Racer on track for UK return as preparations for next year get underway

An amateur race car driver from Caerphilly is gearing up for another year on the track as preparations for next year get underway.

Graham Cole and his Caerphilly-based racing team GCCRacing will be competing in the 2024 Zeo Series across the UK.

It will be the first time Cole has competed in the UK since 2019, having focused on events across France in recent years, including at famed circuits like Le Mans and Magny Cours.

He has raced solely in France’s TTE/Free Prototype series, which is more suited to his latest prototype car.

However, Cole has now sold his Ultra Fast Jade Turbo Prototype and replaced it with the lesser-powered 2.0litre prototype – the Bicknell PS7.

Cole said: “While the Jade was a fantastic car it had its limitations in that the car could only be run on
X-Ply tyres. Unfortunately, AVON Tyres, who supplied the sizes and compounds the car needed, were taken over by an American company who promptly declared they were winding down the company.

“This meant no suitable tyres were available for the car.”

He continued: “We searched high and low for a really competitive replacement and finally settled on the BPS7.

“This car though required several changes that took time to design and build, and this is where Richwest Engineering stepped in to help.

“This precision engineering company based in Caerphilly designed and manufactured several bespoke high-quality components to enable us to run in the two litre category France series.”

However, despite some success on the other side of the channel, Cole’s plan has always been to return to racing in the UK.

To compete in the Zeo series, which includes races at the historic Silverstone and Brands Hatch circuits, the GCCRacing team have built and installed a new 360bhp turbo engine, which they hope will be ready to race next year.

Cole said: “I should point out that unlike F1 teams we cannot make changes such as this overnight. So whereas the necessary changes to chassis, gearbox, and engine may take an F1 team just weeks perhaps, it takes us around 12 months.

“Nevertheless, having hopefully overcome early teething problems the car is now ready with the new body design and engine created during and since lockdown.

“We have already taken the car for structural integrity and handling tests at Llandow circuit and Silverstone – both of which highlighted problem areas.”

Cole said the plan is to follow on from those tests with a test at Le Mans in November ahead of winter testing.