Rick Parfitt Jnr will contest this year’s British GT Championship aboard a Bentley Continental GT3 after switching to Team Parker Racing.
The 2013 GT4 champion stepped up to the senior category with Ginetta last season and scored a best result of fourth thanks to a memorable recovery drive at a sodden Snetterton.
And with Team Parker returning to the series with Bentley, the musician believes there's an opportunity to make further progress.
“This is a fantastic step for me in my racing career; to be associated with such an iconic brand and to be joining Stuart and his fantastic team is a dream come true,” said Parfitt Jnr.
“British GT in 2016 is going to be the most competitive it has ever been with an amazing array of cars and drivers. It will be a real spectacle, but I feel confident that we can hit the ground running and push for podiums straight from the off.
“I have always been very competitive, whether it’s on stage or in a race car. Stuart Parker and I share the same vision, which is to bring Bentley back to the top step of the podium.”
Bentley was absent from its domestic series in 2015, while Team Parker contested just one round – the blue riband Silverstone 500 – with an Audi R8 LMS ultra.
Both elements enjoyed successful campaigns elsewhere, though, with Bentley claiming victories in Europe and Asia, and Team Parker Racing winning the Am Cup at the 24 Hours of Spa en route to the same Blancpain Endurance Series class crown.
Team principal Stuart Parker confirmed Parfitt’s presence was already being felt.
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Rick into the team,” he said. “We have known each other for many years and to get the opportunity to work in the British GT Championship together with Bentley is fantastic.
“Rick’s infectious enthusiasm is already motivating the team ahead of what will be an incredibly competitive season. We look forward to being able to announce Rick’s team-mate in the very near future.”
Parfitt Jnr has secured backing from Markerstudy Group promoting their five-star-rated motor insurance brand, Geoffrey.
The opening round of this season’s British GT Championship takes place at Brands Hatch on April 16/17.