The GTC Endurance Challenge continues to attract new protagonists, confirming itself as an increasingly appealing platform for teams and manufacturers. At the Slovakiaring, it was Racing Animals by GT-Sports’ turn to make its absolute debut in the series promoted by RIZA International, immediately making an impact by securing third place in the AM category with the duo of Serhii Volobuiev and Ivan Yeremenko.
The result carries even greater significance when considering the team’s growth path. Over the years, the squad has built a more structured project within the GT racing scene, progressively expanding its sporting programme and strengthening its technical expertise. Although the team had already contested an endurance race at the Slovakiaring in 2025, its debut in the GTC Endurance Challenge represented a completely different challenge due to the switch to the Audi R8 LMS GT4, which required a rapid adaptation to a car with greater power and a radically different driving dynamic compared to the one used in its previous outing. A learning process that was successfully completed, as shown by the podium finish already achieved in its first appearance in the RIZA International-promoted series.
Racing Animals’ presence also marked a historic moment for the championship, bringing the first Audi R8 LMS GT4 to the new endurance series. The arrival of the Four Rings brand further broadens the technical diversity of the grid, which has already seen Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, Aston Martin, Alpine and BMW cars take to the track, bringing the total number of manufacturers represented in the GTC Endurance Challenge to six. This is yet another sign of the project’s growing credibility and its ability to attract an increasing number of prestigious brands.
On the sporting side, the Ukrainian pairing made its mark from the very start of the weekend. At the start of Stage 1, Serhii Volobuiev took the wheel of the Audi, maintaining the AM class lead in the opening phases of the race and showing excellent pace. Ivan Yeremenko then completed the final stint, helping to turn a highly positive debut into a podium finish already in Racing Animals’ first appearance in the GTC Endurance Challenge.
The GTC Endurance Challenge is now set to return to action after the summer break with the third round of the season, scheduled for 27 September at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia.
