For Devon Modell, 2015 promises to be a watershed year as he graduates to the international motorsport stage with a full campaign in the flourishing Blancpain Endurance Series with a Barwell Motorsport-run Ecurie Ecosse BMW Z4 GT3.
The 24-year old from Maidstone, England found his niche upon stepping into the realms of sportscar racing in 2014 having previously acquitting himself well in other forms of motor racing, including Britain’s premier one-make saloon car championship, the Renault UK Clio Cup.
Modell emerged as a regular visitor to the winners’ rostrum during his maiden full-time campaign in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship and remained in the hunt for the GT4 title until the culminating round of the season to finish runner-up in the final classification.
However, his British GT commitments were interspersed with sporadic, one-off outings in other high-profile sportscar competitions.
Opening his 2014 account with a second in-class victory in the Dubai 24 Hours, Modell returned to the Middle East in January of this year and piloted a Speedworks Motorsport-run Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4 to a third place result, before claiming another podium at the 2015 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour in a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup on his debut ‘down under.’
However, conquering monsoon conditions to finish sixth overall and second in class on his Blancpain Endurance Series debut in the iRacing.com Nürburgring 1000 was more than enough to whet the Kent racer’s appetite and proved to be a catalyst for a full-time entry in the burgeoning GT championship.
Modell will pilot an imposing Barwell Motorsport-prepared BMW Z4 GT3 under the Ecurie Ecosse banner in 2015.
One of the UK’s most successful motor racing teams, Barwell Motorsport has been operating in the highest echelons of motorsport for the past five decades, with race and title-winning pedigree dating back to the 1960s.
The team was selected to revive the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning Ecurie Ecosse name in 2011 and has been successful in running its BMW Z4 GT3s in UK and pan-European sportscar categories, most recently winning the 2014 Avon Tyres British GT Championship title.
To be stepping up to the international motor racing stage with such a high-calibre team gives Modell a great deal of pride and confidence, the Kent racer said: “I’m incredibly excited about stepping up to the Blancpain Endurance Series with such a formidable team and I’m confident we can mount a strong challenge with the Ecurie Ecosse BMW Z4 GT3. I really enjoyed my first season of sportscar racing in 2014 and having challenged for the British GT4 title and achieved podium finishes in Dubai and at the Nürburgring in very different cars, I’m quite confident in my ability to adapt and I think I’ll settle into the BMW without much trouble. It’s too early to have any specific targets, although it’s pointless going into any championship if you aren’t intending to win. One thing I do know is this is going to be an exciting chapter in motor racing career.”
For more information on Devon Modell and his racing actives, please follow @Devon_Modell on Twitter.