K-PAX Racing is set for the next round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Endurance Cup, which takes place at Circuit Paul Ricard in the south of France this weekend (June 2-4).

The race is a key milestone on the Fanatec GT Europe calendar, with a race length of six hours starting at 6pm local time, meaning the contest runs into the dark of night – the perfect preparation for the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa at the end of June.

K-PAX Racing comes into the meeting on the back of impressive speed in the opening round at Monza in April, when a mechanical failure in the final stages of the race caused retirement when running in fourth position, as well as being the fastest car on track at that point.

The team has just completed two days of testing at Spa-Francorchamps with its Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 in the hands of Lamborghini Squadra Corse Pro drivers Franck Perera, Marco Mapelli, and Sandy Mitchell, and hopes are high for a podium finish in France.

The 5.791 km (3.598 mi) Circuit Paul Ricard was built in 1969 and has hosted the French Grand Prix 24 times. The track is famous for its 1.8 km (1.1 mi) Mistral Straight – used in full by the Fanatec GT Europe series – with a high-speed right hander named Signes at the end testing drivers’ ability and bravery.

Track action gets underway for K-PAX Racing on Friday, June 2nd, with free practice and pre-qualifying at 14:30 CEST (05:40 PDT) and 19:40 CEST (10:40 PDT). The following day features qualifying at 11:05 (03:05), with the race itself starting at 18:00 (09:00).

Sandy Mitchell

“We put on a really strong performance at Monza, and it was just a shame that we weren’t standing on the podium, which we deserved. It has given the team and us drivers a lot of confidence that as a package, we know we can do a good job.

“Paul Ricard is a race that I really enjoy as I’ve been on the podium there a couple of times before in other classes. It’s a unique race, with it being six hours and going into the night, which is something that I think everyone enjoys. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do. I quite like the low sun and taking the car into the dark, as it’s always a bit more challenging in the dark, no matter what track you’re at.”

Marco Mapelli

“We are looking forward to having a strong weekend at Paul Ricard, to show that we can remain at the front of the field like we did at Monza and run in top five. Having our chances to at least try to win the race or finish on the podium will be a good reward for the effort the team is making, right from the USA to those based in Italy. We have always finished on the podium, so I hope we can repeat that this year. The Lamborghini usually does well there, so I hope we can deliver as good a performance as we expect.”

Franck Perera

“It’s been I think two or three years since I raced at Paul Ricard and after the strong start we had in Monza I’m looking forward to this race. We are continuing our work and our preparations to get the best result, and everything is looking good so far. You finish the race in the dark which is a nice change – though it is not as dark as Spa – and there will be a lot of fans coming, so it is nice to race in such a high-quality championship.”