After a successful toe-in-the-water effort in 2012 Steve Chaplin at Complete Racing will return to the Avon Tyres British GT Championship next season for a full campaign in the GT4 class of the series.
After Chaplin, the team co-founder, shared the team’s Aston Martin Vantage with Phil Keen and Mike Kurton in his two outings at the end of the 2012 season Chaplin will team up with 21-year-old Tom Wilson, son of Jonathan Wilson, the other of the squad’s founders.
Both racing members of the Wilson family drove for Complete Racing in the Volkswagen Racing Cup last season, the younger ending the season fourth overall driving a Mk V Golf in the championship. However, for 2013 the team will concentrate entirely on their British GT campaign.
“Steve was the driving force behind the Aston Martin project and when I heard about it I took an interest,” said Tom. “I’ve had a go in the car at Silverstone in the wet and it was really good, there are plenty of things to learn which is great, as I wanted a new challenge. If it goes well, you never know what could come from it; GT3 the following year is a definite target. It’s not every day an opportunity like this comes along!”
“He’s a bright guy and has proven himself to be quite quick already,” Chaplin said of his new teammate. “For me, British GT as a package is the premier GT series in the UK; I’m really looking forward to being part of it. It’s also good to see Zandvoort on the calendar, I’ve had three wins there in VWs there and it should be good fun!”
Chaplin raced at Snetterton and Silverstone, taking a pair of podiums at the Norfolk track with Phil Keen. Despite the promise Chaplin is aware that a full season assault on the championship will bring his team into regular conflict with the Ginetta G50s that have come to dominate the category.
“I’m really looking forward to contesting the full season,” he said. “We really need to pin back the Ginettas and if we can do that, I’m confident of taking the championship. I’m not doing this for any other reason than to win. The Aston has a good track record in Europe and I think on the more open circuits we’ll be very strong.”
