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The Lotus Sport Cadena race team (which will campaign two Lotus
Sport Exige GT3 race cars after the signature of a two-year deal
between Cadena and Lotus Sport, the performance arm of Lotus Cars)
has announced that it is to be based at the Group Lotus headquarters
in Hethel, Norfolk.
Situated in a newly-converted workshop facility, the team will
have access to the established Lotus Sport expertise and
infrastructure, in addition to the all important 2.25 mile Lotus
Test Track. This will be used as part of the team's testing
programme throughout its maiden season in this year's Avon Tyres
British GT Championship, with an eye on entering the FIA GT3
European Championship in 2007.
Commenting on the move to the Hethel site, Paul Whight, Team
Principal of the new racing outfit explains: "It is important that
we work in close collaboration with Lotus Sport in what will be a
development year for both the team and the Exige GT3. Although Lotus
Sport Cadena isn't an official factory team, we have a very close
relationship with Lotus and by basing ourselves at Hethel it
reinforces our long term commitment to Lotus and to the Avon Tyres
British GT Championship."
Lotus Sport Cadena will field four drivers to contest the 2006
British GT series, all having raced previously in Lotus racing cars.
Cadena Lotus Sport Elise British GT driver Barrie Whight will once
again be partnered by Gavan Kershaw, Chief Vehicle Dynamics Engineer
for Lotus Engineering and driver of the Lotus Sport Elise in 2004
and the Mosler MT900R for the Cadena GTC team during the 2005 season.
George Mackintosh, who claimed last year's Yokohama Mid-Engined
Sportscar championship in a Lotus Elise, and Sam Blogg who took
second place in the series also competing in a Lotus Elise, complete
the team's second pairing.
The opening round of the 2006 Avon Tyres British GT season takes
place at Oulton Park on the 16th and 17th of April, with subsequent
visits to high profile national circuits, Mondello Park in Ireland
and Pau in France. |
