Randle follows endurance dream with Pirelli-backed LMP3 CupAustralian youngster Thomas Randle will compete in the Henderson Insurance LMP3 Cup Championship this year, with his sights set on the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours.
The 20-year-old finished fourth in the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship last year in his first season in Europe, driving for Douglas Motorsport. After contesting the inaugural race last October, he has now committed to contesting the full LMP3 Cup Championship with the same outfit, with his sponsor Mike Newbould as team-mate. Like BRDC British F3, the LMP3 Cup will be exclusively supplied by Pirelli, and gets underway at Donington Park on April 22-23.
Randle, who is currently competing in the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand and competing for the title against drivers supported by the Red Bull, Ferrari and Force India Formula 1 teams, said: “I am extremely excited to be racing alongside Mike Newbould in the British LMP3 Cup Championship. This is a new chapter for me in my career and to be classified as a pro driver means a great deal to me.
"The Ligier LMP3 machine is a very fast racing car and there is a clear succession pathway towards making it all the way up to LMP1 if I can do a commendable job, which I certainly aim to do. The ultimate dream would to be on the grid for the Le Mans 24 Hours, and I believe that there is definitely a possibility for that to materialise.”
Bathurst debut on Pirelli tyres for new McLaren man BarnicoatHighly-rated British racer Ben Barnicoat has joined the McLaren GT Driver Academy, and will make his debut for the marque at the Pirelli-equipped Bathurst 12 Hours in Australia this weekend.
The 20-year-old from Chesterfield, who is supported by the Racing Steps Foundation, is a Formula Renault and BRDC Formula 4 Autumn Trophy champion, and a European Formula 3 race-winner. He was also part of McLaren’s Formula 1 young driver programme from 2010.
His debut in the McLaren 650S GT3 will come at the famous Mount Panorama circuit as part of a two-car line-up for reigning champions Tekno Autosports, paired with Jonny Kane and Will Davison, with Blancpain Endurance Series champions Rob Bell and Come Ledogar joining 2016 Bathurst winner and Pirelli World Challenge champion Alvaro Parente in the other car.
Barnicoat said: “To join such a prestigious team as McLaren is a fantastic opportunity for me to demonstrate my capabilities in what is a new discipline for me. As such it's one I relish.”
HHC moves into Pirelli-backed British GT with top Ginetta pairHHC Motorsport has secured an entry to the Pirelli-supported British GT Championship for 2017, and will field the youngest driver pairing in series history.
The team, which has tasted success in Ginetta Junior and BRDC F4/F3, is one of several that has had to wait to have its entries confirmed after unprecedented levels of interest in the GT4 class over the winter. It will maintain its association with Ginetta by running a G55 GT4, to be driven by Will Tregurtha, 16, and Stuart Middleton, 17 – the top two drivers in last year’s Ginetta Junior series. The pair will have a combined age of just 34 years and 204 days when the season gets underway at Oulton Park on April 17.
“We’re delighted to be able to confirm that our 2017 British GT entry has now been officially accepted,” said team boss Charlie Kemp. “The demand for spaces on the grid has been phenomenal and is testament to the quality of British GT Championship’s thriving GT4 class.
“Pairing Will and Stuart with the G55 makes for an exciting package, and also the youngest crew in British GT history. But we know this won’t be easy; the standard of teams and drivers is so high. Nevertheless, I’d like to think we’ll be in the championship hunt come the end of the season.
“It’s our long-term aim to run a second car in GT4 and also enter the GT3 class. Our commitment to the championship is absolute - we’re aiming to make it our home for the foreseeable future.”
Brookes back in British Superbikes with PirelliJosh Brookes, the 2015 MCE British Superbike champion, will return to the series this year riding a Yamaha for Anvil Hire TAG Racing.
The Australian took 13 wins on his way to the title before moving to the World Superbike Championship last year. He becomes the becomes the 10th race winner to join the 2017 grid ahead of the opening round of the Pirelli-supported series at Donington Park on March 31-April 2.
“I am happy to be back in BSB,” Brookes said. “It is all really positive for me as I have probably raced more years in this championship than any other so it is my most familiar territory. I am looking forward to coming back, racing on the tracks and meeting the fans again.
“I was exploring a lot of different possibilities but the deal that Rob and the team have put together was the best option for me. To be riding the Yamaha again is the icing on the cake; I know what it is like to ride, I found my rhythm with it before and I know it suits me.”
US F4 champion Das stays with Pirelli in BRDC British F3Young American racer Cameron Das will race in the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship this year with Carlin after claiming the inaugural Formula 4 United States title.
Currently 16, Das only took up racing in 2015 but won eight races in a row to be champion of the Pirelli-supplied US F4 series last year. He then contested the BRDC British F3 Autumn Trophy at Snetterton last October with Carlin, scoring a best finish of fifth, and has now followed James Pull and Enaam Ahmed by securing a 2017 race seat with the respected outfit.
“British Formula 3 feels like the natural next step in my racing development,” he said. “I've already had a chance to see Carlin in action and I couldn't be more excited to spend the 2017 season with them. I really appreciate the support from my sponsor Autobahn Indoor Speedway and other partners for allowing me to embark on this incredible opportunity. I cannot wait for the first race weekend.”
The 2017 season of the Pirelli-supported BRDC British Formula 3 Championship gets underway at Oulton Park on April 15-17.
