Wesemael’s “crazy” British GT switch

“On paper it looks like I might have been a little bit crazy,” Chris Wesemael, better known to friends as ‘Chippy’, admits. “But I don’t think that’s the case.” So why might we think Wesemael crazy? “I have followed a non-traditional route into British GT just coming from club-level racing,” he expands, “[but] plenty of people have gone from club-level racing and done well.” And Wesemael indeed looks well set to join the group, as in just two seasons of car racing he wowed in 750 Motor Club’s RGB Sports 1000 championship competing for Mittell Cars, taking a crushing title last year after finishing runner-up in an unlucky 2018 debut. He’ll make his British GT bow this year in a HHC Motorsport Mclaren GT4, paired with another debutant Gus Bowers. And Wesemael feels RGB prepared him well. “[The car is] very very driver focused in RGB, with the complete lack of external factors to help the driver it really developed my personal driving style,” he notes. “Those cars are from a value-for-money perspective just ridiculous for the speed that they go. The way I see competing and winning is exactly the same preparing for British GT as it was racing RGB.” There have been things to adapt to though. “I’m not used to using any kind of radio work,” Wesemael explains. “There are several things [in British GT] that I’ve never done in my life. [HHC has] been extremely good helping me become comfortable. The biggest change is definitely sharing the car; I’ve been very fortunate with Gus that we’re both extremely driven to do as well as we can.” As for the ‘Chippy’ nickname? “I’m afraid it’s not that special. It’s just a pet name from my parents when I was growing up. I think it’s an Americanism. So I’m sorry there’s no great exciting story there!”