The GT Cup is one of the United Kingdom’s top sportscar sprint series, consistently standing out to accomplished teams and drivers.
Few other series can match it for grid diversity, with everything from modern-day GT3s to cars with more than two decades of competition history behind them, all battling it out in a variety of classes such as GT3, GTO, GTH, and GTC.
The National Motorsport Academy has been involved in the GT Cup since 2012, when project founder Kevin Riley first took part. In that time, Team NMA has entered both an ex-works Lotus Evora that has raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and a Mosler MT900 which won the GTO title in 2018.
But what is Team NMA?
Run by director of motorsport Dr. Kieran Reeves, deputy director Wayne Gater, and experienced tutor Ed Sarling, Team NMA is the National Motorsport Academy’s way of delivering real-world racing experiences to students across a variety of experience; from those who are just starting their motorsport career, to those who are studying a master’s and looking to refine certain skills.
GT Cup is known for having a competitive yet incredibly friendly paddock, serving as a perfect environment for students. Ultimately, the Team NMA garage serves as a classroom where up to 10 students every race weekend can actively contribute to every facet of the team’s journey – from set-up and testing to data analysis and tuning, forming a symbiotic relationship between their education and racing.
At the start of every season, students are invited to register their interest in a race as close to their hometown as possible.
2023 was a mixed year for Team NMA, which raced in the United Kingdom’s GT Cup series for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The season consisted of seven rounds with 4 races at each: two 25-minute ‘Sprint’ races and a pair of 50-minute ‘Pit-stop’ races.
Season Gets Under Way
The GT Cup campaign commenced with ambitious plans to race the NMA Mosler MT900. However, unforeseen challenges, including a cracked engine block and chassis repairs, resulted in that original plan being abandoned and the forging of a partnership with Rollcentre to use its Mosler. The first two rounds at Donington Park and Brands Hatch were hugely successful, and became a valuable learning experience for students, who actively participated in overcoming setbacks.
Ahead of the next few races, a major engine failure occurred in Rollcentre’s Mosler. This meant the team unfortunately missed rounds three and four at Snetterton and Oulton Park. Not knowing when the original Mosler would be back to full fitness, this precipitated a shift in focus on rebuilding a Lotus Evora which suffered major damage following a heavy crash in 2022.
For those who love a bit of history, our Evora is built from a spare parts package of the No. 65 Lotus Evora GTE that raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2011. That car is now owned by Kevin Riley and can be seen at Central Lotus Nottingham.
The major damage from the 2022 accident didn’t stop the team from putting in blood, sweat and tears to fully rebuild it within a matter of weeks. Testing sessions followed at Donington Park and a private airfield, allowing for fine-tuning ahead of round five at Silverstone. As expected for a brand-new car with barely any miles, Silverstone presented challenges, but it served as the perfect chance for our students to learn and apply those changes. The students’ dedication resulted in four class podiums; a fantastic start considering the Evora was just an engine block two months prior.
At Silverstone, the team also introduced a brand-new competition for NMA students: the ‘Tyre Licking Challenge’. This added a lighthearted, but competitive element to the overall student experience. The fastest student to scrub (or ‘Lick’!) a tyre after it had been on track got to keep it. The winners were Lewis Edwards (16m 20s) and Rohan Smith (14m 16.4s).
Following Silverstone, a six-week gap became a critical period to address some lingering issues.
Concluding the Campaign
With more testing, and a new group of students, the team approached round six at Donington Park with confidence in the Evora – which paid off, as we secured a pole in class on day one. This form continued as the car battled for a win in the first three races, but a mixture of bad luck and great driving from our competition led to three second places in a row.
Sadly, in the final race of the weekend, the wishbone in the front right tyre broke, ending our last hope for victory. However, this also led to one of the highlights of the season, as the tutors and students rallied together, fixed the wishbone, and got it back on track before the end of the race!
The season finale at Snetterton brought resolution to lingering issues, but power loss persisted. Our season ended prematurely during race two, when the Evora lost power and ground to a halt. Despite challenges, Team NMA secured podium finishes, concluding the season with a commendable third place in the GTO championship. A true testament from our tutors and students to be able to bounce back from no car mid-season to a high finish in the end-of-year standings.
During the season, we spoke to many students who raced with us, and asked them what they enjoyed about Team NMA. MSc Advanced Motorsport Engineering Student, Jayan Mistry, said: ‘I enjoyed studying Aerodynamics in the degree. This was my first opportunity to put that practice into a real-world scenario which was great for my future.’
International students also showed interest and joined the team. In the final three races of the season alone, there were students who joined from Canada, Serbia and Greece. Alexandros El-Magkout told us: ‘I came all the way from Athens, Greece just to experience a race weekend. It’s a really unique experience working with the Lotus Evora.’
For motorsport enthusiasts, the National Motorsport Academy offers a unique educational experience that you can’t get with any other educational institution. Becoming a student means you don’t just gain theoretical knowledge, but you also get the chance to put everything you have learnt into practice, in a no-pressure environment. The cherry on top? Working on an iconic Lotus Evora!
As the 2023 GT Cup season concludes, Team NMA emerges as a clear example of how education and motorsport can merge in a straightforward way. The experiences on the track, the obstacles overcome, and the victories attained linger in the minds of both students and racing enthusiasts, leaving a lasting impact on Team NMA’s educational mission.
In 2024, we have big plans to bring back the iconic Mosler MT900 and try to push on further in the GT Cup Championship!
