Will Jenkins has been selected to join leading BTCC team Motorbase Performance’s Young Driver Programme this season as he makes an exciting next step in his motorsport career in the Porsche Sprint Challenge GB.
Jenkins will join the ranks of Motorbase Performance’s programme, which was created to hand-pick bright young talents in British racing and support them in their careers, with headline support from one of the team’s key partners, Wera Tools.
The Porsche Sprint Challenge GB has established itself as one of the top one-make GT championships in the UK since its introduction in 2020. Jenkins will compete in the series’ headline Pro class in a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, which will feature an eye-catching Wera Tools livery.
The move to Porsche’s will see the Staffordshire based driver return to racing exclusively alongside the British Touring Car Championship again, bringing with it live ITV television coverage and trackside crowds of over 30,000 per event on average. A six event, 18 race calendar for 2023 features visits to Donington Park, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Snetterton and Croft.
Jenkins’ Cayman will be run by Century Motorsport, one of the top teams in domestic GT racing, having twice been crowned GT4 drivers’ and teams’ champions in British GT. They have also secured multiple titles in Ginetta racing, and enjoyed a stellar debut in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB last year, winning two races and the Rookie Championship.
The 18-year-old talent, who last season finished as vice-champion in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge and was previously a race-winner in the Ginetta Junior Championship also, will race with support from personal partners Asset Alliance Group, Hopkins Race Transporters, The Reefer Trailer Centre and Culina Group.
Will Jenkins: ’“I’m really excited to be moving into the Porsche Sprint Challenge GB for the 2023 season. This is a fantastic opportunity for me to race in a top GT championship and compete full-time on the prestigious BTCC support package again.
“It’s truly an honour to be selected onto the Motorbase Young Driver Programme and get the chance to make this next step in my career. I’m looking forward to representing Motorbase and Wera Tools on the grid, and hopefully we’ll have a great year together.
“I’m not underestimating the challenge ahead of us in a new series, but after just missing out on title success last year, I want to go one better this time around. Century Motorsport are a fantastic team with a great track record, so with their support, I’m confident we can go and fight for the title.
“I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity, and to all my new and existing partners that have supported me and made this possible. I’m really looking forward to the challenge ahead and can’t wait to get started.”
Pete Osborne, Motorbase Performance Owner: “Motorbase has a great history of supporting young drivers in their motorsport careers and we’re delighted to give our support to Will for the season ahead. He’s hugely impressed us with his performances in recent years and we’re confident he can enjoy another successful season as he makes the step up to Porsche.”
Nathan Freke, Century Motorsport Team Principal: “It’s great to be able to conclude this deal with Will to make our debut on the Porsche Sprint Challenge GB grid. Will is clearly a very talented young driver and someone we know we can fight for podiums and wins straight away.
“While the Porsche Cayman is new to us, we have experience with the Porsche brand with the Carrera Cup car, and we believe that our approach will be the correct one to maximise performance from the car and Will. We will make sure that we leave no stone unturned and our aim is to be in the championship fight come the end of the year.”
The 2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge GB season gets underway over the weekend of April 22/23 at Donington Park in Leicestershire.