Ben Barker will compete in the 2014 European Le Mans Series, joining the Gulf Racing squad for the five-round series.
Racing alongside Mike Wainwright and Adam Carroll, the Porsche Supercup star will pilot the #86 Porsche 997 RSR after impressing in pre-season testing at Paul Ricard. The move signals Barker’s first full time drive in an international sportscar championship, having competed in the inaugural Baku City Challenge in 2012 and the Bathurst 12 Hours in early 2014.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity to drive at this level in a well organised championship,” said Barker. “Sportscar racing is definitely on my radar for the future, and the European Le Mans Series is as good a place to start as any. This is a great opportunity for me to make my mark on the endurance racing arena – and I couldn’t ask for a better situation than racing on a circuit I know well with a team as iconic as Gulf Racing.”
While his main focus will continue to be on the Formula 1-supporting Porsche Supercup, Barker will be looking to continue on his early season form, where he took a double victory at Brands Hatch as a guest in the Carrera Cup GB.
“It has been a great start to the season and, thanks to Gulf Racing, I hope that will continue at Silverstone this weekend and throughout the rest of the ELMS programme,” he added. “However, I’m under no illusion about the level of competition in the series, and am looking forward to testing myself against some of the best sportscar racers in the world.”
The European Le Mans Series gets underway on April 19 at Silverstone as part of the World Endurance Championship weekend, with qualifying in the morning before a four-hour race in the afternoon.
