Former BTCC star Sam Tordoff will dovetail a British GT campaign with a McLaren 650S drive in the Blancpain GT Series for debutants Strakka Racing, who confirm a four-car programme in the Sprint and Endurance Cups.
The team, which previously competed at Le Mans and in the FIA World Endurance Championship, will make a move into the Blancpain GT Series for the first time and has secured a line-up featuring GT stalwarts and a number of Grand Touring newcomers.
In the first car, team founder Nick Leventis will take on the Sprint Cup with his teammate from the 2016 WEC season Lewis Williamson. The pair will also compete in the Endurance Cup with British sportscar racer Craig Fleming in what will be a Pro-AM entry.
Tordoff, who will race for Barwell Motorsport in British GT, joins the crew of the second car in the Endurance Cup where he’ll race alongside Jonny Kane – who is competing with Loris Hezemans who himself is taking part in just the Sprint Cup – with David Fumanelli taking Hezemans place in the longer Blancpain races.
Alvaro Parente, McLaren Factory racer extraordinairé, headlines the final car where he’ll be joined by rising single-seater star, who has decided to make a GT conversion, Ben Barnicoat. Barnicoat – a member of McLaren’s Academy programme – will also take on a full Endurance Cup programme alongside Come Ledogar and last year’s Endurance champion Rob Bell.
Bell will also compete in the Sprint Cup with a driver rapidly becoming a McLaren lynchpin – Andrew Watson. Watson then joins new factory driver Dean Stoneman and Jazeman Jafaar, who has moved to the 650S from Mercedes AMG.
“We are delighted to have secured such a formidable and impressive line-up of successful and talented drivers for Strakka’s debut in what is arguably the most competitive GT series in the world,” says team founder Nick Leventis. “Running four cars is a significant step up but the entire team together with McLaren GT have worked superbly to get all the cars prepared and racking up testing miles ahead of the season start. We’ve enjoyed getting to grips with our move to GTs but now’s the time to get racing and deliver on our aim to continue McLaren’s success in the category.”
