-prepared Huracan Evo GT3.
The five-round championship visits Europe’s iconic circuits.
Bid to regain British GT crown
And he will dovetail the GTWCE series assault with a bid to win the British GT Championship for a second time.
“It’s fantastic to be back racing at some of the leading circuits in Europe,” said Mitchell.
He will partner Englishman Alex MacDowall and Swiss racer Adrian Amstutz in the #77 Huracan Evo GT3.
And Mitchell will be reunited with former BTCC ace Rob Collard — who partnered the young Scot to their British GT title two years ago — when the English veteran stands in for Amstutz at the Imola season opener.
“GTWCE is the championship in which I started my Lamborghini Junior career, so it has special memories for me,” said the former Dundee High School pupil.
“Racing in Europe is a different demand to competing in the UK.
“But both are at the very highest level of GT racing and it’s great that I’m extending my 2022 racing programme with Lamborghini and Barwell.”
He’s personally backed by Huntly-based Black Bull Scotch Whisky.
And he’s already tasted transatlantic action this year in the gruelling Daytona 24 Hours.
Exciting grids
“The British GT and GT World Challenge Europe championships have probably two of the strongest Pro-Am grids you’ll see in Europe this year,” said Mitchell.
“I’m looking forward to competing with Adrian and Alex.
“I’ve not raced in the same car with them before, but I’ve worked in the same team on a number of occasions over multiple years when they’ve been in the sister car at Barwell.
“They are two guys I know quite well and I think the three of us will get on well as a team.
“I think we all have good speed for our driver categorisations, so it should make it exciting.
“And teaming up again with Rob will be really good.”
New format
“We’re racing in the Gold Cup class, which is new for 2022,” he added.
“It comprises me as the Gold driver, plus a Silver driver and a Bronze driver. It’ll be really interesting and something a bit different.
“Barwell is running two cars in the class, so it should be exciting and something new for us all.
“Given the strength of our Lamborghini Evo and the experience of Barwell, I see no reason why we can’t be in the mix battling for the championship right from the start of the season.”
The series gets underway with a three-hour race at Imola in Italy on April 3.
It is followed by the Paul Ricard 1000Km in the South of France on June 5.
The series’ blue riband event, the Spa 24Hrs at Belgium’s iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit on July 30-31.
Mitchell is already a two-time Spa 24 class winner.
And the season finishes with two three-hour races, at Hockenheim in Germany on September 4 before Barcelona on October 2.
