Fortec Motorsport have announced a familiar face will make his GB3 Championship debut at Oulton Park this weekend, in the form of 2020 F4 British Championship champion Luke Browning.
He took seven wins, 16 total podiums and six poles as he claimed the title at the last gasp ahead of Zak O’Sullivan, who goes into the penultimate round of the season with a chance to take his first championship triumph a round early.
The final race of last season was curtailed due to a sudden downpour, seeing half-points awarded which meant O’Sullivan fell four points short of taking the title.
The Cheshire driver won all three races at his local circuit last season, and will hope that success will set him up for a positive debut weekend.
Browning sits fifth in ADAC F4 with a win to his name, while runaway leader Oliver Bearman took a win on his return to GB3 at Snetterton 300 in August.
The 18-year-old made one appearance in Italian F4 at the season opener at Paul Ricard, taking a second-place finish.
Prior to moving into single-seaters, Browning finished third in the 2019 Ginetta Junior Championship with eight wins from 26 races.
He will join 2021 race-winners Mikkel Grundtvig and Roberto Faria at Fortec, the pair having taken top honours at Donington Park and Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
Fortec Team Manager, Oliver Dutton, said: “Everybody is really pleased to welcome Luke back into the fold for this weekend, and to give him an opportunity to make his debut in the GB3 Championship.
“The graduation to a Formula 3 series is definitely where he belongs at this stage in his career, so it’ll be a useful weekend for him both in terms of learning the car, and also showcasing his talent against a highly-competitive field.
“Even though he’s had far less mileage in the car than any other driver on the grid, we’re confident he’ll be on the pace from the off and able to make the most of the experience.
“Regardless of the end result, we’re all very excited to work with him again, and look forward to seeing him out on track this weekend.”
Browning added: “I’m super excited to be back with the Fortec family for my debut in the GB3 Championship this weekend, and I can’t think of anywhere better to mark the occasion than my home circuit of Oulton Park!
“I’ve got plenty of fond memories taking the ‘Triple Crown’ there with the team in F4 last season; it would be quite the story if we can repeat that this weekend.
“I’m really grateful to the team for the opportunity to jump into one of their cars again, it definitely feels like a homecoming of sorts, and I’m looking forward to finding out how quickly I can acclimatise to the car.
“It’s going to be a different experience, but I know the team will provide me with a great base car to work from, and from there we’ll do what we do best!”