The second of three British GT Championship entries for 2023 for new squad RACE Lab sees Lions Barber Collective and FastR join forces with the team for an assault on GT4 with a new Mclaren Artura GT4.
Ian Gough and Tom Wrigley will team up in an effort not only for racing honours but also with a far more important aim: to raise mental health awareness and shine a particular light on the high rate of suicide amongst men aged 45 and under in the UK.
And that’s where The Lions Barber Collective comes in. The mental health charity’s research indicates that men would rather talk to their hairdresser than a doctor or family member about how they feel.
The Collective’s group of passionate barbers, who are trained to recognise, ask and listen for signs of depression with their clients, will be offering free haircuts to men and women – be they team members or fans – in the British GT paddock this season.
The pop-up barber’s shop, which is due to appear at each of the six UK rounds, also includes a race simulator and ‘beat the pro’ challenge where spectators can win prizes by testing themselves against drivers from across RACE LAB’s three British GT entries.
Each round of The British GT championship is a chance to create impact. The Lions Barber Collective will offer free haircuts to all teams and series personnel to raise awareness pre-race day, with the support of series organiser SRO. On race days, the Lions Barber Collective’s unique pop-up barber will be fully open for race fans to stop by and experience alongside a ‘beat the pro’ race sim challenge to both raise awareness and support.
They include Gough who makes his series debut this year after spending the majority of his racing career in national and club level Formula Ford categories. He was also a British Endurance Championship winner with RACE LAB last season and made a Ginetta GT Academy appearance in preparation for his British GT4 graduation.
“I can’t wait to get going with this. It’s a life goal realised racing in British GT,” he said. “But the stakes are high; raising awareness for The Lions Barber Collective is an important purpose that is driving our team. But at the same time, we’re here to win. The British GT entry list is already looking stacked with talent.
“We’re fortunate to have RACE LAB with the incredibly experienced sporting director Euan Hankey guiding us through the year. And I’m delighted to be sharing driving duties with Tom. Tom brings raw speed and engineering insight that should put us in a position to be challenging for wins from day one.”
Wrigley, meanwhile, is embarking on his first full-season motorsport programme since finishing third in the 2018 Porsche Carrera Cup GB standings. His CV also includes winning the 2016 Ginetta GT4 Supercup title.
“After several years off track building my BMW tuning company, Tom Wrigley Performance, a new chapter has opened in my racing career,” he said. “I am extremely excited to be back behind the wheel in the Intelligent Money British GT Championship driving the McLaren Artura GT4 with RACE LAB.
“This year presents new challenges as the Pro driver in a Pro/Am partnership with Ian but I’m feeling ready for it! I am massively grateful to my sponsor FastR for giving me this opportunity and I’m looking forward to putting their brand and the car at the front for them, The Lions Barbers and all the other partners who are working with us for this season.”
Tom Chapman, CEO and Founder of The Lions Barber Collective, added: “When I was approached by Ian to put a programme together, I was immediately drawn to the idea. We are a grass roots charity and everything we do has to either raise awareness or raise money. This does both. I can’t wait to take The Lions Barber Collective to British GT, to raise awareness and reach our audience. British GT has 85% male trackside attendance, an important community for us to connect with. With our pop-up barber at every race and with our brand on the car, I know we will make a difference and save lives faster together.”
Completing the exciting driver line up is Fin Green, who will be acting in a driver development programme with RACE LAB. Fin will take on testing responsibilities where Ian’s work commitments conflict. Fin is a proven junior driver with multiple wins in Ginetta Junior and podiums in Ginetta GT4 Supercup.
“I’m really grateful for this opportunity,” said Finn, who will take on testing responsibilities where Gough’s work commitments conflict. “GT racing is my absolute focus, to get access to the team, the car and the opportunity to learn through a season of British GT will prepare me for a full-time assault next year.”
