Maidstone hotshot Devon Modell kicked off his maiden Avon Tyres British GT campaign at the championship’s official Media Day at Donington Park on Tuesday (8 April), using the afternoon’s test session to bed-in to his TF Sport-run Aston Martin GT4.
The 23-year old from Kent returned to racing in 2013 after a four-year sabbatical and quickly emerged as a leading contender in the Renault UK Clio Cup, rounding out the year with a victory in the Michelin Clio Cup Series’ ‘Autumn Cup’ event at Rockingham Motor Speedway.
Modell acquired a taste for endurance racing earlier this year when he contested the 2014 Dunlop Dubai 24 Hours and has subsequently pieced together a prestigious sportscar programme with TF Sport that will see him challenge for the 2014 British GT4 crown, alongside his ongoing UK Clio Cup commitments.
He completes the flourishing TF Sport team’s British GT line-up and will partner Aston Martin GT4 Challenge Champion, Andrew Jarman, for the duration of the 2014 season in a striking Aston Martin V8 Vantage racer.
TF Sport – an official Aston Martin Racing Partner Team – proudly presented its cars and drivers at the 2014 British GT media launch at the historic Donington Park circuit on the Derbyshire/Leicestershire border on Tuesday (8 April).
The afternoon’s test session allowed Modell to acclimatise to the TF Sport-prepared GT4 machine and optimise its setup before the championship gets underway at Oulton Park in just under a fortnight’s time (19-21 April).
“This was only my second run in the GT4 Aston and it was better, as we put brand new tyres on it,” said Modell. “I had to learn how to get the best out of them, being my first time on fresh rubber, but the car feels great. We’re working with it, trying to get rid of the little niggles but it’s not far away from where it should be. I was about six tenths off the other Aston Martins – that’s the only reference we have until the balance of performance between the different makes and model of car is worked out – so I think we’re in good shape.”
Round 1 of the 2014 Avon Tyres British GT Championship will take place at Cheshire’s picturesque Oulton Park circuit on 19-21 April).
For more information on Devon Modell and his racing activities, please follow@Devon_Modell on Twitter.