Coleman, Telitz in Optimum McLaren With Barnicoat

Todd Coleman and Aaron Telitz will reunite with Optimum Motorsport for a second attempt at the Gulf 12 Hours, returning one year after they lost victory due to a post-race penalty.

Coleman and Telitz will share the No. 69 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo with Ben Barnicoat for this weekend’s edition of the 12-hour race at Yas Marina Circuit.

One year ago, Coleman, Telitz and Frederik Schandorff appeared to have secured overall victory after a race-long battle with Sainteloc Racing, only for the win to be taken away after a post-race penalty for a pair of pitlane speeding infractions.

Now, Coleman and Telitz return to Abu Dhabi after a season of racing McLaren machinery with Archangel Motorsports in GT World Challenge America powered by AWS.

“I am honored to be back at the Gulf 12 Hours running against a highly competitive grid and partnered with two of the best GT drivers in the world in Aaron and Ben, and to be back together with the amazing team at Optimum Motorsport,” said Coleman.

“Last year I was in the early days in my GT3 platform transition; fast forward a year later, I am coming into this with deeper experience both in the McLaren and at this amazing track.”

Barnicoat, who completes the lineup for the No. 69 McLaren, joins in place of Schandorff, who will instead join Brendan Iribe and Ollie Millroy aboard the Optimum-run Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3.

The British racer is a two-time winner at the Gulf 12 Hours, having won at the Bahrain International Circuit in 2021 and then again in 2022 when the event returned to Abu Dhabi

“We’re super excited to be back at Gulf 12H and to have Todd and Aaron back in our McLaren GT3,” said Optimum team principal Shaun Goff.

“They secured a podium finish in last year’s edition of the 12-hour event in what was only their second race with the team.

“This year they’re teaming up with Ben Barnicoat, who we know is also a great pair of hands behind the wheel – he’s won many times around the Yas Marina Circuit.

“There’s been some strong lineups announced already, but I know they can challenge for the overall win like they did on the road last year.”