Graham Brunton racing will head south to the Formula Ford and Walter Hayes Festivals looking to bring some of the legendary silverware back here to Knockhill Racing Circuit.
The GBR Racing outfit, based here at Knockhill Racing Circuit, will head to two of the most prestigious Formula Ford events with a crop of young Scottish racers looking to make their way to the top of the single-seater racing ladder. The squad will head south with a trio of young Scots stars including Neil MacLennan, Jamie Thorbun and Seb Melrose – who also happens to be the nephew of four-time Indy Car Champion Dario Franchitti.
McGarrity right pictured with Craig Brunton from GBR.
However, this year, the GBR squad will be bolstered with former Vauxhall Junior, F3000 and McLaren test driver Kevin McGarrity – who will drive the Dario Franchitti backed Ray that won the 2016 Scottish Formula Ford 1600 Championship during the Walter Hayes Festival at Silverstone Circuit on 5/6 November.
Brunton recollects with Knockhill presenter Duncan Vincent that idea to get McGarrity back in a Formula Ford transpired in the pub, the night before Dario’s young daughter’s Christening. And, by the time McGarrity got wind of it… all was pretty much said and done.
Graham Brunton said:
“It’s great to have Kevin back in a Formula Ford for the Walter Hayes Festival. For me, the event has always been about young and upcoming racers being pitted against some of the top racers in the world who have been there, seen it and done it, and who think nothing of it to come back to mix it with all these young talented drivers.
“I’ve been to many a Festival through the years and Kevin was always one you’d look out for. It’s really exciting for us to get someone of his caliber into our race car – and well, he couldn’t really refuse after Dario’s involvement, could he?”
“I’ve always loved Formula Ford racing, which is where I started back in 1990. However, I’ve never managed to do the Walter Hayes due to other racing commitments. So when I arrived on the morning for Dario’s daughters Christening, all the plans were in place and I just had to agree that it was a good idea,” added McGarrity.
As well as familiarising himself with the GBR Ray he’ll pilot on 5/6 November at the Walter Hayes, McGarrity also got to get a few laps under his belt around the Knockhill track.
“There’s a few texts been flying back and forth between myself and Dario today, given that it is his car. He’s kind of taking the mickey out of me at bit, so I think what we’ll do is shave a few seconds off the times we’re doing to wind him up a bit,” laughed McGarrity.
You can catch up with McGarrity and Brunton in the video below.
We wish the GBR squad the best of luck for their upcoming race meetings, which will hopefully see some of the famous trophies head North to Scotland, or perhaps Northern Ireland, for 2016.
You can find out more about the Walter Hayes event here.
