Matt Howson hopes KCMG Le Mans chance is career springboard
Racing returnee Matt Howson will compete at the Le Mans 24 Hours only two years after launching his comeback
The 29-year-old Briton, who did not race for three years up to mid-2011, was announced as part of the Chinese KCMG squad's LMP2 line-up for the Silverstone World Endurance Championship opener on Friday and has been confirmed as part of its Le Mans squad.
Howson drove for KCMG in Japanese Formula 3 in 2011 and '12. He will race the first Chinese Le Mans entrant's Morgan-Nissan LMP2 together with former Super GT driver Alexandre Imperatori.
"This is a big deal for me and could take me in a number of directions: it could be the start of a career in sportscars, but it will also give useful experience that could help me into Super Formula [formerly Formula Nippon]," said Howson.
"Andre Lotterer is one of my heroes. He has successfully combined a sportscar career in Europe with racing in Formula Nippon. I'd love to be able to emulate some of his achievements."
The KCMG Morgan will be raced at Silverstone next month by Howson, Imperatori and Chinese Jim Ka To, who has raced in Formula Renault in Europe and Asia. Only Howson and Imperatori have been confirmed for Le Mans.
Howson finished third in the 2005 Formula BMW UK Championship and contested a handful of races in the same category the following season.
Unable to raise the finance to continue his career in Europe, he switched focus to the Far East and went on to finish second in the 2007-08 Asian F3 series before completing a university degree during a hiatus from racing.
KCMG is also contesting the new-for-2013 Asian Le Mans Series with its Morgan. Howson is not due to drive in that programme.
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