The familiar combination of Nick Jones, Scott Malvern and Team Parker Racing will contest the Intelligent Money British GT Championship for a seventh consecutive season this year after confirming an unchanged GT3 entry with Porsche.
2018’s GT4 Pro-Am champions made steady progress with the 911 GT3 R throughout 2021 after switching from Bentley, with whom they claimed a first outright victory the year before.
A run of strong results towards the end of the campaign also featured Malvern claiming pole position at Oulton Park. Now the pair are aiming to turn those flashes of pace into a more consistent season as they bid to become regular podium contenders.
“I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the Porsche and heading to the track with the team once again,” said Jones. “Stuart [Parker] always makes it a welcoming environment so it’s like going to spend the weekend with your mates more than anything else. I am more than ready for it, raring to go, and I can’t wait to crack on with Scott and see what we can achieve this year.
“I’d like to be a bit more competitive this year and find that little bit of pace so we can get closer to the sharp end of what could be a seriously competitive grid. We have a lot more experience with the car which will help to make a big difference and hopefully it pays off when we get going.”
That underlying experience means attention can now shift to specific areas of improvement.
“It just feels like forever since we’ve been out there! I don’t know exactly what the competition is going to look like in British GT this season but from what I’m hearing it will be quite juicy with some very good Pro-Am pairings, so I am excited to get going,” said Malvern.
“We turned a corner with Nick’s race pace towards the end of last year in terms of his consistency and how we run the car for him. What we want to work on now is the one lap pace to put him in the mix from the start. The level in British GT in all classes is exceptionally high and the Am drivers are setting really quick times. The level keeps getting pushed higher and higher, so we need to keep pushing along with it.
“The Porsche is amazing, and it is the ideal car for British circuits. It’s a great all-rounder and competitive at almost every circuit we’ve been to. From the first Donington Park race onwards last season we got a better handle on it, and it comes down to BoP but in terms of enjoying the car it is a pleasure to drive and every time you get in it you realise how good it is.”
Team Parker’s expanded British GT programme will also include a GT4 entry featuring Porsche’s new-for-2022 Cayman 718 RS Clubsport. Seb Hopkins’ co-driver will be announced in due course.
Its additional Carrera Cup GB and Sprint Challenge GB entries mean TPR will run Porsches at every level of UK motorsport for the first time this year.
Oulton Park stages the opening round of this year’s Intelligent Money British GT Championship on April 16 & 18.