PAUL HOLTON NAMED MCLAREN FACTORY DRIVER

Compass Racing pilot extends his relationship with British supercar maker

WOKING, ENGLAND – McLaren Automotive confirmed this week an expansion of the company’s Factory Driver program with the addition of three pilots for the 2018 season. Compass Racing’s Paul Holton was announced alongside Ben Barnicoat and Joe Osborne, who join the previously-confirmed professional driver Rob Bell.

Twenty-one-year-old Holton, from Tallahassee, Florida, joins the program following a strong year competing in a McLaren 570S GT4 in IMSA’s Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge. In that debut year for the platform, Holton secured four pole positions, one of which he and co-driver Matt Plumb converted into a race win at Circuit of the Americas, alongside three further podium finishes. Their results helped McLaren take third place in the 2017 CTSC Manufacturer’s Championship. Holton was also crowned the Pirelli World Challenge TC champion last year, with four wins, seven podiums and five pole positions. 

“We’re incredibly proud of Paul and for the recognition of his talent by McLaren,” remarked Team Principal Karl Thomson. “In addition to racing our GT4 McLarens, he’ll be doing doing development work on the new 720S GT3 and working with the Pure McLaren program as that expands into the North American market.”

The announcement further strengthens the bold motorsport plans laid out by McLaren Automotive earlier this year. Holton’s next race is the CTSC two-hour event at Sebring International Raceway on March 16th, which can be seen live on http://imsa.com and tape-delayed on FOX Sports.