The ESET Cup, featuring both sprint and endurance races, will offer a diverse lineup across five Gran Turismo vehicle categories from GT3 to GT4, GTC, GTC1, and GTX in its seven-part 2024 season calendar. The newly constructed Balaton Park circuit will host the initial assessment of form and readiness.
This upcoming weekend, drivers will gather at a track unfamiliar to most of them. One of the few exceptions is the Slovak team ARC Bratislava, led by Miro Konôpka, who participated in a non-championship race there with an LMP2 prototype last October. This season, however, he will be competing with his Lamborghini Huracán GT3.
In the GT3 category, the field includes Gregor Zsigo with the BMW M6 GT3 from Racing Trevor. Duck Racing with driver Martin Hudec and the Audi R8 LMS ultra will join in the second event at the Red Bull Ring. The top GT3 class will have also the Polish team PTT Racing with a Mercedes AMG GT3, driven by Martin Kaczmarski.
“We really like this series. Although we didn’t participate last season because our drivers wanted to try other championships, we are returning this year with enthusiasm,” says team manager Marcin Kraczkowski. “As a second car, we will field a Porsche 992 GT3 Cup in the GTC category, driven by Hubert Darmetko. The year 2024 marks his debut season, but he already made a great impression during the GT Winter Series, finishing third overall in his category,” adds Kraczkowski.
The biggest competitors for the Polish driver Darmetko will be a trio of Lamborghini Super Trofeos. Andrej Lah and Matej Košić will race for Lema Racing. Dennis Waszek will once again be seen in the red and white Lamborghini of the GT2 team, and Libor Dvořáček will compete for Mičánek Motorsport.
Competing with older Porsche 911 Cup models under the new GTC1 classification are teams GT Sports Technology (Petr Brecka), Šenkýř Motorsport (Radek Kolařík), Kogelbauer Motorsport (Franz Lahmer, Bob Bau, Richard Woschitz), and ARC Bratislava with Adam Konôpka, who has switched from Renault Clio to Porsche 911.
In the GTX category, a varied field ranges from the KTM GTX of Orlen Janík Motorsport for Petr Koukola, additional Lamborghinis of Mičánek Motorsport, to a Lotus Exige V6 Cup, which will showcase former Octavia Cup champion Gábor Tim.
“The GFS Racing team has been developing the Lotus throughout the winter, and further modifications are currently underway. The reason is that the car was not originally designed for slick tires. Slicks will significantly increase cornering speeds, so I’ll also be faster on the straights, with shorter braking distances. These changes require modifications to the car, including stronger brakes, a more rigid suspension, and a more stable oil system. In my opinion, the car will be close to GT4 vehicles, but this will be evident during the first practice session,” explains Tim.
In the GT4 category, Mercedes AMG and BMW M4 GT4 cars will compete for the overall championship. The three-pointed star is represented by Mark Kastelic and Andrej Makarovič from Lema Racing, while the Bavarian brand is defended by Rudolf Beňo from Šenkýř Motorsport and last year’s champion of this category, Antal Zsigo from Racing Trevor.
A similar lineup will also be seen in the endurance race. Martin Kaczmarski in the Mercedes AMG GT3 will be alternated with Mateusz Lisowski. The endurance race for Mičánek Motorsport will be completed in Lamborghinis by Josef Záruba and Jakub Knoll. Viktor Mráz and last year’s TCR Eastern Europe champion Matěj Homola will drive for Carlin Racing’s KTM GTX team. With a Renault Clio, Igor Tomljanovic will undertake the endurance challenge.