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
Websitehttps://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.

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 118i, 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 118i, Aston Martin Vantage GT4, BMW M240i Racing, McLaren 570S

2023 - Plans announced for 2023 include: - the addition of a C1 vehicle, 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.[7] The BMW M240i Racing will continue in the Britcar Trophy Championship.

The Aston Martin is to be sold, as is the Golf Gti Academy car which is being replaced by the BMW 118i .

Hand Control Technology

Team BRIT worked with MME Motorsport, a Slovenian race engineering specialist, to develop hand control systems for throttle, clutch, gear change, and brakes which work in a seamlessly integrated way with conventional controls. The integration allows a driver using hand controls to share a car with a driver using conventional controls in events; 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 19th 54 Yvonne Houfelaar Asha Silva Noah Cosby
Britcar Endurance Silverstone GP March 25th 5 Chris Overend James Whitley
Britcar Trophy Silverstone GP March 26th Race 1: 7, Race 2: 9 Paul Fullick Tyrone Mathurin
Intelligent Money British GT Oulton Park April 10th Race 1: 6, Race 2: 6 Aaron Morgan Bobby Trundley
Britcar Endurance Brands Hatch Indy April 22nd 3 James Whitley Chris Overend
Silverlake C1 Endurance Oulton Park April 22nd 29 Yvonne Houfelaar Asha Silva Noah Cosby
Britcar Trophy Brands Hatch Indy April 23rd 2 Paul Fullick Tyrone Mathurin
Intelligent Money British GT Silverstone 500 May 7th DNF Aaron Morgan Bobby Trundley
  • 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 | dailysportscar.com". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
  4. Sheehan, Lucy (2022-11-28). "New rookie racing project launched - TEAM BRIT". 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. Events, UKi Media & (2017-10-03). "Behind MME & Team BRIT's hand control technology". Professional Motorsport World. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  9. Oct 27, posabilitymagazine |; 2022 (2022-10-27). "Team BRIT wins national championship". PosAbility Magazine | UK Disability Lifestyle Magazine. Retrieved 2023-01-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  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.
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