(PRESS RELEASE) Former Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona class winner, Nick Boulle of de Boulle Diamond & Jewelry, has been confirmed as part of Rinaldi Racing’s lineup in their #488 Ferrari GT3 race car.
Boulle will join season long lineup of drivers Rick Yoon, Pierre Ehret, and Murad Sultanov. The 24-hour endurance race is part of the SRO Blancpain Endurance Cup that features four classes – Pro, Pro-Am, Am and National Cup. The #488 will enter the AM Category where a trio of Bronze-rated drivers is allowed to select one Silver driver who can do a maximum of 6 hours during the 24-hour race- Boulle will fill this role.
Coming off an 8th place finish in class at the Le Mans 24 Hour, Boulle joined Rinaldi racing and his co-drivers for the Spa 24 Hour test day.
Speaking at the test, Boulle commented, “My time at the official test was primarily spent getting acquainted with the car as it is a big change from all of my prototype driving experience. We worked on setup and I enjoyed adjusting the car to suit my style, but I left with a lot of data in terms of how I need to adapt to get the maximum from the car.”
The race will take place at the Spa Francorchamps Circuit near Spa, Belgium which is known for its blindingly fast uphill first corner complex called “Eau Rouge.” Eau Rouge sees drivers take it flat out in 5th gear before a long straight and a hill so steep that it makes the exit blind and the car get light as drivers crest the Raidillon – the final portion of the complex. The circuit itself is known as the world’s ultimate driving track and is between two hills in the beautiful Belgian countryside.
Advertisement
Adding excitement and history to the weekend is the fact that the team utilizes a stunning bright green Ferrari 488 GT3 race car. The car itself weighs 2,750 pounds, and it has the ~600 horsepower bi-turbo Ferrari 488’s V-8 engine paired with an upgraded racing gearbox. Paired with vastly upgraded aerodynamic carbon-fiber bodywork the car is astoundingly quick around the high stakes 7-kilometer racing circuit.
The Total 24 Hours of Spa will mark de Boulle Motorsport’s first entry in professional motorsports in the growing GT3 category. The Spa 24 Hours is in fact known as the largest GT3 race in the world. This year, the race will feature 68 entries very strong entries from manufacturers including: Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Audi, Mercedes and BMW.
The 70th edition of the Total 24 Hours of Spa will take place with testing starting on July 26th and the race itself starting on July 28th and finishing on July 29th.
Advertisement
