Huddersfield’s Daniel Lloyd will embark on a full campaign in the Blancpain Endurance Series this year, dovetailing five European rounds alongside his recently announced British GT Championship entry.

Daniel will be back behind the wheel of the Motorbase-run Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3 alongside 2014 British GT runner up Ahmad Al Harthy and an as-yet named, third driver as the Kent-based squad mounts its challenge on the Pro Cup class for the second year running.

The prestigious Blancpain Endurance Series pitches many of the world’s leading marques and works teams such as Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren against each other and this year boasts a packed grid with an unprecedented number of professional drivers and teams taking part. Competition is fierce with no fewer than 56 cars set to appear on Italy’s iconic Monza circuit for the championship’s opening round on April 11.

“It’s really exciting to be finally announcing this news; said Daniel. “We actually knew about the Blancpain programme at the same time as the British GT but we had to wait a bit longer to announce our plans. The Blancpain is the next piece in the jigsaw for me; it ticks all of the boxes in regards to where I need to be and what I need to be doing to take the next step in my racing career. It’ll be my second year in GT racing, so after a bit of a rocky season last year to now have such a good drive with a front-running team for this year is a great feeling.
 
“The two campaigns work alongside each other perfectly. It’s a great fit for our sponsors to have the exposure from the British GT in the UK and also allows me to move forward racing alongside the big factory teams in Europe in the BES, which is a fantastic opportunity for my career.”
 
The MSA Team UK driver added; “It’s a really competitive grid this year, with 23 cars in the Pro Cup.  Being in the Pro Class, we’re up against all of the factory teams, and in some cases against fully paid professional drivers so the competition will be tough but we’re aiming to be competitive from the off. We showed that last week at the official [Paul Ricard] test where we finished the first day third quickest. We proved that the car can do it, it’s just a case of seeing where we stand against the other teams come the first round.”

The five endurance events on the 2015 Blancpain GT Series calendar take place on some of Europe’s most iconic circuits throughout the season with proceedings starting at the Autodromo Nazionale, Monza before moving onto the series’ only UK round, the Silverstone 500 in May.  Next stop on the calendar is France’s picturesque Paul Ricard circuit before the highlight of the season – the Total 24 hours of Spa – in July, with the series coming to close on Germany’s legendary Nürburgring in September.

“I’m 100% ready for the start of the season. We’ve got the first British GT round at Oulton Park the weekend before heading to Monza and this year will be the first time that I’ve done a dual campaign. Monza is the only circuit on the calendar that I’ve not been to before so that’s going to be a bit of a hurdle to learn, but I’m hugely excited about racing there for the first time – it’s an incredible circuit with a great history and I can’t wait.”

“I’m massively looking forward to heading back to Spa for the 24 hour race this year;” added 23 year old Daniel. “I went there last season and it was the most amazing event but unfortunately I didn’t get a lap in the car so to go back and have another shot at it is something that I’m especially looking forward to.”

Motorbase Performance Team Principal David Bartrum added: “I’ve known Daniel from my days watching him in the Porsche Carrera Cup and I’ve always thought that he’s very fine talent.  Having worked with him over the past few weeks he seems a top lad and a top driver and a perfect fit for Motorbase.”
 
“We have great support from our sponsors once again this year and it’s really thanks to them that we’ve been able to put this campaign together for this season;” added Daniel. “The dual European campaign really does offer an amazing business opportunity and we are still looking for new partners and sponsors to join us for what is set to be our most exciting season yet.”

Daniel’s season gets underway at his local circuit, Oulton Park, over the Easter weekend (April 4-6) with a double header opener in the British GT before he makes his Motorbase debut on Italy’s world famous Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit the following weekend (April 11-12) for the opening round of the 2015 Blancpain Endurance Series.