TF Sport has announced that it will run a sole Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4 for Andrew Jarman and Devon Modell in tandem with its headlining GT3 operation in the 2014 Avon Tyres British GT Championship.
In January, former British Touring Car and British GT driver, Tom Ferrier, announced his new and exciting TF Sport venture and plans to contest a full-time British GT Championship campaign, as well as selected rounds of other high-profile sportscar competitions.
Having recently joined an exclusive club as an official Aston Martin Racing Partner Team, TF Sport is determined to extend the brand’s commitment to nurturing fresh, new driving talent by providing prospective GT stars with a solid platform on which to hone their ability in preparation for careers in GT3 and beyond.
The Redhill, Surrey-based squad will endeavour to bring young, aspiring racers through the Aston Martin brand under the TF Sport umbrella and will begin by fielding a single GT4-spec V8 Vantage for Aston Martin GT4 Champion, Andrew Jarman, and Renault UK Clio Cup hotshot, Devon Modell.
Jarman – backed by TXM Plant, recruitment and training business TXM Recruit, as well as Danbro and Raildoor Solutions – spent three years competing in the BARC Formula Renault Championship before making his mark in GT racing by clinching the 2013 Aston Martin GT4 Challenge crown at the first time of asking.
“Having won the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge in 2013, the British GT Championship is the next logical step and I was keen to remain within the Aston Martin family while joining a first-rate team,” said Jarman. “I’m really looking forward to the 2014 season and working with Tom Ferrier – a very experienced and knowledgeable guy – and the TF Sport outfit, as I’ve been impressed by the service it has provided and what has been put together in such a short space of time.
“I’m obviously well acquainted with the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, I know it’s a great car and the goal is to win the 2014 British GT4 title by achieving regular race wins and podium finishes. If I achieve podiums throughout the year I’ll still see it as a success, but a lot will be determined by how the balance of performance between the different makes and model of car is worked out and whether there’s a level playing field.
Jarman continued: “It’s fantastic to continue my relationship with my personal sponsors, TXM Recruit, TXM Plant, Danbro and Raildoor Solutions. One of British GT’s big selling points is how prestigious the championship is. It has established itself as one of the top GT series in the world and the exposure and coverage it receives should give my backers a great deal of value. I hope they get to see me on the podium!”
Modell emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the latter half of the 2013 Renault UK Clio Cup season and capped off the year by winning the ‘Autumn Cup’ event at Rockingham Motor Speedway, before making a successful transition to endurance racing in the 2014 Dubai 24 Hours.
The Maidstone-based driver will continue to compete in the UK Clio Cup but is gunning for big results in British GT having tested the V8 Vantage for the first time at Cheshire’s picturesque Oulton Park circuit on Tuesday (1 April).
Devon Modell said: “It was a new experience and I think I adapted from front to rear-wheel-drive well. I learnt a lot but there’s undoubtedly a lot of improvements still to be made with both my driving and the car. The great thing is, TF Sport and Tom (Ferrier) have ideas and, as an official Aston Martin Racing Partner Team, will benefit hugely from some technical assistance.
“On the whole, I’m delighted with how the test went and it fills me with optimism ahead of the season. I lapped within a second of last year’s pole position time, which is significant considering my lack of rear-wheel-drive experience. We won’t know where we stand until either next week’s Media Day or qualifying at the season-opener. I have to say, I’m impressed with TF Sport. Tom clearly knows what he’s talking about and, without boosting his ego too much, he was a pretty decent driver in his day too. The team is smart and well presented and it definitely won’t look out of place in the British GT paddock.”
TF Sport Director, Tom Ferrier, said: “There’s a strong field of GT4 cars for 2014 and I have no idea where we’ll stand when the season begins, but we had a very positive test at Oulton Park and the team’s drivers are very capable. It’s going to be a formidable pairing and they’re both known quantities.
“I think we have exciting prospects and it’s great to have two Aston Martins on the British GT grid in both the GT3 and GT4 classes. Not only does this strengthen TF Sport’s link with Aston Martin Racing, but it means we are forming a ‘stairway of talent’ where aspiring sportscar drivers can rise through the ranks within the TF Sport and Aston Martin folds. GT4 presents drivers with a fab opportunity to hone their craft in preparation for careers in GT3 and beyond.”
For more information on Aston Martin Racing, please visit the official www.astonmartin.com/racing website, ‘like’ the Facebook page or follow @AMR_Official on Twitter.
And for more on TF Sport, visit the official www.tfsport.co.uk website, ‘like’ the team’s Facebook page of follow @OfficialTFSport on Twitter.