Connect with us

Racing Roundup

Weekly Racing Roundup (2.6.23)

British GT team news, GT4 series entry announcements and other updates…

Photo: JEP/SRO

***Five-time British GT champion Beechdean AMR will return to the series full-time this year with Ross Gunn and Andrew Howard sharing an Aston Martin Vantage GT3. The team last ran the full season in 2019 and has made sporadic appearances since then. Aston works driver Gunn and team owner Howard will race in Pro-Am.

***Two-time British GT champion Howard said: “We’ve tried other championships and events in Europe and beyond and been title winners, but inevitably we always come back to British GT because it’s a mega series and because racing in front of your home crowd is special.”

***Century Motorsport has announced its two-car British GT entry with two new G82-based BMW M4 GT4s. Chris Salkeld returns for a third season with the team alongside newcomer Michael Johnston. Lewis Plato, meanwhile, is making his British GT comeback after six seasons away, sharing the sister BMW with Carl Cavers.

***The British GT Championship has renewed its title sponsorship deal with investment provider Intelligent Money. While the current deal wasn’t due to expire until the end of 2025, the two parties have agreed to extend it for another two years until 2027 at least.

***Rodrigo Almeida and Muecke Motorsport will continue their association this year in the GT4 ranks. Almeida, who finished fifth in DTM Trophy last year, will race in ADAC GT4 Germany moving forward. The Mozambican driver will pilot a Mercedes-AMG GT4. “This year, I now know both car and team and can build on last season’s experience,” Almeida said. “My first win at the Red Bull Ring gave me a real buzz.”

***EastSide Motorsport has also made an ADAC GT4 Germany driver announcement, with 17-year-old Philipp Gogollock joining Dominique Schaak in the team’s Mercedes-AMG.

***W&S Motorsport is planning to run at least three Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsports in the GT4 European Series, with two of the Pro-Am driver lineups set. Hendrik Still and Max Kronberg will continue with the German team after racing in the Am class last season, while the other pairing is Charles Dawson and Gustavo Xavier.

***Prolific LMP3 driver Laurents Hoerr has signed with Koiranen Kemppi Motorsport for the second season of Prototype Cup Germany. The two-time Michelin Le Mans Cup champion and 2021 European Le Mans Series class champion will lead a two-car, four-driver lineup for the Finnish team, which has not stated its car manufacturer of choice.

***Four-time 24 Hours of Le Mans podium finisher Jean-Pierre Jabouille passed away on Thursday at the age of 80. Although best known for being Renault’s first Formula 1 race winner, Jabouille also competed extensively in sports cars. His career included 14 appearances at Le Mans where he represented the likes of Alpine, Matra, Renault, Sauber Mercedes and Peugeot.

***In a tribute, Le Mans organizer the ACO said that Jabouille “contributed to making the technology of French manufacturers shine on the 24 Hours circuit and on the major tracks in the history of Formula 1. To his family and loved ones, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest offers its most sincere condolences.”

On this weekend: Asian Le Mans Series (Dubai Autodrome)

Daniel Lloyd is a UK-based reporter for Sportscar365, covering the FIA World Endurance Championship, Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, among other series.

Click to comment
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

More in Racing Roundup