One of the UK’s most prolific motorsport outfits, Team HARD, will make its British GT Championship debut this season after confirming the purchase of two brand new Ginetta G55 GT4s.
The squad, best known for its BTCC exploits, is no stranger to British GT thanks to its Volkswagen Racing Cup support series entries. 2016 sees it take another step forward by switching to the main paddock for the first time as part of a long-term championship commitment featuring at least one entry.
Indeed, the GT4 programme is seen as an important addition to Team HARD’s remit of offering drivers of all ages a route to the top of British motorsport’s premier categories.
Team boss Tony Gilham confirmed that Team HARD’s driver roster would feature a mix of youth and experience capable of challenging for class victories from the very start.
“We’ve been on the package for some time and have seen GT4’s recent growth up close for ourselves, so it was an obvious choice,” he said. “GT3 remains the ultimate ambition but we’re not taking the series lightly and see GT4 as a logical and necessary step towards it.
“But we have every intention of hitting the ground running and have invested heavily as a result. I know everyone says it but we’re here to win and the driver strength reflects that. We’ll hopefully be announcing our drivers in the coming weeks but I can tell you that we have some very rapid guys with the necessary experience to shake up the established order.”
Gilham also noted that adding British GT to Team HARD’s racing commitments was essential for keeping the squad at the forefront of domestic motorsport.
“We see British GT and BTCC as the two highest echelons of UK motorsport, so adding the former was essential for completing our talent ladder. We’re all about investing in the future and British GT4 provides that.”
The 2016 British GT Championship kicks off at Brands Hatch on April 16/17.