> Australian flavour for Keltic Racing’s Vantage GT3
M2 Competition will make its British GT debut at Spa-Francorchamps later this month with Tony Quinn and Aston Martin Racing factory ace Darren Turner.
M2 was established in 2010 to contest the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand, which has become a popular winter destination for junior single-seater hopefuls. Indeed, current world stars Lando Norris, Lance Stroll, Alex Lynn, Raffaele Marciello and Nick Cassidy have all contributed towards M2’s five Teams’ and Drivers’ titles in recent years.
The team recently opened a European outpost in Brussels from where its maiden Formula Renault Eurocup campaign is being run. This month’s British GT appearance at Spa will be M2’s first sportscar outing, although its personnel have a wealth of GT and saloon car racing experience. Team principal Elise Moury is a Total 24 Hours of Spa-winning engineer while others have spent many years in the DTM.
M2’s new Vantage GT3 will run under the same Keltic Racing banner as Quinn uses in the Australian GT Championship where he has twice finished runner-up with Aston Martin’s previous-generation, V12-powered Vantage.
The British-born expat has spent most of his adult life Down Under but is keen to add another iconic circuit to a personal hit list that already boasts the likes of Bathurst and The Nordschleife.
“I’m incredibly excited to race at Spa-Francorchamps. It’s one of those ‘bucket list’ circuits that a driver like me, who’s based on the other side of the world, doesn’t get many opportunities to compete at,” said Quinn.
“The V8 Vantage GT3 is a serious piece of kit and I’m looking forward to seeing what it can do. It will be a learning experience for me, but I’m confident that with a team like M2 Competition and a Le Mans-winning co-driver like Darren Turner behind me, we can cause a surprise or two.”
Turner, meanwhile, requires little introduction. An AMR factory career spanning 15 years has yielded three class victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours, as well as wins at Sebring and the Nurburgring. He was also European Le Mans Series champion in 2016.
“Spa is one of the greatest circuits in the world and I’m always ready to accept a good opportunity to race there,” said Turner, who contested British GT with Beechdean AMR in 2018. “With the British GT grid growing from strength to strength, it’s a great time to re-join the fray. Tony Quinn has achieved a lot in motorsport in Australia and New Zealand and I think we’ll make a good partnership. M2 Competition are new to GT racing, but their record in single-seaters, and the drivers they’ve worked with shows they know their business. I’m looking forward to another new experience in a season that has offered a great deal so far.”