British driver Daniel Brown will return to the European Le Mans Series with Gulf Racing when the championship heads to Austria on July 11-12.
The 23 year old will replace Phil Keen, who is on British GT duty with Team Russia/Barwell at Spa-Francorchamps.
Brown will share the team’s LMGTE class #86 Porsche 911 RSR that won the opening round of the ELMS with regular drivers Mike Wainwright and Adam Carroll.
Gulf Racing also entered a GTC Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 at the Silverstone event, which Brown piloted to 3rd in class alongside Roald Goethe and Archie Hamilton.
‘I’m really looking forward to driving the Porsche at the Red Bull Ring and being back in the ELMS,” said Brown. “Gulf Racing are a top level team and it’s always a pleasure to drive for them. I need to say a big thank you to the guys for choosing me to fill the seat and I hope I can keep their championship challenge on-track.’
The former British GT race winner competed at last year’s 4 Hours of Red Bull Ring in a Gulf-entered Aston Martin, and his performance 12 months ago formed part of the reasoning for the team’s decision to bring him in for this event.
‘Dan did a fantastic job for us in 2014 driving alongside Stuart [Hall] and Roald in the Aston,” said Matt Beers, Gulf Racing team manager. “At the Red Bull Ring he lead the race for two hours and really showed what he could do. He is a consistently quick and reliable driver who has great feedback, so it made total sense to have him in the Porsche for this round where we need to secure a solid finish.’
Brown is one of a few other drivers that will be stepping in for the third round of the ELMS. Rino Mastronardi will replace Thomas Flohr in the Imola-winning GTC AF Corse Ferrari, while FIA World Endurance Championship star Julien Canal fills in for TUSCC-bound Joao Barbosa in the Krohn Racing LMP2 Ligier. Nissan GT-Academy graduate Mark Shulzhitskiy is also set to make his LMP3 race debut after being placed on the provisional entry list with Lanan Racing.
The ELMS 4 Hours of Red Bull Ring will take place on July 11-12. 29 entries, including the debuting LMP2 Ligier of Algarve Pro Racing, are set to compete.
