Elite Motorsport will return to the GT4 European Series Powered by RAFA Racing Club for a second shot at success this year with its twin McLaren Arturas.
The British team made its GT4 Europe debut last year, and finished the 2023 season strongly by securing its first overall race victory during the season finale at Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya in September. The team has also recently been a star in the GT4 Winter Series, with its McLarens racking up four overall and six class race wins and a total of 27 combined outright and class podium finishes.
The two drivers involved in that breakthrough GT4 Europe success in Spain – Tom Emson and Josh Rattican – both return with the team, but each will be alongside a new team-mate.
Emson will be joined by Irishman Alex Denning in one car, with Rattican sharing the second Artura GT4 with Tom Lebbon.
Emson first tested for Elite in 2017 and contested first the Ginetta Junior Championship and then Ginetta GT4 SuperCup with the team, finishing runner-up in 2022. Last year he celebrated a top-10 finish in the GT4 Europe points in his maiden season, and was also a race winner in the UK GT Cup championship.
Denning also returns for a second GT4 Europe campaign, having been a Silver podium finisher twice last year with Elite. Before moving to GT racing he impressed in the UK Mini Challenge championship, finishing second in the points in 2022 with seven race wins to his name.
Rattican has run with Elite since 2020, racing in both Ginetta Junior and the GT4 SuperCup, recording second-place finishes in both championships. He capped an impressive first year of European GT4 racing with that Barcelona victory alongside Emson, meaning the pair took winning momentum into the winter break.
Lebbon is a serial winner, and made his GT4 Europe debut for a one-off appearance with Elite at Hockenheim last year. UK Ginetta Junior champion with the team back in 2020, Lebbon then went on to finish third in the single-seater GB3 Championship before contesting the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine. Most recently he helped Elite to six GT4 Winter Series wins from 18 races, securing third in the points.
Elite Motorsport head Eddie Ives says: “We are all really excited by the two super-fast pairings that we’ve put together in the McLarens for the GT4 European Series Powered by RAFA Racing Club this year.
“I am very proud that we are continuing relationships with Tom [Emson], Josh [Rattican] & Tom [Lebbon] who, between them, have completed 13 years of racing representing Elite Motorsport. Joining them is Alex, who fitted into our team really well last year.
“We learnt a lot about the McLaren Artura last season, which showed when we claimed a win and second-place in the final event at Barcelona. I feel that we have the expertise and the drivers to ensure front-running results in 2024 in what is, by far, the most competitive GT4 grid in the world.
“I would like to personally thank Entire Race Engineering for their continued support as team sponsors. I also want to thank McLaren for their pro-activeness with our association.”