Single seater ace Scott Malvern and rapid Radical driver Nick Jones have joined forces as they get behind the wheel of a Simpson Motorsport Porsche in the 2016 British GT Championship.
Specifically a Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport, Malvern and Jones will both make their British GT debuts for a team that has brought an assortment of cars to the championship including a Ferrari 348 LM, a Ferrari F40 and a Porsche 911 GT2 RSR.
Sticking with Porsche, Simpson Motorsport are joining a very competitive GT4 class this year which features a number of very strong Aston Martin, Ginetta and Maserati entries who will all be providing a stern contest in British GT this season.
Both men come from racing Radicals in 2015, and with a number of seasons under his belt Nick Jones is looking forward to joining the premier GT championship in Britain. He said: “I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to compete in such a high-profile series; it’s something I didn’t think I’d ever have the chance to do. Running the Porsche – a marque with proven race pedigree – also gives us a better chance of being competitive, and even more so when Scott’s driving it!
“Seriously, maintaining that relationship from the past couple of seasons is a real bonus. We work well together and he understands what’s required for me to get the best out of the car.”
Also looking forward to joining British GT is Malvern, who saw a promising single seater campaign cut short because of a lack of funds.
Malvern said: “I am ecstatic to finally be a part of the British GT Championship, it’s something I have been aspiring towards for many years and to now have the opportunity to be involved in the expanding GT4 class alongside Nick is a great first step. My goal has always been to become a professional driver and getting the deal to drive the new Porsche Cayman GT4 is a brilliant way to start my GT career.
“Obviously I am more well known for my single-seater results and it is something I would dearly loved to have perused further, but the strength of GT racing around the world is hard to ignore. My ambitions are to race at some of the world’s biggest events and it seems more opportunities arise in the sportscar world, so I plan to do the absolute best job I can and enjoy the ride!”
The final word goes to Simpson Motorsport team owner Julian Simpson-Smith, who is looking forward to bringing his team back into British GT: “It’s great to be back in British GT after so many years away. We’ve run cars in other championships since then so it’s not like we’re starting from scratch, and in Nick and Scott we have a driver pairing that’s not only fast but also used to working together. That’s really important in any Pro/Am relationship and something we’ll be looking to build on throughout the season.”
