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| Boutsen Ginion Racing | |
|---|---|
| Name | Boutsen Ginion Racing |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Base | Belgium |
| Principal | Olivier Lainé |
| Drivers | Thierry Boutsen, Enzo Boutsen, Anthony Kumpen |
| Series | FIA World Endurance Championship, GT World Challenge Europe, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series |
Boutsen Ginion Racing is a Belgian auto racing team competing in international sportscar, GT and touring car championships. Founded by the collaboration of former Formula One driver Thierry Boutsen and Belgian motorsport entrepreneur Olivier Lainé, the team fields entries across multiple categories including endurance events, sprint cups and stock-car style series. Boutsen Ginion Racing has become notable for links to prominent drivers, technical partnerships and appearances at venues such as Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Circuit Zolder and Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Boutsen Ginion Racing traces origins to a collaboration between Thierry Boutsen—a winner of 1989 Belgian Grand Prix and 1989 Detroit Grand Prix with Williams-Renault—and Olivier Lainé, whose background includes work with Belgian teams at 24 Hours of Le Mans support events. The organization evolved from national GT campaigns into international programs, entering championships governed by bodies like the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile and the SRO Motorsports Group. Early involvement included appearances at the Blancpain GT Series and national GT cups, before expansion into FIA World Endurance Championship support races and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. Strategic driver recruitments connected the team to families and figures such as the Boutsen and Kumpen racing circles, establishing ties with circuits across Europe and events like the 24H Series.
The team has campaigned in multiple series: GT3 and GT4 classes within the GT World Challenge Europe, endurance rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship support categories, sprint and endurance cups promoted by the SRO Motorsports Group, and stock-car competition in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. Boutsen Ginion Racing also took part in one-make and historic events related to Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux and national touring car competitions at Spa-Francorchamps and Zolder. The diversification enabled entries at marquee events such as the 24 Hours of Spa, Total 24 Hours of Spa weekend support races, and regional series promoted by Creventic.
The team has fielded and developed drivers with connections to international motorsport institutions. Notable names include former Formula One race winner Thierry Boutsen in ambassadorial roles, racer and businessman Anthony Kumpen—a competitor with history in NASCAR and 24 Hours of Zolder—and younger talents such as Enzo Boutsen and other drivers who graduated from series like Porsche Supercup and national karting championships. The roster often mixed seasoned endurance specialists from events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and rising GT drivers from feeder series including the Ferrari Challenge and Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, fostering driver exchanges with teams linked to manufacturers such as Audi Sport, BMW Motorsport, and McLaren GT.
Boutsen Ginion Racing has campaigned a range of GT and touring machinery, aligning with manufacturers and technical partners to run Porsche, Audi, and Mercedes-AMG GT cars in GT3 and GT4 configurations. Collaborations extended to engineering suppliers active in series overseen by SRO Motorsports Group and chassis preparation firms that service entries for endurance races like the 24 Hours of Spa and regional 24-hour events promoted by Creventic. The team’s NASCAR Euro entries required homologation and technical cooperation with entities involved in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series framework, while GT campaigns involved partnerships with tire suppliers present across GT World Challenge Europe grids. Technical alliances often leveraged expertise from workshops experienced in GT3 homologation and endurance setup employed at circuits like Monza and Silverstone Circuit.
Boutsen Ginion Racing achieved podiums and class victories in national and international GT competitions, securing top finishes during rounds of the GT World Challenge Europe and endurance events such as the 24H Series meetings. The team recorded strong performances at Belgian venues like Circuit Zolder and Spa-Francorchamps, and earned championship points in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series while competing against entrants associated with teams like CAAL Racing and Racing Engineering. Successes included sprint podiums, endurance class wins and consistent top-ten finishes that contributed to driver standings in series governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile and series organizers such as the SRO Motorsports Group and Creventic.
The organizational structure centers on leadership by founders with motorsport pedigrees, combining the commercial and sporting experience of figures like Thierry Boutsen and Olivier Lainé with engineering staff familiar with GT and touring car regulations. Race operations are supported by crew chiefs, engineers and logistics personnel accustomed to travel between European circuits including Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, and Brands Hatch. Management engages with series promoters—SRO Motorsports Group, FIA sanctioned organizers and NASCAR European administrators—to plan programs spanning sprint rounds, endurance events and stock-car weekends, while driver development links the team to academies and feeder championships such as Porsche Carrera Cup and national karting federations.
Category:Auto racing teams in Belgium