Hynes returns with TVR
Former British Formula 3 Champion Marc Hynes will finally return to full-time competition in 2005
Team LNT has signed the 26-year-old to race its GT2-class TVR T400-R in the Le Mans Endurance Series, at the Sebring 12 Hours and - if the team secures an entry - in the Le Mans 24 Hours.
"I've been umming and ahhing about having a go at GTs, but I've always been focussed on single-seaters," said Hynes. "I thought now was the time to give it a go."
Hynes has barely competed since winning the F3 title with Manor Motorsport in 1999. A difficult three race Formula 3000 stint with Gabriele Rafanelli's WRT squad in 2000 brought one non-qualification and two accidents, and a subsequent BAR Formula 1 test led nowhere. His last race was a one-off drive for BCN Competition at the Silverstone F3000 round in 2003. Despite this prolonged hiatus, Hynes was competitive in his first test for LNT.
"We gave him a run at Valencia and he got within a second of the pace within half a dozen laps," said LNT technical director Alan Mugglestone. "I've always known how good Marc is and he'll fit in well with the ethos of the team. He was the kind of driver we were looking for."
LNT's lead TVR will be driven by Jonny Kane (another former British F3 champion), Warren Hughes and team owner and sportscar regular Laurence Tomlinson. The identity of Hynes' partners in the second car is not yet known.
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