Harvey joins Mikey Doble and Connor Grady in the Pro class for the South Yorkshire squad, who won a third drivers’ title last year with Josh Steed, while Zarpelão enters the Am’s alongside Bal Sidhu and Neil Finnighan.
Harvey has chosen to make his car-racing debut in the GT5 Challenge this season. While he has no previous racing experience, he had conducted a short testing programme with the Xentek team over the last year and is looking forward to getting to grips with the car.
Sam Harvey: “I’m really looking forward to this opportunity and I’m determined to show my worth throughout the year. I would like to thank Leasing Gorilla, James Smith, R&A Properties, Chalford Cakes, SJ Property Development, Fire Management Ltd and AutoJack Tools for enabling me to pursue my dream.”
Zarpelão will be travelling all the way from Brazil to race in the UK for the first time this season. He has enjoyed single-seater success in his homeland, twice winning the ECPA Formula Vee Cup, and he got his first taste of a Ginetta G40 GT5 at the recent media day at Silverstone.
Gérson Zarpelão: “I’m looking forward to travelling to the UK and competing in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge this season. I’ve enjoyed my first experiences working with the Xentek Motorsport team and getting used to my new car.”
Chris Richards, Xentek Motorsport Team Principal: “We are looking forward to having both Sam and Gerson join the team to complete our 2022 line-up. Sam has really got to grips with the car considering he has no previous racing experience and we are looking forward to seeing what else he can do.
“Gerson has only had two days in the car with us but has shown some real talent. We are really happy he has chosen to race with us and make the journey from Brazil.”
Packed grids and close racing makes the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge a popular entry-level championship for many aspiring GT racers. In 2022, the series will compete across both British GT and British Touring Car Championship weekends.
