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  • 12 July 2018

    Team Brit: From Anglelsey to Le Mans

  • Team Brit is aiming to make history by becoming the first all-disabled team to compete in the Le Mans 24 hour race.

    Formed by Dave Player in 2014, the team is not a charity and doesn’t expect favours because of the participants’ injuries. What’s more, they’re aiming to get to the world-famous Le Mans 24 Hour Race on merit

    “In 2010, I set up the charity KartForce with the aim of getting injured veterans into karting,” explains Dave, who was paralysed in an accident in 1991, and has dedicated much of his life since then to organising para-sport. “We’ve helped so many injured guys in the past 25 years. There are more disabled racing drivers in the UK than the rest of the world put together, and half of them have come through KartForce and Team BRIT.”

    “For lads with physical injuries, they feel normal behind the wheel. On the track, everyone is exactly the same, all opponents respect each other. You don’t get any of the ‘Oh, are you OK?’ tippy-toes stuff that we can often face off the track.

    “And for guys with mental issues who struggle on a daily basis, it’s even better. It can sometimes take ages to build up the confidence to get behind the wheel, but once they start driving, the effects are amazing. The adrenaline starts flowing and as soon as they take the helmet off, you can see their eyes bulging out of their heads. It gives people confidence, and it often gives them the strength to go on  and change other parts of their lives.”

  • "THERE ARE MORE DISABLED RACING DRIVERS IN THE UK THAN THE REST OF THE WORLD. HALF OF THEM HAVE COME THROUGH KARTFORCE AND TEAM BRIT”

  • From fun to Le Mans

    With KartForce proving such a success, Dave decided to take motorsport to the next level. The Fun Cup followed, and Team BRIT are now also taking part in the GT4 series, racing an Aston Martin. The aim is to then step up to GT3 before racing at Le Mans in GTE car by 2020.

    “It’s a massive challenge and we gave ourselves five year to make it,” says Dave. “It requires a lot of money, but we’ve already met with Aston Martin and the ACO, who organise the  Le Mans race. They thought we might want a wildcard entry, but we don’t. We’re British and proud, and we don’t want to sneak in through the back door. Our drivers are already competing within the lap time criteria for entry.

    “The plan is to enter the Le Mans Festival races and the Le Mans Cup in 2019 and 2020, which will help make us eligible and will also mean that when our drivers get to the 24 Hour, they won’t be novices.”

    The professional approach, Dave stresses, means that only the most determined and dedicated injured veterans are considered for the team. “We aren’t a charity and I need people who are willing to try karting first, build up their experience, be reliable, and work for their place.”

    The Blesma Members who have made the team, like Jon-Allan and Ash, have demonstrated this.

  • Meet the Drivers: Ash Hall


    Ash Hall lost his legs above the knee in Afghanistan in 2010. He joined Team BRIT in 2017.

    What attracted you to Team BRIT and motorsport?
    I’ve always loved cars, and was a mechanic before I joined the Royal Engineers. After the Invictus Games last year, Dave Player asked me if I wanted to try out, and I loved it. I’d done karting, but the hand controls in a Fun Cup car are very different – it’s a really steep learning curve! I’ve got to grips with it though.

    What is the standard of racing like in the series in general?

    It’s really high. You’re competing against ex-Touring Car drivers and guys who have come from being paid as professionals. It’s hard to overtake those guys – you need a lot of skill and some real nerve. But coming from one of the most dangerous jobs in the world means that’s not too much of a problem!

    What aspects of motorsport do you enjoy the most?
    I get a buzz out of the racing – it does get the adrenaline going, but it’s also great being with the team. There’s a feeling of being part of something – that military sense of humour. And you have to be professional, too – everyone has to work, bring in sponsorship, stick to a standard, and present themselves right on social media. And I love the ambition.

    What are your personal goals within the team?
    I’d love to improve and get in the GT4 car. But I’d also love to open the door so more disabled people can get into the sport – maybe train them up in a coaching role.

  • Meet the Drivers: Jon-Allan Butterworth

    Jon-Allan lost his left arm above the elbow in Iraq in 2007. He joined Team BRIT last season and continues to cycle at an international level.

    What drew you to Team BRIT?

    I already had a track car and had done some races for Mission Motorsport, but it was frustrating waiting a long time between races. What really appeals here is the big ambition, taking part in a journey like I did to the Paralympics, but this time to Le Mans.

    What is the secret to excelling at endurance racing?

    Not getting too emotional or seeingthe red mist when you’re on track. You don’t need to overdo it in endurance racing, that’s when you have accidents. You need to go fast but it’s a long game. You can
    crash, go back to the garage and still win the race. I like thinking all the time, using my brain.

    What’s it like driving the Fun Cup car with one arm?

    It’s something we’re still working on because the steering isn’t reliable yet – it was overheating towards the end of my half-hour stints. It’s quite tiring on my arm! Oddly enough though, the higher up you go through the categories, the easier the cars are to steer.

    How far can Team BRIT go?

    I really think we can get to Le Mans, but the key thing will be doing OK there. Sure, it’s a story if an all-disabled team gets to the 24 Hour race, but we want to go there and be competitive.

  • "Blesma provides some funding to cover their travel and accommodation costs when they are training and competing, and gives them grants to buy items of kit for racing in. But the commitment is down to the individual."

  • “You also need to have an open mind and a brain like a sponge. You’ve got to listen to the instructors and do what they tell you. That way, you’ll improve and go faster.”

    Team BRIT can accommodate triple and potentially even quadruple amputee drivers thanks to some clever adaptations. Blesma Member and triple amputee Lamin Manneh is among those currently having  a trial, and a special simulator has been built to allow him to learn how to race."

    When I started in karting the hand controls were rubbish,” says Dave, “so I’ve been working at it. A lower limb amputee race car driver needs to do everything with their hands that an able-bodied driver does with their feet, so we’ve designed the world’s most advanced hand controls. There’s a right hand paddle for the throttle and a  left hand paddle for the brake. You gear up and down with your thumb. The concept is simple, but the tech is complex.

    “Lamin has shown he’s serious, so we needed to see if it was possible. We’ve  come up with seat insert moulds that fit around him, so he can work the throttle and brake paddles with his thighs.

    It’s the kind of innovative thinking that has made Team BRIT an addiction for those who get involved. “I love the idea  of the journey to Le Mans,” says Jon-Allan from the pit wall in slightly less glamorous
    Anglesey. “I hope the way I’ve progressed through cycling can help me. I love to learn, so I want to help the team move up through the pack and get better every year.”

    Watch this space!

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