Orton joins teenager Hopkins for British GT Championship
PORSCHE Carrera Cup GB race winner Jamie Orton is set to join teenager Seb Hopkins in the British G T Championship.
They will complete Desford-based Team Parker Racing’s line-up in its brand new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.
Orton has been a regular in the Carrera Cup over the past five years, finishing third in the Pro-Am class in 2018, claiming five wins, before being moved up to the Pro category during the following season.
Before that, he claimed the 2011 Caterham
Superlight Championship and finished third in the Ginetta GT4 Supercup in 2015.
Linking up with 16-yearold Hopkins in the British GT Championship, both will be racing with a codriver for the first time.
They have already started a pre-season testing programme with the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, heading to Portugal in February.
The Cayman is powered by a naturally aspirated six-cylinder boxer engine, delivering close to 500 hp at 9,000 rpm, subject to Balance of Performance.
It boasts optimised aerodynamics and improved driveability, has several safety features, including an escape hatch, and comes homologated to SRO GT4 regulations, meaning it will fit seamlessly into the British GT Championship. Orton, 42, said: “I’m really looking forward to being in the British GT Championship and driving the new GT4 Cayman with Team Parker Racing.
“Seb is a nice guy and just getting started in his motorsport career. We’ve tested in Portugal recently, which was a good chance to get to know him and everyone at Team Parker Racing. “I’ve many spent years racing against them, and they’ve had a lot of success in recent years, so it will be good to get a chance to race for them.
“After four seasons in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, it was time for a new challenge, and racing in the British GT Championship will be just that and I think the approach is to go as fast as I can.
“I’ve never shared a car with anyone else, other than my wife, which will be a challenge, and with the variety of race lengths it’s going to be interesting to see how we get on.
“I’ve been a Porsche fan for a long time so it’s great to be able to stay with the brand, albeit in a new car.”