Three British sportscar aces are to spearhead Bentley‘s return to competitive motorsport in the Continental GT3.
Guy Smith, Steven Kane and Andy Meyrick will join to compete in the 2013 Gulf 12 Hours at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi on December 13. The two six-hour races will be Bentley’s first track action since winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2003.
First preparations for the race are underway after an endurance test saw the initial development come to an end. Both car and drivers performed well in the test, with the Continental GT showing strong pace and impressive reliability.
“After completing development and endurance testing on a variety of race tracks around Europe since we unveiled the car at Goodwood in July, we’re confident that the Continental GT3 is prepared for its first test race,” said Director of Motorsport for Bentley, Brian Gush. “While the development work never stops, we feel ready to take on the competition for the first time in Abu Dhabi. I’m delighted with our driver selection, and in Guy, Steven and Andy we have world-class talent. All at Team M-Sport Bentley are thrilled to be racing next month.”
Smith has a strong history with Bentley, having been the man who took the chequered flag at the 2003 Le Mans 24 Hours, taking Bentley to the top step of the podium for over 70 years. Since then, Smith has gone on to take the American Le Mans Series championship with Dyson racing in 2011, narrowly missing out on back-to-back titles in 2012.
Steven Kane has experience in the Porsche Carrera Cup, British Touring Car Championship, ALMS and the Grand-Am series, topped off with a successful 2013 year in the Blancpain Endurance Series. Kane will race for Bentley for the remainder of 2013 and in to 2014.
Joining Kane and Smith is Andy Meyrick, who has spent much of the 2013 season competing in the Blancpain Endurance Series and racing the ground-breaking DeltaWing in the ALMS. His career also boasts experience in both LMP1 and LMP2 classes, including racing at Le Mans.
