BRITISH GT4 RACER CHAPMAN TO FOREGO FINAL ROUND AT DONINGTON AS FOCUS SWITCHES TO 2018 SEASON

•    Matt Chapman steps down from GT4 to concentrate on 2018 plans
•    Character building rookie GT season comes to an early conclusion
•    Difficult campaign makes teen racer ‘more determined than ever’

Rapid British GT4 Championship rookie Matt Chapman has withdrawn from the category ahead of this weekend’s final round of the season at Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit, in order to place full focus on his plans for 2018.

Chapman, a multiple race winner in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge last year where he went on to become Vice-Champion, has encountered a multitude of issues during his maiden GT4 campaign and after much consideration has chosen to stand-down from the Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing team.

Despite showing tremendous pace in his first season at the wheel of a Ginetta G55 GT4 car, the Oxford 17-year-old’s bid for podium silverware has been impacted by a range of difficulties not of his making which have, in turn, made for a very challenging and character building year.

“It’s no secret it’s been a very tough season with one thing and another and we haven’t been able to show the pace we know is there”, said Chapman, “After a lot of thought and consideration, stepping down before Donington gives us more time, and budget, to work on next season’s plans.

“Even with the difficulties we’ve faced this season on track, I’ve loved being part of British GT4 and I’m more determined than ever to be back stronger in 2018 where we hope to be able to be contenders from the outset and put together a very consistent challenge. It’s unfinished business.”

During the penultimate race meeting of the season at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit in Kent last month, where he was partnered with category newcomer Chris Milford for the first time, Chapman produced the fifth fastest race lap in GT4 to underline his own pace and performance.

Starting the season in the points at Oulton Park in Cheshire, Chapman and then team-mate Sam Webster came tantalisingly close to a maiden GT4 podium at Rockingham in Northamptonshire the next time out until steering failure put paid to their hopes.

Power issues in the third event of the campaign at Snetterton in Norfolk limited any points scoring possibilities and at Silverstone’s flagship three-hour race in June, brake issues and driveshaft failure conspired to again frustrate.

For the overseas visit to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, where Chapman was a race winner in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge in 2016, a battling top 10 finish was the best he and Jake Giddings, a former British GT4 champion, could muster on another mixed weekend.

“In an ideal world we’d be racing at Donington next weekend and trying to end the championship with a season-best performance”, added Chapman, “But the sensible approach is to save the budget, make an early start on next year’s plans and be in the best place possible when 2018 arrives. I’d like to thank the guys at Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing for their hard work and support this year.”

CHALLENGING BRANDS HATCH GP WEEKEND FOR CHAPMAN AND ROOKIE GT RACING TEAM-MATE MILFORD

•    GT4 racer Matt Chapman battles odds with strong pace in Rd9
•    Teenage driver proves potential with fifth fastest GT4 race lap
•    Silver Cup P7 for Chapman and rookie team-mate Chris Milford

Matt Chapman underlined his clear potential in the ultra-competitive British GT4 Championship during the penultimate race of his maiden endurance racing season at Brands Hatch on Sunday, 6th August, by delivering the fifth fastest race lap in a very challenging two-hour encounter.

READ MORE

CHAPMAN HOPING FOR OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE TRUE PACE AND PERFORMANCE AS BRITISH GT HEADS TO BRANDS HATCH

• British GT returns to UK shores with visit to Brands Hatch GP
• Oxford’s Matt Chapman hungry for deserved trouble-free event
• Ginetta GT4 driver looking forward to GP track challenge

Endurance racing rookie Matt Chapman is hoping for a much-needed, and long overdue, trouble free outing when the British GT Championship resumes at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit next weekend, 5th/6th August, for the penultimate event of the 2017 season.

READ MORE

TOP 10 BEST FOR BRITISH GT4 RACER CHAPMAN AND NEW TEAM-MATE GIDDINGS AT SPA

• Battling top 10 highlight of mixed Spa-Francorchamps weekend
• Matt Chapman and team-mate Jake Giddings deliver strong pace
• Food poisoning pre-event less than ideal preparation for Chapman

Ginetta G55 GT4 driver Matt Chapman and new British GT4 Championship team-mate Jake Giddings combined to deliver a top 10 best during the fifth event of the 2017 season at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on Saturday, 8th July, as the highlight of an otherwise mixed weekend.

READ MORE

GINETTA GT4 RACER CHAPMAN RELISHING BRITISH GT VISIT TO LEGENDARY SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS

• Oxfordshire racer Matt Chapman looking forward to Spa return
• British GT4 driver hoping for trouble-free outing in Rds7&8
• Chapman aiming to turn undoubted pace into points in Belgium

Spa-Francorchamps welcomes the annual visit of the British GT Championship a week from now, on Friday, 7th July, and Saturday, 8th July, where first year GT4 driver Matt Chapman, a race winner at the legendary track in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge, is hoping to get his season firing on all cylinders.

