Having recently announced their return to the Ginetta GT5 Challenge with Max Bird, Century Motorsport are now set to expand their entry to a two-car programme with the newly signed Finnish driver Sami Saarelainen.
Having spent much of his career to date competing both home and abroad in X30 Karting, Sami has recently sampled Formula 4, Formula Renault 1.6 and Formula Ford single-seater machinery before opting for the Ginetta GT5 Challenge as the next step in his racing career. Despite having no prior knowledge of the championship’s seven different circuits apart from virtually, the AKK Driver Academy Member (Finland’s Governing body) sights this move as a great opportunity to get lots of new experience and learn with every lap. Having attracted new commercial backing from Betset Oy, Plytec Oy and Pose Oy, Saarelainen is focused on making the most of this first step on Ginetta’s proven career ladder.
The 2017 Ginetta GT5 Challenge will continue to run on both of the UK’s biggest national championship support bills, primarily supporting British GT but also taking in two weekends supporting the British Touring Car Championship that features a return to Thruxton and new for 2017, Knockhill. Adding some further spice to the mix, this year the championship’s annual overseas trip will head for the sand dunes of Zandvoort in July.
Sami Saarelainen – Century Motorsport Ginetta G40:
“Joining Century Motorsport starts a new chapter in my career. I’m really looking forward to working with professionals who I know can really help me out with the challenges that come in my way in the following season. There is much to learn but I think with the team’s experience and my capability to learn quickly we can make progress and soon aim higher and higher.”
Nathan Freke – Team Principal, Century Motorsport:
“We’ve made absolutely no secret of the fact 2017 is going to be the year where we really step up our game. With the Ginetta GT5 Challenge back on our programme, we now have a comprehensive career ladder for any driver to start in a G40, progress through to GT4 and from their either go for GT3 or Prototypes, or maybe even both! I am delighted to welcome Sami to the team. His results in Karting speak for themselves and I think with Max Bird we have a great combination of young drivers to spur each other on.”