Optimum’s British GT Vice-Champion duo to contest final SuperCup rounds

Optimum Motorsport’s highly successful British GT Championship pairing, 2015 GT4 class vice-champions Graham Johnson and Mike Robinson, will each contest one of the final two Michelin Ginetta GT4 SuperCup weekends, as they seek to continue their good form against the best Ginetta G55 racers in the UK, competing in the hotly-contested BTCC support series.‍

The duo both began driving together in endurance karting, before moving into Caterham sprint racing in 2006. They continued to compete against each other in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge, where Graham took fifth in 2011 and 2012, while Robinson was vice-champion in 2012, before driving together once more in British GT this season.

This weekend (26-27 September) at Silverstone, Graham Johnson will join the ‘AM’ class and contest the pair of SuperCup races on the National circuit against 20 other rivals, 13 of which are season regulars. With the intention of advancing his skills further ahead of an already announced 2016 British GT4 title attack alongside Mike, the Surrey-based businessman is keen to test himself in a ‘sprint’ environment once again.

Then, a fortnight later (10-11 October) at Brands Hatch on the challenging GP Circuit, 2014 Michelin Clio Cup Race Series Champion, Mike will do battle against a similarly high-class field as he rounds out his 2015 driving duties in search of a successful return to his ‘home’ track, after claiming a GT4 class second place there in British GT alongside Graham back in August.

The races at Silverstone and Brands Hatch will be the duo’s final competitive outings before their focus switches again to the day-job and the Professional MotorSport World Expo 2015 event held annually in Cologne. Staged in the second week of November (11-13), the show gives race teams time to look and consider what technologies are likely to fit in with their 2016 programmes

.Both weekends will be televised live in entirety on ITV4, with timing available throughout courtesy of TSL.

Graham Johnston: “It’s about staying race-sharp really, that’s my reasoning for taking part at Silverstone. I want to compete among the best G55 racers in the country in a sprint environment. It's just another step in our preparation to win the 2016 British GT4 Championship. I'm aiming to be the top 'Am' driver and I want to be mixing it with the Pros. Top five or six overall would be an amazing result, but I'm not so naive to think I can just walk into such a competitive series and win it overall!”

‍Mike Robinson: “Shaun put together a deal for Graham and I to do these races a while ago, so we’re on track until the end of the season. It’s been five years since I was last racing on the TOCA package and I am really looking forward to being out for the final round of the season. I’ve never driven the car in SuperCup spec or on the Michelin tyres, therefore challenging the season-long front runners is going to be incredibly difficult; I will be giving it my all though. Our pace on the Brands Hatch GP circuit in British GT was very good and Graham and I finished second there, so I do have some good experience in the G55 on what is my local track. The main aim however will be to enjoy the racing and have some fun; if I end up on the podium that will be a perfect end to a great 2015’s racing.”