Dino Zamparelli and Chris Car will make their British GT Championship debut this season in the brand-new Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport, which also makes its first appearance in the UK, with experienced outfit GT Marques. Chris continues his foray into motorsport having raced Radicals and a range of GT cars previously and will work closely with Dino to challenge himself in the UK’s premier endurance racing championship.
“I am very excited to be competing in British GT 2019,” said Chris. “I have long wished to take part in GT endurance racing, and I think British GT is the best platform to do this in the UK. What has made this proposition so exciting, and convinced me to take this step, is to be teaming up with Dino and having him as a co-driver as his speed and success is second to none. Having Dino onboard in a Porsche GT4 run is too good an opportunity to turn down. I will draw motivation from Dino’s speed and commitment and hopefully be able to produce good results.
“This fantastic package is further enhanced by racing the new for 2019 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport. We will be run by GT Marques, which further raises this proposition, as the team’s success and commitment in Porsche racing is very reassuring.”
Dino makes his return to the team after he finished Vice-Champion in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB with the outfit in 2016. Switching to sportscar racing after taking six podiums in the international GP3 Series, he finished runner up in three straight PCCGB seasons and now turns his focus to endurance racing.
“I am really excited to be entering into a new chapter in my career and moving into British GT in a Porsche Cayman with Chris,” said Dino. “The Championship is the premier GT racing category in the UK and always provides close racing. GT Marques are a team I raced with in 2016 in the Carrera Cup and we've assembled a great crew for the British GT races.
“I spent 2018 working with Chris and developing his driving to be at this point and I'm excited to see his progress as we move forwards this year. I have been really impressed with his natural speed and willingness to learn, so I think as a combination, we're going to be very strong. I know that my job will be to help Chris be as fast as possible and I believe we will be right where we want to be when the first round of races arrive.
“From a personal point of view, it's nice to be continuing my career in a Porsche, a brand that not only myself but my sponsors have got to know well over the last four years. GT4 looks to be an exciting place to be right now, so I'm really excited to be going with Porsche, Chris, and my sponsors on this new adventure.”
New for 2019, the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport is powered by the familiar 3.8 litre six-cylinder boxer producing 425bhp. The car is an upgrade on the previous model and is the first ever production race car to feature body parts made of natural-fibre composite material. The driver and passenger doors and the rear wing are made of an organic fibre mix, sourced agricultural by-products such as flax or hemp fibres and feature similar properties to carbon fibre in terms of weight and stiffness. The 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport was immediately on the pace when it made its debut in the Daytona 24 Hours support race in January, with two cars finishing inside the top-eight after four hours.
Chris is delighted to be working with Windrush Motorsport & Lauda Trading this season, while Dino is excited to announced new sponsorship agreements with UFI Filters and TMS Car Storage, while continuing his association with Eden Private Staff and Performance Car Finance for the 2019 season.
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Photo: Noel Hibbert/Cotswold Photographer