Lotus Sport Cadena Announces 3rd Exige For British Gt Championship

Lotus Sport Cadena Race Team will campaign a third Lotus Sport Exige GT3 in the 2006 Avon

Tyres British GT Championship debuting at the scenic and demanding Donington Park Race

Circuit meeting on 21 May 2006.

The third Lotus Sport Exige GT3, race number 18, will be driven by Paul Whight and Chris

Randall and will join the pairings of Barrie Whight and Gavan Kershaw in car number 19 and

George Mackintosh and Sam Blogg in car number 20.

Testing of the prototype Lotus Sport Exige GT3 has progressed steadily and successfully at the

official test session at Silverstone and at the challenging Lotus test track at Hethel, Norfolk.

Results are encouraging and further testing is planned in the next two weeks with the prototype

and the first two Lotus Sport Cadena race cars both at Hethel and at Snetterton.

Whilst the third car is being built, Paul Whight and Chris Randall will race the prototype Lotus

Sport Exige GT3, ensuring that a full complement of three cars will line up on the grid at

Donington.

The Lotus Sport Cadena race team is based at the Group Lotus headquarters in Hethel,

Norfolk in a newly-converted workshop facility. The team has access to the established Lotus

Sport expertise and infrastructure, in addition to the all important 2.25 mile Lotus Test Track.

This will be used as part of the team's testing programme throughout its maiden season in this

year's Avon Tyres British GT Championship, with an eye on entering the FIA GT3 European

Championship in 2007.

Commenting on the announcement of the three car team, Paul Whight, Team Principal for

Lotus Sport Cadena said: "I am very pleased that we have a third car in our line-up and I am

very excited to be one of the drivers. This will be a development year for both the team and the

Exige GT3 and although Lotus Sport Cadena isn't an official factory team, we have a very close

relationship with Lotus. I would like to thank Lotus Sport for building the cars in such a short

time and for the loan of their prototype Exige GT3 – I hope that we can do the Lotus brand

proud for our debut!"