British GT - New line up for Team Parker Racing
2017 British GT Champion Rick Parfitt Jnr is hoping to retain title with Team Parker Racing and new team mate Ryan Ratcliffe in the Bentley Continental GT3.
Source: Ian Cutting Photography
With the news that Seb Morris was leaving the UK scene to race in Europe Parfitt Jnr was looking for new driver to try and help retain the title. Ratcliffe seems like a natural partner as the pair won the GT4 class back in 2013.
Team Parker, Bentley and Parfitt Jnr are about to emabrk on season no 3 together while this will be Ratcliffe's first with the team and indeed with the Bentley. Ratcliffe has raced GT3 machinery previously, last year in the AMD Tuning.com Mercedes-AMG GT3 and prior to that in 2015 racing a Ginetta G55 GT3 (again paired with Parfitt Jnr).
“An opportunity came up to drive with Rick in 2018 and to say I was like a kid in a sweet shop is a bit of an understatement!” said Ratcliffe. “I have a great relationship with Rick and to work alongside him this year is going to be fantastic! Working with Team Parker is something I am really looking forward to; looking from the outside they definitely seem like one of the most professional teams on the grid and after seeing the progress they have made with Rick I can’t wait to get started. Driving the Bentley will certainly be different; it’s a great marque to be associated with and certainly draws a lot of attention in British GT.
Parfitt Jnr knows that this year will be just as tough as his championship wining year.
“After such a tough yet amazing year in 2017, where I achieved more than I could have ever imagined, the 2018 season needed to represent a fresh new challenge for me,” he confirmed. “There was never any doubt that I wanted to stay in British GT but I wanted to return with a new hunger and no expectations.
With Team Parker's announcement today it means that there will be at least three manufacturers represented in GT3.
The championship starts again at Oulton Park over the weekend of 31st March - 2nd April
