Ellis & Mortimer Revved Up for Ford GT British
GT Debut
30
May
2008
Reigning British GT Champion Bradley Ellis (Croydon) and team
mate Alex Mortimer (Stoneleigh) will return to race in the series from
which they stole the 2007 crown, for rounds seven and eight of the
Avon Tyres British GT Championship at Snetterton, Norfolk, on 7&8
June. Fresh from their inaugural double FIA GT3 European victory as
a pairing at Monza in May, Ellis and Mortimer will help the Matech
Ford GT to make its British GT debut in the one-off 2008 appearance.
The Avon Tyres British GT rounds at Snetterton will mark Ellis and
Mortimer’s first races together on UK soil since clinching the
2007 spoils in a nail-biting three-way showdown at Rockingham last
September. However, the champions return to race an iconic supercar
at the Norfolk track with new team Matech working in partnership with
Team RPM Principal Robin Mortimer, who will be acting Team Manager
for this unique event.
Developed and prepared by the Swiss Matech GT Racing team, with technical
support from Ford Racing, the Ford GT is sure to attract attention
at Snetterton. But the outing will have special significance for Ellis
as the 20-year-old returns home to compete in a supercar from the motoring
marque that helped him up the motorsport ladder to success.
In 2000, Ellis was selected as one of just nine drivers that formed
the Ford Racing backed Zip Young Guns team. Aiming to help potential
motorsport champions through the echelons of the sport under the auspices
of karting guru Martin Hines, the team certainly achieved its objectives.
Ellis took a string of British and European karting championship titles
under the team’s banner until 2002 and became the latest star
graduate with his British GT glory last year. And with F1 Vodafone
McLaren test driver and DTM star Gary Paffett and fellow GT racer Luke
Hines also sprouting success from the same team, Ellis was in excellent
company. The team reverted back to Zip Young Guns in 2002.
Despite the prestigious occasion, Ellis and Mortimer’s double ‘A’ grade
driver status means that the Ford GT will be subject to a 30-second
pit penalty at Snetterton, increasing the compulsory pitstop window
from 45 to 75 seconds in total for each race. However, that won’t
deter this accomplished driver pairing from doing their best.
“It’s going to be great fun at Snetterton,” said
Ellis. “It will be a privilege to showcase the awesome Ford GT
on home ground. We aren’t expecting to stroll out there and win,
especially with the pitstop penalty, so we won’t be getting in
the way of anyone’s championship fight. It will just be great
to return to race in what is an excellent championship and to show
the crowd what the Ford GT can do.”
Matech’s Martin Bartek commented: “We are very keen on
showcasing the Matech Ford GT on British soil and we could not think
of being represented any better than by last year’s British GT
Champions, Bradley Ellis and Alex Mortimer. It will of course not be
easy to fight for the first rankings, since Brad and Alex will have
the burden of a 30-second pit penalty, which will be added to the regulatory
pitstop time. Nevertheless, we remain confident and look forward to
being a part of the prestigious British motorsport arena at Snetterton.”
Round seven of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship will take place
at Snetterton circuit, in Norfolk, on Saturday 7 June at 16.40, and
the lights will go green for round eight on Sunday at 14.00. Times
remain provisional, please visit www.britishgt.com
SRO
See 2008 series calendar for British
GT Championship
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