The KTM X-BOW was successful on racetracks all over the world in 2023. Experienced teams and drivers made use of a variety of different versions of the car to meet the high standards of sprint and endurance motorsport.
“The accomplishments of our customer racing teams and the feedback we have received from them clearly show how well the KTM X-BOW GT2 and the KTM X-BOW GTX performed in a motorsport context,” says Riccardo Holzer, responsible for customer racing. “Since the launch of the two models, we have used the experience we have gathered on track to develop the programme further.”
The KTM X-BOW, which is manufactured in Graz, has established itself as a “safe bet” in endurance motorsport. Ks Frontier KTM Cars, for instance, won the Fuji 24 Hours in class for the third year in succession in 2023. The victory in the foothills of Mount Fuji, and the subsequent title win in the Super Taikyu Series, were just two of many examples of the endurance qualities of the KTM X-BOW GTX. razoon – more than racing also took class wins at the 24-hour races in Dubai and Barcelona and were also successful in the GTX category in the 24H Series events in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait.
“The KTM X-BOW GT2 is becoming increasingly popular in the Fanatec GT2 European Series,” explains Laura Kraihamer, who is part of the management team for KTM’s motorsport operations. Up to six KTM cars competed in the pan-European series each weekend. The KTM X-BOW GT2 has also made an impression on US motorsport, too.
It was customer teams such as RTR Projects, MZR and CPT who recorded victories with their GT2 machines in the 2023 season. Jan Krabec led his team RTR Projects to championship glory in the Am class in their maiden season in the Fanatec GT2 European Series, while Klaus Angerhofer and Sehdi Sarmini (both True Racing by Reiter Engineering) rounded off their year with a top-3 position in the championship. Motorsport Zentrum Ried took on KTM works driver Reinhard Kofler as part of their team, who finished runner-up in the Pro-Am classification.
Motorbike racing star Dani Pedrosa was undoubtedly the most prominent guest starter in the 2023 season. The MotoGPTM test driver for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing swapped his RC16 for a KTM X-BOW GT2. In Valencia, a circuit Pedrosa knows well, the Spaniard showed that he could also be successful for KTM on four wheels as well as two. Pedrosa’s appearance at Circuit Ricardo Tormo was one of a number of highlights for the True Racing by Reiter Engineering team in 2023.
razoon driver Denis Liebl took the title in Class 3 of the GT60 series. CCS Racing was another KTM customer team racing in the GTC Race championship, with Uwe Schmidt finishing just behind Liebl to take the runner-up spot in the class. The CCS Racing driver frequently stood out throughout the season with some excellent performances.
The KTM X-BOW was also in action in some unusual places in 2023 – including at the prestigious Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado, US. Drivers such as Marek Rybníček provided an impressive demonstration of the car’s hill-climbing qualities, recording championship wins in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
It is thanks to all of the teams and drivers that the 2023 season was such a resounding success. It was their unbridled fighting spirit that made each race win and title victory possible. KTM’s motorsport commitments will continue in 2024 with the KTM X-BOW at the heart of the manufacturer’s activities.