A full day’s testing for JRM Group and one of their Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3s at Brands Hatch yesterday may not have registered on the motorsport Richter scale but the story behind that test shows signs of producing a potential new force in GT Racing.
19 year old South African racer Liam Venter is the latest single seater driver to take a good hard look at GT racing and the test yesterday might well seal his future as a significant part of JRM’s racing efforts, together with the potential of a new customer team.
Venter was introduced to JRM by their works driver and coach Craig Dolby and it was Dolby’s task to set benchmark times for the young gun to aim for.
“Despite it being his very first time in a GT car he was immediately at ease,” said Dolby. “His times were very good, just a couple of tenths off my benchmark times.”
There was time in the afternoon session too for Venter to try the car in the wet after a substantial downpour hit the circuit.
“In hindsight that was a real bonus,” said Craig. “He was out there looking for and finding the grip, and working too to keep the tyres cool. If he keeps up that level of progress I’m going to have to up my game!”
“I was a little wary before trying the car,” said Liam. “But found myself feeling very much at home straight away. The car is a stunning looking thing and despite its size it was pretty nimble and had very good grip, plus lots of power, certainly not a massive difference from the bigger single seaters that I’ve raced and tested that I thought it may be.
I was certainly very encouraged, and the team were fantastic in helping me to get the most out of the car.”
Venter is due to test again with JRM next week before returning home to South Africa and waiting for ‘that’ call, and the prospect of a new direction for his motorsport career that has thus far seen him rise through the single seater ranks.
If plans come together then he, and Craig Dolby, might be seeing plenty of familiar faces in the garages next season – Along with Liam and Craig the Comtec Racing team were at Brands Hatch for the test, taking further steps towards what might be an exciting new programme for a team that has seen success in Formula Ford, Formula Renault and the hotly contested Formula 3.5 World Series by Renault:
“We are working with JRM towards a potential programme next year with the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3. At the moment the situation looks very encouraging. We find JRM’s team to be hugely helpful and professional, a real must in such a competitive business.
GT racing is certainly on the ‘up’ at the moment and Comtec want to be out there winning races.
Liam has tested and raced for us in WSR and Auto GP and then Craig introduced us to the people at JRM and things have move along from there. There’s a way to go yet but everyone is pulling in the same direction so there’s good reason to be optimistic.”
New drivers, and new customer teams, and with more testing to come with new faces to the GT scene very soon – JRM have their sights firmly set on the Pro class of Blancpain Sprint and Blancpain Endurance and an increasingly competitive showing from the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 in racing across Europe.