Century Motorsport will return to fielding two full-time British GT Championship entries this season after confirming Aleksander Schjerpen and Sean Byrne aboard a second Ginetta G55 GT4.
The Fenny Compton-based squad has been a regular multiple car entrant in recent years but ran just one of the Yorkshire firm’s G55s throughout much of the 2015 campaign.
Schjerpen returns for a third British GT season with Century after finishing a narrow second in 2015’s Silver Cup classification. His new partnership with Byrne means the Norwegian will now be battling for Pro/Am and overall class honours, both of which he’s hoping to win.
“Century Motorsport did a great job, and I am very pleased and happy to be able to continue working with them,” he said. “They are great to work with, and we share the same goals and passion. We started 2016 off winning the SP3 class in the Dubai 24 Hours, and now we obviously want to win the British GT Championship in 2016. We are not alone with that goal, so it will be an exciting year.
“I am really looking forward to working with my new co-driver Sean. He is learning the car really quickly and we are working well together. I’ve got a lot more track time in the car at this stage compared to last year, so I hope that will make us really strong from the start at Brands Hatch.”
Byrne meanwhile graduates to British GT4 following six seasons racing various specifications of Caterhams. And after becoming a regular front-runner in last year’s hotly contested R300 Superlight category, the Irishman feels ready for British GT's ultra competitive GT4 grid.
“I am looking forward to the increased challenge and a more competitive championship this year in British GT,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to learn a new car and also a new style of racing. Having done my research on the front-running teams in GT4 racing, Century Motorsport came out as the strongest team.
“Following on from the initial contact and our test at Portimao, I have been impressed by their professionalism and approach. Aleksander has significant experience being with the team and championship for the last two years. I hope to learn a lot from him to enable me to get up to speed and create a good partnership.”
Century announced back in November that sophomore British GT driver Anna Walewska would join team principal Nathan Freke aboard its University of Bolton-backed GT4 entry.
“I’m delighted that Century Motorsport is back in British GT4 with a two car team again this season,” confirmed Freke. “Not only that, but I really believe we have two cars that can run at the front and challenge for the championship title.
“We are delighted to welcome Sean to the team, and already he has impressed at our first test in Portimao. Aleksander is making a very welcome return to the team, and having played a big part in helping us to win our class at the 24 Hours of Dubai in January, I really feel this is going to be a big year for him this season. He’s faster than ever, and is the perfect partner for someone new like Sean.”
Brands Hatch plays host to British GT’s opening round of the season on April 16/17.