OXFORD racing driver Matt Chapman says he is ‘absolutely thrilled’ to be making the step-up into the prestigious British GT Championship for this season.

The 17-year-old completed a late deal this week to join reigning GT4 category team champions Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing.

After signing to partner Sam Webster in the high-profile endurance racing championship, Chapman is relishing the prospect of his maiden campaign in British GT aboard a Ginetta G55 GT4.

“I’m absolutely thrilled,” he said. “It was always the aim to race in British GT this year.”

  •  JASON Plato insists it is all systems go at Team BMR as he prepares to spearhead the squads’ charge for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship title with Subaru.

Ahead of this weekend’s opening meeting at Brands Hatch, the 49-year-old, from Oxford, admits the rear-wheel-drive machine is a much better car than the one that finished the 2016 campaign.

The two-time champion said: “We’ve dug down deep over the last few months, got some weight out of the car and really made it a better package.”

  •  CHIPPING Norton-based SWR Racing make their endurance racing debut this weekend at Misano.

Charlie Fagg and Romain Sarazin will take to the wheel of the team’s Nissan 370Z GT4 for the first round of the European Series Northern Cup.