Nick Tandy’s team switches to Porsche Carrera Cup GB for 2017
JTR, the racing team run by Porsche factory driver (and 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans winner) Nick Tandy, will move into the Porsche Carrera Cup GB next season.
The British Formula Ford championship-winning squad’s move mirrors Tandy’s own career switch from single seaters into the one-make Porsche series in 2010 (after a handful of headline-grabbing guest drives in 2008 and 2009).
Tandy had made no secret that a switch to the Carrera Cup has been on the JTR radar for sometime and, talking to Total 911, admitted that plans for the move ramped up “after the start of this season”.
“I’ve been involved this year with the development of the new 911 GT3 Cup car, which will debut next year in Supercup and be used in GB from 2018, and now seemed like the right time to jump in [with JTR],” the British Porsche ace explained.
Three new Porsche 991 GT3 Cup cars have been ordered for the team’s Carrera Cup GB debut in 2017, with JTR hoping to field a driver in each of the championship’s three categories next year: Pro, Pro-Am1 and Pro-Am2.
With news of the switch only just made public, no drivers have currently been signed up however the team has also bought an old 991 Cup car in order to test out potential signings later this year.
JTR’s Carrera Cup GB drivers will benefit from coaching with Tandy and, while the team doesn’t have any GT experience to this point, the Porsche works driver feels his own experience developing and setting up 911 Cup cars will allow the squad to start next season on the front foot.
“The team has a number of people working for it who, combined, have won numerous championships,” the 2015 Le Mans winner pointed out. “All those skills are transferable.”
Should the Carrera Cup GB venture go well, JTR could eventually expand into the Porsche Supercup, helping its drivers forge a career in Europe using the Porsche ladder system that Tandy himself has used to such good effect.
The Total 911 view – Josh Barnett, Features Editor
“If you’re looking for a 2017 Carrera Cup seat, JTR – despite their lack of first-hand experience – should be a genuine consideration. Nick is one of the fastest sports car driver around (especially in a 911) so to offer coaching with the Le Mans winner makes the package look very attractive. I’m sure they’ll be contenders in all three classes from the off.”
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