Barwell Motorsport has confirmed its second driver pairing for the upcoming British GT Championship season, with Alex Martin and Sandy Mitchell set to share its second Dextra Group PLC and Black Bull Scotch Whisky-supported Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo II.
Martin and Mitchell will race in the #78 Lamborghini, adding to Barwell’s previously confirmed duo for the #63, Rob and Ricky Collard.
Martin joins the British GT grid after competing in Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Ferrari Challenge, and the British Touring Car Championship in the past. Most recently, after a break from racing to focus on business commitments, he competed with Team Parker in the Le Mans Cup last year, alongside a single British GT appearence at Silverstone.
“I’m delighted to be joining Barwell Motorsport this year for British GT, and really glad to be back racing on the UK’s finest circuits,” Martin said. “I’ve raced with Team Parker Racing for many years, and I have them to thank for getting back out competing again last season after my five-year break and it really gave me the bug for GT3 racing.
“I was invited to test the Barwell Lamborghini at Snetterton, on what was a dreadful day weather-wise, but I instantly loved the car. In the Porsche I raced last year if I didn’t get a good corner exit I was a sitting duck, so it was very unforgiving to race. The Lamborghini is an incredible all-rounder with great aero; that wonderful, mid-engined V10 helps it pivot around the middle so it actually rewards quite aggressive driving. It’s a thrilling thing, and I can’t wait to experience it at circuits like Oulton Park.
“Although my one-off British GT round at Silverstone last year didn’t go to plan results-wise, it did show me how far British GT has moved on in the last 15 years or so. The paddock is now massive, GT3 has evolved hugely, and now every car on the grid looks fantastic. The championship is a real show, with world-class drivers, and it’s great for fans. As for expectations, nothing is easy, but we have to be going in looking for race wins and believing we can win the championship.
“Sandy is one of the best Pro drivers around and I know we’ll make a great pairing. Barwell is also the best outfit out there. They’re so professional and straight away I felt a bond with the technical staff. It felt like they were behind me and had my back, and that’s important. We’ve also got some super-strong team-mates on the other side of the garage, which from a team perspective is brilliant. Hopefully we can all push each other on to success this season.”
Mitchell meanwhile, is a long-term Barwell driver. The Scotsman made his British GT debut back in 2016 in a Black Bull-backed McLaren GT4, before moving up into the GT3 rannks for 2020, securing his maiden championship that season alongside Rob Collard. He’s been a race winner in every British GT season since with Barwell, finishing second in the championship in 2022 and fourth last year alongside Shaun Balfe.
“It’s great to be back in British GT this year, and I can’t wait to start working with Alex because I think we’ll be a really exciting pairing,” added Mitchell. “He made a successful return to racing last year in Europe and I have no doubt he’ll get straight back up to speed on the British tracks too. We know that Barwell will always give us a car capable of running at the front, so it’s up to us to get the most out of the package we have. It’s also great to see the team with two incredibly strong line-ups.
“As a team we made a huge amount of progress with the Huracan GT3 Evo II last year. We were learning a lot about the new car at the start of last year but by the end of the season we were one of the fastest out there, winning the season finale at Donington Park. It’s always great to win that last race of the year and take that high into the winter. We’ll be looking to build on that momentum and hit the ground running from the first race this year.”
