Following the news earlier this week that JAS Motorsport is taking over the customer support operation in the UK for the NSX GT3, a surprise effort has come together for the car in British GT this year.
Kent-based team Bridger Motorsport, which has contested several national single-seater series since its inception in 2015, has acquired a Honda NSX GT3 Evo 22 via longstanding customer Johnny Ip and plans to compete in the full season with 18-year-old Luke Garlick as the co-driver.
This is the first-ever British GT programme for NSX GT3, and in a wider sense, the first-ever effort for the NSX in the UK. With it, Honda also becomes the 16th homologated GT3 marque to compete in British GT during the current era.
Team boss Jay Bridger, who won the British F3 National Class title back in 2008, told DSC earlier this week that he has been plotting this effort since May 2024, and has grander plans that go beyond this single-car effort.
“We may do some Britcar as well, and we have plans to order a second car (NSX GT3), which we hope will be delivered later this year for use in British GT in the future.
“We’ve gone against the grain,” he continued, “and we felt like going with Honda, with support from JAS is beneficial for us. We wouldn’t receive the same level of support with any other manufacturer.”
To this point, Bridger has tested the car for four days ahead of the season and has plans to put more mileage on the car before the season starts.
“The car seems great, very user-friendly and quick,” Bridger added. “We know it’s going to be a challenge this year, it’s a big step for us, so we have realistic goals. But we feel we have two good drivers and a strong team to run the cars with experience in high-level GT racing and even Formula 1.”
Ip and Garlick make for an intriguing pairing for British GT, as both are new to GT3 racing. Ip joins the championship after taking part in the team’s 2024 Monoposto programme and a brief spell in the British Endurance Championship with a McLaren 570S GT4.
Garlick, meanwhile, will likely become the youngest driver on the GT3 entry in the championship this year. He brings experience from Ginetta single-make racing, including a GT5 Challenge Pro title.
This left-field programme is a welcome boost to British GT, amid speculation from DSC paddock sources that the full entry list for 2025 will shrink this year, specifically in the GT4 ranks, after the championship welcomed a huge 36-car full-season entry in 2024.
