KTM man Miguel Oliveira will become the latest MotoGP rider to dip his toe in the world of four-wheeled endurance racing as he tackles the Barcelona 24 Hours.
The three-time MotoGP race winner – who coincidentally won this year’s edition of the Barcelona-based Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix – will partner Reinhard Kofler, Peter Kox and Ferdinand Stuck in the race.
He will drive a KTM X-Bow GTX with customer team True Racing, run by KTM board member Hubert Trunkenpolz, who will also be on the grid.
“Motorcycle racing has been part of almost my entire life, but my career began in the Portuguese karting championship, which is why I am so keen to race four wheels. There was absolutely no hesitation on my part when Mr Trunkenpolz invited me,” Oliveira said.
The 24-hour Barcelona race, which will take place on September 4-5, is part of 24H Series endurance championship.
Three-time MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo drove a Seat Leon in the 2011 edition of the Barcelona race, finishing fifth overall and topping the A3T class for compact turbo-powered cars. He would also later tackle the Gulf 12 Hours GT3 race in Abu Dhabi – an event in which his arch-rival Valentino Rossi, who looks set for an endurance racing future after announcing his MotoGP retirement, has been a regular as of late.
