Team Founder Dave Player looks back on 2017 and what an amazing year it has been for the team.
This time last year Team BRIT was on its knees. Exhausted, beaten but not broken – never broken.
2016 had been a tough rollercoaster of a year and we ended it with a skeleton team of three tired but still very ambitious fools – Warren McKinlay, Mike Scudamore and myself.
We had to come up with a new plan and find new reserves of drive and determination.
After giving each other a few swift boots up the arse and slaps, we were very quickly back on track.
We selected three rookies and decided to buy a second Fun Cup car so we could enter two teams of two drivers in the 2017 Fun Cup Championship. We could have entered one team with four drivers, but there’s nothing like pushing the limits to get the adrenaline flowing and keep the mind focused.
Just before Christmas we got the lucky break we had been waiting for. We secured a title sponsor, Brit Insurance, who committed to a multi-year agreement.
And so we started 2017 with a new team of four drivers, a new crew run by Graham Horgan and two newly refurbished cars.
In February we were joined by Lucy Sheehan, our new PR Manager. Lucy’s hit the ground running by organizing our team press launch at Brit Insurance offices and unveiling outside Lloyds of London. Lucy’s never-ending supply of patience and expertise has guided the rapid and massive growth of our profile, not to mention the support she provides our sponsors.
After enjoying a fantastic race in the Spa 25hr in July we decided it was time we opened our doors to civilian disabled drivers and welcomed Olivia Jackson and James Russell to the team in September. We’ve since taken on two further military veterans in Jamie Falvey and Ash Hall.
We ended our 2017 race season by competing in the Birkett 6hr Relay at Silverstone and were very lucky to have been able to hire the exclusive British Racing Drivers Club. Last year we were pleased to have 25 guests joins us but this year we very proudly welcomed 180 VIPs including a dozen Army Generals and Senior Executives from around 50 multi-national companies.
We have come a long way in a year. This is purely down to having a fantastic team of highly driven and motivated individuals, all of whom passionately believe in the aims of our team.
We have achieved beyond everyone’s wildest expectations and sent out a very strong and positive message that Team BRIT is a serious project, worthy of the serious levels of support we are getting from our sponsors, all of whom have renewed and increased their investment for 2018.
This time next year….
