> Championship debutants Bowers and Wesemael join forces
Former Intelligent Money British GT4 champions HHC Motorsport will once again enter two McLarens this year, the first of which features series debutants Gus Bowers and Chris Wesemael.
Indeed, both club racing graduates make their first appearance in any form of GT racing when they tackle 2020’s season opener at Oulton Park on April 11 & 13.
Wesemael won the 750MC RGB Sports 1000 series title in 2019 thanks to 11 wins from 14 races after finishing runner-up a year earlier. He first tested HHC’s 570S last season and is excited about the step to GT racing.
“I am super-excited about being in the car and working with Gus,” he said. “Between us, I feel that we will make a strong team and with such a good car and HHC behind us I am sure that we will be really competitive. The McLaren will be very different from the Mittell I drove last year, but I am super-positive about it. I think we will be able to fight for wins. Gus and I get on really well already and I am really looking forward to the season. I can’t wait to get started.”
Bowers, meanwhile, finished 10th in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge standings last season after first teaming up with HHC in the same championship one year earlier. He will also act as the team’s GT4 European Series reserve driver, as well as undertake sim and track testing work.
“I am really excited to be graduating to the British GT Championship, to be back with HHC Motorsport, and to have a team-mate in Chris with whom I can work and develop so positively,” said Bowers. “British GT is the ideal place for me to develop as a driver and to learn about a more powerful race car after the Ginetta G40.
“In addition, in such a competitive championship, I will be able to gauge myself against some of the best GT4 drivers around. This will only be my third year of racing and we looked at different options, but with HHC’s track record and the support it gets from McLaren Customer Racing, it was an ideal fit. HHC is determined to win and I can’t wait to work with Chris and the team to grow with them with my long-term goal being to drive in the FIA WEC.”
The Harrogate-based team finished third in 2019’s Drivers’ standings courtesy of Callum Pointon and Dean Macdonald who claimed one victory and several fastest laps. Indeed, their driver pairings have remained championship contenders until the final round in each of the last three seasons, with Will Tregurtha and Stuart Middleton winning outright in 2018.
“We have a structured, development programme that incorporates significant on and off-circuit activity for both drivers, that we feel will provide a superior platform for their continued growth and success,” said team principal Charlie Kemp. “In addition, our strong relationship and ability to work closely with McLaren Customer Racing on both driver and car performance allows us to mount a strong challenge in British and European GT racing series.”
HHC are expected to name their second full-season driver line-up before Snetterton hosts British GT’s pre-season Media Day on March 3.