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British auto racing team From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Team BRIT is a British auto racing team formed in 2015, originally based at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, home of the Top Gear test track, but now in Washington, West Sussex. The team is composed of disabled drivers and currently (2024) competes in two British motor racing series, Britcar Endurance and Britcar Trophy, with the ultimate aim to race in 24 Hours of Le Mans
| |
| Founded | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Team principal(s) | Al Locke, Mike Scudamore |
| Current series | Britcar |
| Noted drivers | James Whitley, Jon Allan Butterworth, Caleb McDuff |
| Teams' Championships | Britcar Trophy winners 2022 |
| Website | teambrit.co.uk/about/ |
The key element which allows physically disabled drivers to compete is the specially developed hand control system fitted to all the cars.
Team BRIT was formed as an offshoot of the charity Kartforce,[1] which provides military veterans with the opportunity to take part in karting events to support their physical and mental rehabilitation and recovery. Team BRIT gives people with disabilities the chance to compete with able bodied drivers in national motor racing events. 1996 Formula One world champion Damon Hill is a patron of the team.
From its inception in 2015 with a single small racing car and three former military disabled drivers, the team has grown in size and scope.[2]
By 2022 it consisted of five cars and eight drivers with diverse backgrounds and disabilities, competing in three racing competitions.
In 2023, 9 drivers competed across four championships.
2015, 2016 - VW Golf GTI
2017 - 2 x Fun Cup Volkswagen Beetle
2018 - 3 x Fun Cup Volkswagen Beetle, Vw polo gti, Aston Martin Vantage GT4
2019, 2020 - 3 x BMW 116i, Aston Martin Vantage GT4
2021 - BMW 1 Series, Aston Martin Vantage GT4, BMW M240i Racing
At the end of 2021 the Vantage GT4 chassis became ineligible for competition in British GT,[3] which follows SRO Motorsports Group international homologation rules. The team continued to campaign it in the Britcar Endurance Championship where it remained eligible in the equivalent "Class D" under Britcar series rules.
2022 - BMW 1 Series, Aston Martin Vantage GT4, BMW M240i Racing, McLaren 570S GT4
2023 - 2 x McLaren 570S GT4, BMW M240i Racing, 2023 also saw the addition of a Citroen C1 endurance race car, adapted and entered to the Silverlake C1 Endurance Series [4][5] which includes a 24h round at the Silverstone circuit. - the addition of a second McLaren 570S replacing the Aston Martin in the Britcar Endurance Championship.[6] - The other McLaren 570S will continue in British GT and McLaren Trophy[7] The BMW M240i Racing will continue in the Britcar Trophy Championship.
Team BRIT worked with MME Motorsport, a Slovenian gearbox control specialist, to develop electronic hand control systems for throttle, clutch, gear change, and brakes which work in a seamlessly integrated way with conventional controls. The adaptation allows a driver using hand controls to share a car with a driver using conventional controls in race meetings; the car will respond to both sets of controls, giving priority to whichever input is highest if there is a conflict.[8]
The growing development and realism of Sim racing systems allows a disabled driver to use the same steering wheel on the simulator as the racing car which aids a more seamless transition from sim racer to track racer.
Team BRIT drivers James Whitley and Chris Overend made history in 2022 becoming the first disabled team[9] to win a British national motor racing championship,[10][11] claiming the Britcar Trophy Championship in an adapted BMW M240i Racing.
In Britcar Endurance the team ran the Aston Martin Vantage GT4 in class D with six classes in each race.
In British GT Championship the team ran the McLaren 570S in class GT4 ProAM with four classes in each race.
While the McLaren was entered for a couple of races in Britcar Endurance, it wasn't registered for the championship but took part as an invitational entry.
In Britcar Trophy the team ran the BMW M240i Racing in class 2 and the BMW 118i in class 3 with five classes in each race
| Competition | Circuit | Date | Position in Class | Driver 1 | Driver 2 | Driver 3 | Driver 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silverlake C1 Endurance | Silverstone GP | March 19 | 54 | Yvonne Houfelaar | Asha Silva | Noah Cosby | |
| Britcar Endurance | Silverstone GP | March 25 | 5 | Chris Overend | James Whitley | ||
| Britcar Trophy | Silverstone GP | March 26 | Race 1: 7, Race 2: 9 | Paul Fullick | Tyrone Mathurin | ||
| Intelligent Money British GT | Oulton Park | April 10 | Race 1: 6, Race 2: 6 | Aaron Morgan | Bobby Trundley | ||
| Britcar Endurance | Brands Hatch Indy | April 22 | 3 | James Whitley | Chris Overend | ||
| Silverlake C1 Endurance | Oulton Park | April 22 | 29 | Yvonne Houfelaar | Asha Silva | Noah Cosby | |
