Championship winning Ginetta Junior squad HHC Motorsport, as well as Will Tregurtha and Stuart Middleton, will make their British GT Championship debuts this year after being confirmed as one of the series’ new full-season GT4 entries.
British GT’s junior class has attracted unprecedented levels of interest since 2017’s entry process opened last November. Indeed, such was the demand that several high-profile prospective outfits and drivers have had to wait for their plans to be confirmed.
One of those, HHC Motorsport, announced its intentions before Christmas but has now had one of its Ginetta entries officially selected by SRO. The option to run a second G55 also remains a possibility.
HHC brings with it a wealth of experience and success from the Ginetta Junior, British F4 and British F3 championships, as well as two drivers more accustomed to being rivals than co-drivers. The pair spent 2016 notching up a combined 13 wins and 27 podium finishes in their battle for the Ginetta Junior crown, which ultimately went the way of Tregurtha.
And the 16-year-old, who remains with HHC for his GT4 graduation, believes he and Middleton also collectively have what it takes to trouble the established British GT order.
“I cannot wait to get started. HHC took me to the Ginetta Junior title last season and it was an easy decision to stay with them for the move into British GT,” he said. “They are great to work with, produce fast cars and are highly professional in everything they do.
“Stuart and I get on very well, we raced with respect last year in some very close battles at the front and I know first-hand just how fast he is. I think we will make a strong team and our aim is to win races. But we also know we are going to have to put in a lot effort to make that happen.”
17-year-old Middleton added: “I’m so pleased and excited that our British GT4 entry has now been accepted. It represents a fantastic opportunity to take a massive step forwards in my pursuit of a professional motorsport career. Everyone’s talking about GT4 as the logical move for young drivers, and doing so with Ginetta also makes perfect sense.”
Team boss Charlie Kemp also confirmed British GT represented a logical next step for HHC.
“We’re delighted to be able to confirm that our 2017 British GT entry has now been officially accepted,” he said. “The demand for spaces on the grid has been phenomenal and is testament to the quality of British GT Championship’s thriving GT4 class.
“Pairing Will and Stuart with the G55 - a car we already know well from our GT4 Supercup programme - makes for an exciting package, and also the youngest crew in British GT history. But we know this won’t be easy; the standard of teams and drivers is so high. Nevertheless, I’d like to think we’ll be in the championship hunt come the end of the season.
“It’s our long-term aim to run a second car in GT4 and also enter the GT3 class. Our commitment to the championship is absolute - we’re aiming to make it our home for the foreseeable future.”
This season’s British GT Championship gets underway at Oulton Park on April 15/17. Click here to purchase tickets - Adult prices start at just £19 and under-13s go free!
Plus, don’t forget there’s free general admission to British GT’s Media Day, which will be held at Snetterton on March 28!
DID YOU KNOW?
Tregurtha and Middleton will become the youngest pairing ever to race in British GT when they line up at Oulton Park on April 17. The duo will have a combined age of just 34 years and 204 days. That’s 221 days fewer than the record currently held by Jamie Chadwick and Ross Gunn who were collectively 35 years and 60 days old when they first raced together for Beechdean AMR in 2015.