British team Barwell Motorsport will return to the Belcar Endurance Championship – Belgium's GT series – and the Spa 24 Hours this year as the first season of a three year program.
The team will run under the Petronas-Barwell Racing banner with support from Petronas Lubricants Belgium and Aston Martin Brussels, the team using a GT3 spec Aston Martin DBRS9. The car will be shared by Tim Verbergt and Jeffrey van Hooydonk, who finished first and second in the 2009 Belcar championship, the two combining to form a formidable driving line-up – the first all-pro pair to take on a DBRS9.
“I will be driving one of the most beautiful GT3 cars, the Aston Martin DBRS9, thanks to Petronas Lubricants Belgium, Aston Martin Brussels and my loyal partner EL Systems,” said van Hooydonk. “I know exactly what to expect, given the fact that I was very lucky to drive Barwell's DBRS9 in the 2009 Spa 24 hours. This project is possible thanks to my new partner Petronas Lubricants Belgium, and it is a dream for me to start a partnership with one of the most renowned companies in motorsport.”
“It's fantastic to be working in partnership with Aston Martin Brussels once again on this exciting project,” enthused Mark Lemmer, Barwell team principal. “With Tim and Jeff on board plus Petronas Lubricants Belgium, we are in an excellent position to really push for the title over the coming seasons”
The 2011 Belcar Endurance Championship consists of five races at Spa and Zolder. Petronas-Barwell's season will also include the Spa 24 Hours, this year a round of the Blancpain Endurance Championship. GT3 cars – such as the Aston Martin – will form the premier class at the race for the first time handing Verbergt, van Hooydonk and Petronas-Barwell a chance of overall victory.