READ MORE

CHARACTER-BUILDING WEEKEND FOR CHAPMAN AT SILVERSTONE AS DRIVESHAFT FAILURE AND BRAKE ISSUES IMPACT ‘HOME’ EVENT

• British GT4 racer Matt Chapman battles mechanical woes in Rd6
• Oxford driver prevented from showing true pace in Silverstone 3hr
• Driveshaft failure and brake problems undermine ‘home’ event

Oxford’s Matt Chapman endured a luckless outing during the latest round of the British GT Championship on home ground at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit over the weekend, 10th/11th June, when a series of mechanical issues prevented anything like a representative showing.

READ MORE

BRITISH GT4 ROOKIE CHAPMAN READY FOR ‘EXCITING’ THREE-HOUR RACE DEBUT ON HOME GROUND AT SILVERSTONE GP

• Oxford’s Matt Chapman looking forward to first ever 3hr race
• British GT4 driver excited for ‘home’ event at Silverstone GP
• Chapman aiming to get season on track after Snetterton dramas

Matt Chapman says he cannot wait to be back racing on ‘home’ ground this weekend, 10th/11th June, when the British GT Championship visits Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit for round six of the Oxfordshire driver’s maiden season in endurance racing.

READ MORE

FRUSTRATION FOR CHAPMAN AT SNETTERTON AS POWER ISSUES LIMIT BRITISH GT4 SCORING OPPORTUNITIES

• Chapman maintains positive outlook despite tough Snetterton
• First year British GT racer takes pair of top 12 results in Rds4&5
• Teen racer hopes to bounce back at home track Silverstone in June

British GT4 driver Matt Chapman experienced a tougher than expected outing during rounds four and five at Snetterton over the weekend, 27th/28th May, when power issues and contact in race two – when team-mate Sam Webster was at the wheel – resulted in a pair of 12th place results.

READ MORE

CHAPMAN CONFIDENT OF PODIUM CHALLENGE AS BRITISH GT PREPARES FOR SNETTERTON DOUBLE-HEADER

• British GT racer Matt Chapman eyeing maiden GT4 podium
• Confidence high after just missing out on silverware in Rd3
• Championship returns to double-header format at Snetterton

Three weeks since a luckless steering problem cost British GT Championship rookie Matt Chapman a maiden GT4 podium finish, the Oxford teenager is preparing to try and set the record straight when rounds four and five of the season take place at Snetterton in Norfolk next weekend, 27th/28th May.

During the previous event at Rockingham in Northamptonshire at the end of last month, Ginetta G55 racer Chapman and team-mate Sam Webster looked well on course to seal their first silverware but an oil pressure issue and subsequent steering failure ended the pairing’s genuine podium bid.

All looked good approaching the final half hour with Chapman holding third place, Webster having delivered a strong and consistent opening hour and pitting at the midway point from fourth in GT4. Emerging in an improved top three spot for his stint, Chapman set about maintaining third place but after slipping to fifth with the oil issue the race then came to an early end with 25 minutes to go.

While frustrated to have been forced to retire from round three of the championship after such a strong and competitive showing, the Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing duo took a huge amount of confidence away from the encounter after producing terrific pace and excellent racecraft.

Not only that, the team-mates shone in qualifying at Rockingham too with a season-best top five performance. Getting quicker and more competitive during each outing in the No.63 Ginetta, first year British GT driver Chapman is relishing the championship’s resumption a week from now.

“Snetterton should be pretty good for the Ginetta and I’ve performed well there in the past, plus Sam [Webster] was quick on the Media Day, so we’ll be going into next weekend feeling quite confident”, said the 2016 Ginetta GT5 Challenge Vice-Champion.

“I reckon we’ll be in a position to fight for the podium at Snetterton, we’re getting quicker and coming on all the time. We’re constantly learning with the car, especially as we had no pre-season testing, but we’re definitely improving. The pace we showed at Rockingham proves we can challenge for the podium and that’s the aim next weekend.”

British GT’s annual visit to Snetterton marks a return to the ‘double-header’ format with rounds four and five each taking place over 60 minutes. The 2.97-mile 300 Circuit provides an intriguing test with two long straights punctuated by a slower, more technical infield section. Add in the famous Bomb Hole and Coram right-handers and you have a track favoured by drivers and spectators alike.

Following the usual pair of practice sessions next Saturday, 27th May, qualifying for the GT4 drivers will commence at approximately 16.25. On Sunday, 28th May, there will be a 10-minute ‘warm-up’ at 09.30 ahead of round four at 11.40 and round five at 16.00. Both races will be screened live in the UK on free-to-air channel Front Runner.

2017 British GT4 Championship Standings
13th Matt Chapman & Sam Webster, 2pts

2017 British GT4 Championship – Silver Class Standings
6th Matt Chapman & Sam Webster, 29pts

CHAPMAN CONFIDENT OF PODIUM CHALLENGE AS BRITISH GT PREPARES FOR SNETTERTON DOUBLE-HEADER

• British GT racer Matt Chapman eyeing maiden GT4 podium
• Confidence high after just missing out on silverware in Rd3
• Championship returns to double-header format at Snetterton

Three weeks since a luckless steering problem cost British GT Championship rookie Matt Chapman a maiden GT4 podium finish, the Oxford teenager is preparing to try and set the record straight when rounds four and five of the season take place at Snetterton in Norfolk next weekend, 27th/28th May.

READ MORE