Aston star Turner joins GT Cup grid
Factory Aston Martin veteran Darren Turner is the latest big name to be announced for the GT Cup this year.
Turner, a three-time class winner in the Le Mans 24 Hours, will race a GT4 Aston run by Feathers Motorsport in the category alongside his Base Performance Simulators business partner James Guess. It is Turner’s first British-based programme since
2018 with Beechdean in British GT.
The news follows Adam Carroll and Oliver Webb being named earlier this month as part of new Mclaren squad Greystone GT’S line-up. Turner is due to contest six of the planned seven events, skipping the September Donington Park round because it clashes with the Goodwood Revival.
Guess finished runner-up in the
GTH class last season in the GT Cup, racing a Ginetta G55.
“I work alongside James most days and
I’ve been aware of his progress last season, so when he asked if I’d like to be involved in the project this year I thought it seemed like a fun opportunity and good chance to help out a friend,” said Turner, who will be racing the GT4 car for the first time at a venue other than the Nurburgring Nordschleife. “The Vantage GT4 is a very rewarding car to drive, and this is a nice chance to return to some of the old favourite haunts from the British racing scene.”
Meanwhile, the Paddock Performance Motorsport squad set up by 2019 British GT4 Pro-am champions Martin Plowman and Kelvin Fletcher will also race in the GT Cup this season. The team is due to run a pair of Mclarens, and has announced 18-year-old former Britcar racer Moh Ritson as its first driver. It will also field the EX-JMH Automotive machine in which Steve Ruston and John Whitehouse won the 2019 overall crown and GTH titles in 2019 and 2020.
Plowman, whose early career was backed by the Signature RV and First Choice catering companies of Ruston and Whitehouse, told Autosport that he was “cherry-picking the best freelance guys from the teams I’ve raced with, some with F1 and touring car experience”.