Team Parker Racing has announced it will be racing Bentleys in the British GT Championship and the Blancpain Endurance Series in 2016.
Successful for the last few years with an Audi R8 LMS Ultra, Team Parker Racing competed mainly in the Blancpain Series this year and seeing the Bentley Continental GT3 close up convinced the team the Crewe-based manufacturer was the one for them.
“We’re absolutely delighted to have signed a deal with Bentley,” commented Stuart Parker, Team Principal at Team Parker Racing. “It is a fantastic British brand, which is close to my heart. It’s been a refreshing experience dealing with the team. From the very first conversation to signing the contract last week, we’ve felt incredibly welcome and close to the factory and that’s a unique experience when dealing with a manufacturer.
“The Continental GT3 has proven itself in Europe, so we know we can hit the ground running in the Blancpain Endurance Series, and we’re looking forward to taking Bentley back to the British GT Championship grid.”
They will be running two cars in British GT’s top GT3 class and two cars in the Pro-Am category of the Blancpain Endurance Series. Driver line-ups have yet to be announced.
Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush, said: “Having a strong presence in the British GT Championship was a key focus for us for 2016. It is one of the top national GT championships in the world and it’s right on our doorstep, so it makes perfect sense to work with a seasoned championship team like Team Parker Racing and aim for the overall title.”
The Bentley Continental GT3 has had a strong run of form this year, the car had strong results in the Blancpain Endurance Series and helped Vincent Abril and Maxi Buhk win the Sprint Series title.
Team Parker Racing’s deal comes as the season-long deal with HTP Motorsport draws to a close with Gush complimenting HTP for the work they’ve done: “We had a fantastic year of racing with HTP Motorsport, together we took the Continental GT3’s first international drivers’ championship win and worked closely to develop and nurture their talented drivers by offering them opportunities in the works team.
“Obviously, it’s disappointing that the deal has come to an end but we look forward to racing alongside them in future and wish them every luck for 2016.”
