Elite Motorsport has signed its second driver for the 2022 GB3 season, with John Bennett joining its line-up from Ginetta GT5 Challenge.
The 18-year-old competed part-time in junior karting before making his car racing debut in the entry-level sportscar series last year with Elite, and finished seventh in the standings.
There were three podiums in his rookie season, and his sophomore campaign with the team went even better as he was title runner-up and won five races. That then led to several GB3 tests with Elite, and he’s now signed up for the single-seater switch.
“2022 will be my first season in single-seaters so obviously there will be a huge amount to learn and adapt to but I am up for the challenge,” said Bennett.
“I believe a realistic goal for me is to finish inside the top 10 in the championship at the end of the year, and to be challenging for some top-five finishes.
“It was a straightforward decision to continue racing with Elite. I have really enjoyed the past two years with them and they have pushed me on well. I’d never driven a car when I started with them and so to become the GT5 vice-champion this year and one of their 2022 GB3 drivers, I’m delighted.
“Elite performed very strongly in their debut GB3 season this year. I’m only too aware that going from Ginetta GT5 to GB3 is a huge step-up for me but I am absolutely loving the new challenge and all the techniques required for driving a completely different car.”
Elite is one of the most successfull teams in Ginetta racing in recent years, and moved into GB3 for the first time this year with the 2020 Ginetta Junior champion Tom Lebbon and Javier Sagrera as the full-time drivers in a three-car line-up.
Lebbon will stay with the team for 2022, while Sagrera is also expected to stay in GB3 but has tested with rival teams including Fortec Motorsports.
“I’m really excited to announce our next GB3 driver for 2022,” Elite’s team manager Eddie Ives said.
“From that very first day in a Ginetta, his outright pace excelled. We’ve already started a GB3 test programme and John is already surpassing our expectations. We are all really excited to see how he develops over the next six months.
“From an Elite Motorsport perspective, it’s fantastic to see our ‘ladder’ of progression for existing drivers working well within the team.”
All tests so far have taken place in a 2021-spec car, but there will be an upgrade package that introduces the halo cockpit protection device and a side-mounted air intake to the chassis for 2022.