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Team BRIT

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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/

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

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.

Cars used in competitions

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

2022 - BMW 118i, Aston Martin Vantage GT4, BMW M240i, McLaren 570S

2023 - BMW 118i, BMW M240i, 2 x McLaren 570S To be confirmed

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.[3]

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 potentially the first disabled team to win a British national motor racing championship.[4][5]

In Britcar Endurance the team ran the Aston Martin Vantage GT4 in class D with six classes in each race.

  • Position in teams - 7th [6]
  • Position in class - 4th[7]

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[8]
  • Position in GT4 Drivers - 11th[9]
  • Position in GT4 ProAM class - 2nd[10]

In Britcar Trophy the team ran the BMW M240i in class 2 and the BMW 118i in class 3 with five classes in each race

  • Position in teams[11] - 1st and 26th
  • Position in class[12] - 1st and 6th


References

  1. ^ "Kartforce". Kartforce.
  2. ^ "Video - history of Team BRIT". Vimeo - Team BRIT.
  3. ^ Events, UKi Media & (2017-10-03). "Behind MME & Team BRIT's hand control technology". Professional Motorsport World. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  4. ^ "Potentially the first disabled pairing to win a UK championship". Britcar trophy.
  5. ^ "Trophy Championship Results 2022". Britcar Endurance.
  6. ^ "Final Driver and Team Standings 2022". Britcar Endurance website.
  7. ^ "Britcar Endurance final driver standings 2022". Britcar Endurance.
  8. ^ "British GT GT4 Teams final standings 2022". British GT.
  9. ^ "British GT final standings GT4 drivers 2022". British GT.
  10. ^ "British GT final standings Pro AM drivers 2022". British GT.
  11. ^ "Britcar Trophy final driver standings 2022". Britcar Trophy.
  12. ^ "Britcar Trophy final driver standings 2022". Britcar Trophy.

External Links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Team_BRIT&oldid=1128909228"