A racing driver from Fernwood is on course to secure a championship win as he nears the final round of the season.

Jamie Falvey is a driver for Team BRIT, the world’s only competitive team of all-disabled racing drivers and competed in the penultimate race weekend of the year in the GT Cup championship.

Jamie and team mate Paul Fullick competed at Brands Hatch, competing across two days, with two races held on both Saturday and Sunday.

They went into the weekend leading their GT3 class and hoped to do everything possible to build on that advantage.

The pair started in the best possible way, securing P2 in qualifying and missing out on pole position by a fraction. Jamie then took on the 20-minute sprint race, bringing their BMW M4 GT3 home in P1.

Next up was a 40-minute pit stop race, which was less successful, with the pair finishing P5.

Sunday saw a P3 in qualifying before a pit stop race that had just about everything.

Multiple yellow flags were shown before a red brought the race to a halt. Unfortunately, Jamie was involved in one of the incidents, and ended up on the gravel. The Team BRIT crew got the car back to the garage and repaired in time for the restart. Paul then did an amazing job at fighting back to secure P3 and another podium position.

Jamie rounded the weekend off with another P1 in the second sprint race of the weekend.

The points tally mean Jamie and Paul continue to lead their class with just one race weekend remaining at Snetterton Circuit on 10th and 11th October.

Since its formation in 2015, Team BRIT has been dedicated to revolutionising disability motorsport, breaking down barriers, and proving that nothing is impossible.

Over the past decade, the team has progressed from entry-level racing to offering a variety of levels of racing for drivers at all levels of experience, right up to GT3.

Jamie served in the Royal Marines commandos to the rank of lance corporal. He was medically discharged after sustaining hearing damage, resulting in permanent tinnitus and severe hearing loss in one ear, which curtailed his career in the military.

Paul is a lower leg amputee following a motorbike crash.

Jamie said: “Race weekends usually give us a bit of everything and move from elation to despair in minutes, which is definitely what happened at Brands!

“We had some car challenges which hampered our usual testing schedule, and on track incidents meant we didn’t come out with the full points we were chasing, but we also got to the top of the podium twice and retained our lead.

“Team BRIT hasn’t run a GT3 car before, so to be ahead and leading our class with just one race to go is so impressive and is down to the efforts of everyone involved.

“A massive thank you to the entire crew for working so hard and to the sponsors, friends and supporters who were there to cheer us on. We look forward to the same at Snetterton.”

PHOTO: Jess Croome

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