Dumfries and Galloway race star , Ross Wylie returns to the GT4 category of the British GT Championship eight years after he claimed the title.
The Scotsman will share a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport with Valluga Concierge team-owner Benji Hetherington in the opening one-hour race on Easter Monday (18 Apr) at Oulton Park.
Wylie won the 2014 British GT4 “crown” after scoring six podiums, including three wins, from eight races driving an Aston Martin. The BRDC Full Member last raced a GT4 race car six years ago at the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi.
Ross’s first on-track experience of the new four-litre, six-cylinder mid-engined Porsche will be in the opening practice session around the 17-corner, 2.69-mile Cheshire circuit on Easter Saturday.
Wylie faces a busy couple of weeks as he begins the defence of his GT Cup GTO Championship title at Donington Park this weekend (9-10 Apr). SB Race Engineering had hoped that engine components would arrive in time for Ross and Paul Bailey to race the latter’s Brabham BT62 Competition.
But a shipping delay means that they will switch to Bailey’s nine-year-old McLaren MP4-12C Can Am that the duo raced at Donington – achieving first and second in class – and Snetterton last year.
Ross Wylie (GB):
Age 30. Born & Lives Thornhill nr Dumfries, Scotland:
“I love the British GT Championship and the GT4 category is looking very competitive this year. I have no real expectations but Benji and I will give it our best shot – it will be interesting to see how we fare. The opening practice session will be the first time I’ve driven the Porsche RS model.
“It’s not an ideal scenario but just something we have to accept and I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’ve driven the Porsche Cayman GT4 Sprint Challenge car but the RS model has more power and additional aero. There’s only a handful of these new Porsches in the UK and I believe only 25 worldwide and so it’s very rare car.
“Benji is the owner/founder of Valluga who I raced with for the last three rounds of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB last year. He has a wealth of experience, including being a Porsche Carrera Cup GB Scholarship winner in 2011. I am excited to be sharing a car with him.”
