ANDY PRIAULX is to drive for BMW in the prestigious Proximus 24 Hours of Spa race. The Guernseyman, who drives for the manufacturer in the European Touring Car Championship, will be manning the number 43 BMW M3 GTR along with Pedro Lamy and Antonio Garcia,, with Kurt Mollekens as back-up for the team.

At the same event on 31 July-1 August in Belgium, the number 42 sister car will be shared by Dirk Muller, Jorg Muller and Hans-Joachim Stuck.

It will be Priaulx’s first endurance event of this kind for BMW Motorsport but he has had experience of long-distance events having raced for the Kmart Racing Team at the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 in Australia.

The Sarnian has already taken the 500bhp GT coupe out for a test drive at Spa during the Belcar Series at the weekend. He, Lamy and Mollekens were classified third overall in the four-hour Euro Race.

Priaulx preparations for the Spa 24-hour race have also been helped by his RBM team running a second car in the ETCC for Mollekens, a previous winner of the endurance event.

‘I am especially looking forward to talking about Spa with himﾅ I can’t wait for that race,’ said Priaulx.