Tom Onslow-Cole To Race At The 'Ring'

Tom Onslow-Cole will complete the Nürburgring permit course, this week, ahead of his VLN Championship debut in the Milltek Sport-backed Toyota GT-86, on Saturday.

OC, who has tested many of the Milltek Sport fleet of performance cars, most recently the Ford Focus RS, on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, has never raced on the 24.4km-long track, but says that there are several reasons he and the premium exhaust manufacturer have chosen to compete here.

"The Nürburgring is for true petrol heads who appreciate quality and performance, and that makes it a perfect place for Milltek Sport to race," OC explained. "The track is also among the most testing and challenging in the world, not only for us drivers but for the cars and parts. Milltek Sport manufactures premium exhaust systems that are easily capable of performing here under the most extreme conditions so, this is the perfect place to prove, develop and demonstrate their products.

"On a personal level, Nürburgring 24 Hours is on my hit-list. It's not only a unique challenge for GT drivers but, with all the big manufacturers and teams spending huge money to try and win it, the career opportunities are good - I need to be ready to race, when the call comes in!"

In order to race on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, drivers need to pass a safety course that demonstrates an understanding of the circuit and the specific safety measures imposed. They must then safely complete 18 laps with specific performance requirements and two VLN race starts, in order to be granted a licence to race in the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

Once he has completed his course on Thursday and Friday, OC will drive in this weekend's six-hour event alongside Nürburgring specialists Dale Lomas (otherwise known as Bridge to Gantry) and Luke Gavris, and Continental Tire Championship driver Jean-Francois Brunot. The quartet will drive a Milltek Sport-liveried Toyota GT-86 in the Cup4 (or TMG GT86 Cup) class.

"I know Dale and Luke quite well so I’ll definitely be trying to tap into their vast experience,” he commented. “Between them, myself and Jean, we should have a team capable of taking the class win. I want to thank Milltek Sport for giving me this opportunity to join in their Nürburgring programme. I hope this is the start of a beautiful relationship with the 'Ring'."

The VLN Championship is a ten-race series that takes place on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Just like Nürburgring 24 Hours, cars ranging from the top level GT3 machines through to hot-hatch touring cars can compete, making it a truly special experience. Manufacturers, teams and drivers use the VLN Championship to prepare for the 24-hour race, with many now opting to do the full season.

VLN7 will take place this Saturday at 12.00hrs local time. Fans can watch the race live at www.vln.de/live and can follow updates on our social media channels.