Team BRIT

Team BRIT is a British auto racing team formed in 2015 and based at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, home of the Top Gear test track. The team is composed of disabled drivers and competes in three British motor racing series, the British GT Championship, Britcar Endurance and Britcar Trophy, with the ultimate aim to race in 24 Hours of Le Mans

United Kingdom Team BRIT
Founded2015
Team principal(s)Dave Player
Current seriesBritish GT Championship
Britcar
Noted driversJames Whitley, Jon Allan Butterworth
Teams'
Championships		Britcar Trophy winners 2022
Websiteteambrit.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.

History

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.

History of Cars Available

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.

Hand Control Technology

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.

Championship Results

2022

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.

  • Position in teams - 7th [12]
  • Position in class - 4th[13]

In British GT Championship the team ran the McLaren 570S in class GT4 ProAM with four classes in each race.

While the MacLaren was entered for a couple of races in Britcar Endurance, it wasn't registered for the championship but took part as an invitational entry.

  • Position in GT4 Teams - 9th[14]
  • Position in GT4 Drivers - 11th[15]
  • Position in GT4 ProAM class - 2nd[16]

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

  • Position in teams[17] - 1st and 26th
  • Position in class[18] - 1st and 6th

Race Results 2023
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]

  • Racing steering wheel with hand controls for all functions
    Racing steering wheel with hand controls for all functions
  • McLaren 570S GT4
    McLaren 570S GT4
  • Aston Martin Vantage GT4
    Aston Martin Vantage GT4
  • BMW M240i
    BMW M240i
  • BMW 118i
    BMW 118i
  • Believed to be the first disabled driver team to win a British national racing championship
    Believed to be the first disabled driver team to win a British national racing championship

References
  1. "Kartforce". Kartforce.
  2. "Video - history of Team BRIT". Vimeo - Team BRIT.
  3. "Team BRIT For British GT In 2022". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
  4. Sheehan, Lucy (2022-11-28). "New rookie racing project launched". teambrit.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  5. "Silverlake C1 Endurance Series". BRSCC.
  6. "https://twitter.com/teambritracing/status/1615761144861560834". Twitter. Retrieved 2023-01-21. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  7. "2023: Morgan and Trundley return with unchanged Team BRIT line-up". 2023: Morgan and Trundley return with unchanged Team BRIT line-up. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  8. "Behind MME & Team BRIT's hand control technology". Professional Motorsport World. 2017-10-03. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  9. "Team BRIT wins national championship". PosAbility Magazine. 2022-10-27. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
  10. "Potentially the first disabled pairing to win a UK championship". Britcar trophy.
  11. "Trophy Championship Results 2022". Britcar Endurance.
  12. "Final Driver and Team Standings 2022". Britcar Endurance website.
  13. "Britcar Endurance final driver standings 2022". Britcar Endurance.
  14. "British GT GT4 Teams final standings 2022". British GT.
  15. "British GT final standings GT4 drivers 2022". British GT.
  16. "British GT final standings Pro AM drivers 2022". British GT.
  17. "Britcar Trophy final driver standings 2022". Britcar Trophy.
  18. "Britcar Trophy final driver standings 2022". Britcar Trophy.
  19. "MacLaren Trophy Championship". Maclaren Trophy Championship.
  20. "Team Brit announces MacLaren Trophy Championship entry".
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