Ginetta Cars

Sheard Signs Up For
2008 Championship Attack

by Edd Straw

Paul Sheard will race for Speedworks Motorsport in the Texaco Havoline Ginetta G20 Championship in 2008.

The 51-year-old, who won the MaX5 Racing Championship in 2007 and was a race winner in the ultra-competitive Eurocar series in the 1990s, will drive the Ginetta taken to fourth overall in the championship by Christian Dick in 2007.

Sheard already has experience of racing the Ginetta G20, winning two Winter Series races in four starts in 2006 and 2007 (right).

“The G20 championship is very competitive so I’m not expecting it to be easy,” says Sheard. “I’ve won races in the Winter Series, but the standard in the full championship is even higher so I expect it to be some of the closest racing I’ve ever done.

“It would be good to fight for the championship, but to start with I’m just going to concentrate on doing the best I can to be in contention for race wins. I know how close it can get at the front and I can’t wait to get out there.”

Sheard joins team regulars Neil Merry, Dave Jackson and Edd Straw in Speedworks Motorsport’s confirmed line-up. A fifth G20 driver is expected to be confirmed in January.

“We’ve got a very strong line-up for next year,” says Team Principal Christian Dick. “It’s always important to have proven race winners in the team and Paul has shown what he can do in his Ginetta appearances in the last few years.

“I’m also confident Neil and Dave will continue their development. Both were regular top ten finishers last season and if they keep working it won’t be long before they make the podium.”

In addition to its G20 campaign, Speedworks will also run a trio of the new-for-2008 Ginetta G50s for Richard Sykes, Tony Hughes and Dick.