British GT4 champion Middleton secures Whelen Challenge prize drive at Daytona in Cadillac prototype

British GT4 champion Stuart Middleton will race at next January’s Daytona 24 Hours after winning a fully funded seat in a Cadillac Daytona Prototype courtesy of Sunoco.

Middleton was crowned as the winner of this year’s Sunoco Whelen Challenge contest last weekend, and will now receive a seat in an Action Express Racing Cadillac DPI VR for January’s American endurance showpiece. The prize is worth an estimated $250,000 [£190,000].

Middleton will share his car with former F1 racer – and former Sunoco Challenge winner – Felipe Nasr, World Endurance Championship regular Mike Conway and 2016 IMSA champion Eric Curran.

Middleton, 18, won this year’s prize after stand-out performances alongside Will Tregurtha in the Hhc-run Ginetta G55 GT4 as the pair took the British title. Middleton was put clear in the Sunoco points when Radical European Masters racer Stuart Moseley was unable to score enough points at Barcelona last weekend.

“I’m ecstatic, speechless to be honest,” said Middleton. “This is such a huge prize and an incredible opportunity for me so early in my career. Being part of the Action Express team with Felipe, Mike and Eric is just amazing… it hasn’t quite sunk in yet.

“My first season in GT4 with my fantastic team-mate Will Tregurtha was just amazing, we couldn’t believe how competitive we were right from the first round. To win the championship in our rookie year was more than we could have hoped for, and for me to now win the Sunoco Whelen Challenge is the icing on the cake.”