Parker Chase and Charlie Robertson will make their British GT debuts this season after being confirmed aboard Century Motorsport’s second factory-supported Ginetta G55 GT3.
The news comes one month after the Fenny Compton-based squad announced it would be graduating to the senior class with a pair of heavily revised Ginettas, the first of which will be driven by Nathan Freke and Harry Gottsacker.
Century’s second pairing also has no shortage of Ginetta knowledge between them. Chase will already have a season of Pirelli World Challenge experience at the wheel of a G55 GT4 to call on when he becomes one of the youngest drivers ever to make his British GT debut on April 17.
Indeed, the 16-year-old claimed eight podiums en route to fourth in the PWC 2016 standings, and also finished second in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill while racing a Ginetta G57 Prototype. Now the American teenager feels ready for GT3.
“I am very excited to extend my arrangement with Ginetta,” he said. “2016 was an incredibly successful year in the G55 GT4. I can’t wait to be part of the 2017 season with Ginetta in the GT3 car. This will be another exciting year. I really appreciate all of Ginetta’s support.”
His co-driver Robertson is something of a Ginetta protege, given that all of his major achievements have come at the wheel of the Yorkshire firm’s cars. He first came to prominence in 2012 when the Scot won the Ginetta Junior title before finishing third in BRDC Formula 4 a year later. In 2014 he won the Ginetta GT4 Supercup and followed that up with the European Le Mans Series’ inaugural LMP3 crown alongside Olympian and former British GT driver Chris Hoy.
The 20-year-old has remained a Ginetta driver ever since, and was responsible for much of its updated GT3 car’s winter development.
“I'm very excited to be racing with Century Motorsport, partnering Parker Chase this season in British GT.” said Robertson. “It will be a new challenge for both of us, and my first full season in GT3.
“Parker has had some good GT experience over the last year in the States, so this is the perfect step up for him. It will be awesome to race on home soil once again, after two seasons elsewhere so I'm hoping my experience pays off. I believe we will be a formidable force, with the various improvements to the Ginetta G55. So I am buzzing to see what this season holds.”
Century team principal Clive Freke added: “2017 is set to be a very significant year for Century Motorsport where we hope to try and stick to what we know best, but push the boundaries by investing in British GT, but this time entering two cars into GT3 for the first time.
“Our link with Ginetta is very important and we are very happy to have America represented on the grid through Parker Chase and Harry Gottsacker. We’ve known Charlie Robertson for a while now having raced against him in the past so we know how fast he can be and I have no doubt he will be impressive in our Ginetta G55 GT3.”
This year’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 our Media Day, which will be held at Snetterton on March 28!
DID YOU KNOW?
At 16 years and 54 days, Parker Chase is currently the youngest driver confirmed for this year’s British GT Championship. That’s just 13 days older than Sandy Mitchell was when he became the youngest ever to race in British GT, at Brands Hatch last season.
Nevertheless, Chase does have an opportunity to usurp Mitchell’s British GT records as the youngest driver to win a race, claim a pole position and set a fastest lap. He could also beat Jamie Chadwick’s mark as the youngest driver to secure a British GT title, and Jonny Cocker’s for winning a race outright.