Chris Levett and Nick Beaumont will join forces to lead a new team, JWB Motorsport, in next year’s APR Volkswagen Racing Cup.
Levett, who finished eleventh in the 2012 standings despite skipping two rounds of the season will act as lead driver, stepping up from his Mk VI VW Golf to the Scirroco that has become a car of choice at the front of the series.
Beaumont – who raced in the Production Class of the BTCC alongside John B&Q in 2001 – will act as the team manager and driver coach as the team seek quick expansion into running multiple cars.
“We plan to run at least four cars and possibly up to six,” said Beaumont, “with the guys from my old BTCC team, R&D Automotive, building the cars and looking after them at the track. It’s something that Chris and I have been discussing for some time and it has now all snowballed into a solid project which we are both very excited about.”
“Nick and I believe the opportunity is there to offer something different, to take things up a level and raise the profile a bit,” added Levett. “I ran my own operation in truck racing and I can see where the opportunities are to provide a higher level of customer service, with good hospitality and so on.”
Levett’s 2012 Golf will serve as a car to be rented to drivers in the series.
“Everybody in the paddock is very friendly and helpful,” he said, “and it’s all very competitive. I’m hopeful that one or two of my truck-racing colleagues will come and try the VW Cup with us: I’ve told them that it’s very similar, albeit front-wheel drive instead of rear-drive. The speeds are about the same – you are just a lot nearer the floor!”
The APR Volkwagen Racing Cup last week announced a seven date 2013 calendar, with six UK rounds supporting the Avon Tyres British GT Championship plus a return to Spa-Francorchamps in the summer.
