Jade Edwards will join Matt Draper and the Optimum Motorsport team for the Avon Tyres British GT Championship weekend at Snetterton (June 21-22).
Edwards has started the 2014 season competing in the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge, a new addition to the support paddock for the British GT series this year. The Kent-based driver will now make her debut for Optimum Motorsport in the two one hour races on the 300 layout of the Norfolk track.
“I’m so happy to be joining Optimum Motorsport and the British GT championship grid for Snetterton,” said Edwards. “I’ve raced at the track before in lower level racing so I’m confident myself and Matt will make a good pairing in GT4. Of course, joining halfway through the year does put me on the back foot slightly, but I’m always happy to step up to a challenge and I can’t wait to get started!”
The team started the season with Draper and Tania Mann sharing their Ginetta G55 GT4, but following the Rockingham round work commitments forced Mann to revise her racing plans for the year, with the team calling up defending class champion Ryan Ratcliffe for the three hour race at Silverstone.
Following a second place at Silverstone Draper now lies third in the class points standings behind the driver pairings of the Beechdean AMR and TF Sport squads.
“Jade’s a great competitor and we expect to continue our title push with her on board,” said team manager Shaun Goff. “She has proven to have excellent pace in everything she has driven and her recent experience and success in the Aston GT4 Challenge means she has recent endurance racing experience. Snetterton’s two races will give us an ideal platform to continue our championship fight.”