| Britcar Trophy | Brands Hatch Indy | April 23 | 2 | Paul Fullick | Tyrone Mathurin | ||
| Intelligent Money British GT | Silverstone 500 | May 7 | DNF | Aaron Morgan | Bobby Trundley | ||
| Silverlake C1 Endurance 24hr | Silverstone GP | May 20-21st | 47 | Noah Crosby | Asha Silva | Paul Fullick | Steve Crompton |
| Britcar Trophy | Oulton Park | May 27 | Race 1: DNS, Race 2: 2 | Paul Fullick | Tyrone Mathurin | ||
| Britcar Endurance | Oulton Park | May 27 | 4 | Chris Overend | Bobby Trundley | ||
| McLaren Trophy | Paul Ricard | June 3 | 2 | Aaron Morgan | Bobby Trundley | ||
| McLaren Trophy | Paul Ricard | June 4 | 2 | Aaron Morgan | Bobby Trundley | ||
| Silverlake C1 Endurance | Donington Park | June 18 | 40 | Asha Silva | Paul Fullick | Noah Cosby | |
| Britcar Endurance | Silverstone GP | June 24 | Did not enter | ||||
| Britcar Trophy | Silverstone GP | June 25 | 3 | Paul Fullick | Tyrone Mathurin | ||
| McLaren Trophy | Spa Francorchamps | June 30 | 2 | Bobby Trundley | Aaron Morgan | ||
| McLaren Trophy | Spa Francorchamps | July 1 | Race cancelled | Bobby Trundley | Aaron Morgan | ||
| BARC Britcar 6 hour | Donington Park | July 22 | 570S P2 in race | Bobby Trundley | Chris Overend | Paul Fullick | James Whitley |
| Silverlake C1 Endurance | Snetterton | July23rd | 26 | Gabriela Jílková | Paul Fullick | Asha Silva | Anji Vadgama Silva |
| McLaren Trophy | Nurburgring | July 29 | 1 | Bobby Trundley | Aaron Morgan | ||
| McLaren Trophy | Nurburgring | July 30 | DNF | Aaron Morgan | Bobby Trundley | ||
| Silverlake C1 Endurance | Brands Hatch | Aug 19th | 21 | Asha Silva | Noah Cosby | Steve Crompton | |
| Intelligent Money British GT | Brands Hatch | Sep 10 | 6 | Aaron Morgan | Bobby Trundley | ||
| Britcar Endurance | Donington Park | Oct 14 | 1 (D Invitation) | James Whitley | Paul Fullick | ||
| Britcar Endurance | Donington Park | Oct 14 | 4 | Aaron Morgan | Takuma Aoki |
Following a crash at Silverstone 500 on May 7 when the car suffered extensive damage, the team decided to withdraw from the majority of the remaining rounds of the British GT championship and instead drivers Morgan and Trundley will race the remaining Maclaren 570S in the MacLaren Trophy Championship [19][20]
Paul Fullick and Tyrone Maturin finished 21st overall in the Rowe Britcar Trophy Championship and 2nd in class driving the BMW M240i.
Chris Overend / James Whitley / Bobby Trundley / Aaron Morgan / Takuma Aoki finished 13th overall in the Motorsport Uk British Endurance Championship and 5th in class driving the Mclaren 570S GT4.
In the Intelligent Money British GT Championship neither the team or the drivers gained any points.
| Competition | Circuit | Date | Car | Position in Class | Driver 1 | Driver 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Endurance | Donington Park | March 29th | McLaren 570S | 4 | Aaron Morgan | Paul Fullick |
| Britcar Trophy | Donington Park | March 30th | BMW M240i | Race 1 : 4 Race 2 : 2 | Noah Cosby | Asha Silva |
| Britcar Trophy | Donington Park | March 30th | BMW 118i | Race 1 : 4 Race 2 : NC | Dom Shore | Caleb McDuff |
| British Endurance | Snetterton | April 13th | McLaren 570S | 1 | Aaron Morgan | Paul Fullick |
| Britcar Trophy | Snetterton | April 14th | BMW M240i | Race 1 : 1 Race 2 : 2 | Noah Cosby | Asha Silva |
| British Trophy | Snetterton | April 14th | BMW 118i | Race 1 : 5 Race 2 : 3 | Caleb McDuff | |
| Britcar Trophy | Brands Hatch | May 4th | BMW M240i | Race 1 : 4 | Noah Cosby | Asha Silva |
| Britcar Trophy | Brands Hatch | May 4th | BMW 118i | Race 1 : 4 | Bobby Trundley | Caleb McDuff |
| Britcar Trophy | Brands Hatch | May 5th | BMW M240i | Race 2 : 2 | Noah Cosby | Asha Silva |
| Britcar Trophy | Brands Hatch | May 5th | BMW 118i | Race 2 : 3 | Bobby Trundley | Caleb McDuff |
| British Endurance | Silverstone | June 15th | McLaren 570S | 2 | Aaron Morgan | Paul Fullick |
| British Endurance | Silverstone | June 15th | McLaren 570S | 4 | Bobby Trundley | Charles Graham |
| Britcar Trophy | Silverstone | June 16th | BMW M240i | Race 1 : 1 Race 2 : 2 | Noah Cosby | Asha Silva |
| Britcar Trophy | Silverstone | June 16th | BMW 118i | Race 1 : 2 Race 2 : 2 | Bobby Trundley | Caleb McDuff |
| British Endurance | Donington | August 10th | McLaren 570S | 3 | Aaron Morgan | Paul Fullick |
| Britcar Trophy | Donington | August 11th | BMW 240i | Race 1 : 2 Race 2 : 2 | Noah Cosby | |
| Britcar Trophy | Donington | August 11th | BMW 118i | Race 1 : 2 Race 2 : 1 | Caleb McDuff | Dom Shore |
| British Endurance | Snetterton | September 14th | McLaren 570S | 2 | Aaron Morgan | Paul Fullick |
| British Endurance | Snetterton | September 14th | McLaren 570S | 3 | Takuma Aoki | Noah Cosby |
| Britcar Trophy | Snetterton | September 15th | BMW 240i | Race 1 : 2 Race 2 : 1 | Caleb McDuff | Asha Silva |
| Britcar Trophy | Snetterton | September 15th | BMW 118i | Race 1 : 1 Race 2 : 1 | Dom Shore | Bobby Trundley |
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