After entering the series for the second half of the 2012 season – winning the GTC class in the process – FF Corse will step up to the premier class of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship for 2013, with a planned two car attempt.
FF Corse, who specialise in track and race day services with a range of Ferrari Challenge and GT cars, competed on the final three weekends of the 2012 championship, Ryan Hooker and Gary Eastwood pedalling a Ferrari Challenge spec Ferrari 458 in the GTC class, the team also fielding a GT3 Ferrari 430 in the penultimate round of the season.
The team now plans to move into the GT3 category for a full season campaign with a pair of Ferrari 458 GT3.
Eastwood has been confirmed to return, but will be joined by Rob Barff who rejoins the British GT grid for the first time since 2002, spending the intervening years is GT and sportscar series worldwide, competing for Von Ryan Racing in the Blancpain Endurance Series last season.
“Having worked with FF Corse since their inception in 2009 I am really pleased to be doing British GT with them and Gary,” said Barff. “Having raced previously in British GT, it’ll be great to be making a return in what I am sure will be a very competitive package”
Team principal Anthony Cheshire explained the reasoning behind the decision to step up for 2013.
“We pride ourselves on our Ferrari expertise and see the main BGT Championship as the perfect opportunity to showcase our company’s technical expertise in the Ferrari product. We fully expect to be competitive from the outset and are currently evaluating entering additional cars in the main class and also in the GTC class, something we have the capacity to do.”
“We’ve been in discussions with Anthony for some time and the professionalism FF brought to the series when they joined us at Snetterton this year was there for all to see,” said Benjamin Franassovici, British GT series manager. “Gary is our 2012 GTC Champion and it was great to welcome him back this year after some time in other series. The team have experience with Ferrari on the continent as well as in the UK and further show we’re moving British GT in the right direction; we’re very happy to have them with us in 2013 in both GT3 and GTC.”
