Buggyra ZM Racing to start European races of the 24H Endurance Series in Mugello
· Team to keep successful driver line-up of Aliyyah Koloc, David Vršecký, and Adam Lacko
· Yasmeen Koloc to be reserve driver after long-term injury
After a sensational GT4 victory in the Abu Dhabi 6 Hours in January, the Buggyra ZM Racing team will begin their European series of the 24H Series GT endurance races in Mugello this weekend. Aliyyah Koloc, David Vršecký, and Adam Lacko will again line up in a Mercedes-AMG GT4. Aliyyah's twin sister, Yasmeen Koloc, is set to be the team’s reserve driver.
"Winning in Abu Dhabi was a great result but we are staying grounded. We are still learning in the endurance world. We're definitely not going to Mugello thinking we're only taking wins. We have strong competition from teams in the Czech Republic that have much more experience in endurance racing. And in our experience that will be the main asset for us in this year's 24H Series," said Buggyra's head of communications Jan Kalivoda.
Earlier this month, David Vršecký, Adam Lacko, and Yasmeen Koloc took part in a private test at the Most circuit, where both Mercedes-AMG GT4 cars took to the track. Adam Lacko tried to get as many test kilometres as possible under his belt as he also drove the car for the first time in the wet," explains David Vršecký, who has the double-role of driver and designer for Buggyra
Yasmeen Koloc was back behind the wheel of the GT car ten months after her crash at the 12h of Spa-Francorchamps last year when she injured her wrist. "Yasmeen did a great job," praised Vršecký.
For Yasmeen Koloc, it was very important to get back behind the wheel of a race car. „I feel very good. My wrist is still not 100 percent but I hope to get it back in shape soon so I can race this year. I was very nervous before I got in the car as I haven't driven a race car for quite some time now. But after the first lap I felt comfortable and enjoyed the drive," said the 18-year-old driver.
"I’m really excited to drive at Mugello for the first time. It is another iconic track with a lot of history. I practised it on the simulator and it is a nice a track with a lot of fast corners. I am curious to see how steep the up and down hills will be in real life," said Aliyyah Koloc about the next new track.
"Mugello will be important for us to gain experience. Neither Aliyyah nor I have driven here before. Every track has a different tarmac which has a big effect on the tyres. Strategy and managing your stint is also important.I also like the challenge of learning and improving on new tracks, " said David Vršecký.
Adam Lacko drove GT races earlier in his career but he explains: "This is completely different to the GT1. Mercedes GT4 is a great car. We are well prepared for Mugello. The team is great. David and me have been working together for a long time with, so we know each other well. And Aliyyah made her debuts in truck with me."
The 24H Series is a prestigious endurance championship with huge numbers of fans around the world. Races range from six to 24 hours and feature GT3 or GT4 sports cars, Cup Porsches and TCR specification touring cars. The European leg of the championship comprises five races. Coming up is Mugello, Italy, where two six-hour races will be run on Saturday and Sunday respectively to form a total of 12 hours.
