Hillspeed Signs Marcus Short For GB4 Debut At Silverstone GP
Exciting young racing talent Marcus Short will make his single-seater debut with Hillspeed when the GB4 Championship partnered by the BRDC resumes at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit on 30th/31st July – boosting the Markham Vale squad’s entry for the event to three cars.
The 17-year-old, from St Ives in Cambridgeshire, has a superb motor racing pedigree as the son of successful endurance racer Martin Short – the 2003 British GT Champion and 2008 Dutch Supercar Challenge GT Class Champion.
Short Jnr tested a Hillspeed GB4 car for the first time this past Thursday, 14th July, at Bedford Autodrome and enjoyed an excellent first experience of the Tatuus F4-T014 chassis, which is powered by a 1.4-litre Autotecnica Motori engine producing 160bhp.
Marking his first ever run at the wheel of a single-seater, Short impressed Hillspeed team principal Richard Ollerenshaw who is now relishing the opportunity to work with the teenager over the course of a full GB4 race weekend.
It’s only just over a year since Short contested his maiden car race, an outing in the Citroen C1 24 Hours at Silverstone, and he has subsequently had six outings in a Rover 216 GTi in the MG Cup as well as completing two races in a Mosler GT car with his older brother Morgan. Away from the track, Marcus is a very proficient sim racer in the official Formula One Esports Series.
Hillspeed, of course, is enjoying a highly successful first season of GB4 action with multiple podium finisher Max Marzorati currently leading the driver standings and Megan Gilkes already a double race winner. The Derbyshire squad also tops the team championship ahead of Silverstone.
Richard Ollerenshaw – Hillspeed Team Principal:
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Marcus to the team for the Silverstone GB4 races, he’s a very exciting young talent and we were impressed with how he got on during his first outing in the car at Bedford last week. Marcus obviously has an incredibly strong motorsport pedigree from his father Martin and with the fantastic support the whole family provides, we think he can spring some surprises at Silverstone. It’s great to be running three GB4 cars for the next round and we’re very much looking forward to seeing Marcus teaming with Max and Megan, a very exciting line-up.”
Marcus Short – Hillspeed GB4 Driver:
“The test at Bedford was amazing! We had one of the circuits to ourselves and had three hours, starting off getting comfortable and then doing things like practice starts to prepare as much as possible. I really loved it and got along with the car quite well. I don’t know what to expect for Silverstone, it’ll obviously be my first time as part of a GB4 weekend and my first time in the car on one of the actual race circuits. I’m intending to go with the flow and just enjoy myself as much as possible, it’s not every day you get a fantastic opportunity like this.”
Before the upcoming GB4 races at Silverstone at the end of the month, Hillspeed will first be in action with its GB3 Championship partnered by the BRDC entry at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium this coming weekend, 23rd/24th July, for the fifth event of the GB3 campaign.
