Cleland to join British GTs

The 47 year old Scot was lined up to drive Cirtek's Porsche 911-GT3 alongside former F3 stalwart Warren Hughes, but this may change after Hughes was picked by the Arden squad to contest the Italian F3000 championship.

The series organisers have promised to equip Cleland's GTO class Porsche with a microphone, in order that television viewers - who can see the series on Channel 4 - can hear the Scot's notoriously blunt verbiage during races.

If this wasn't enough, Cleland will also share some of the presenting duties with classic car racer Amanda Stretton.

The British GT series will be part of the new Powertour package, whose director Roger Etcell was delighted by Cleland's decision to race in it. "Having such a popular driver as John Cleland in the GT Championship is excellent news. PowerTour is all about reaching out to the audience, and John is a master of that. Motorsport needs heroes, and John fits the bill perfectly,"
Cleland himself is happy to be racing again, after a disappointing final season in the BTCC. "I'm only a retired touring car driver, and I feel I've got a lot I can bring to GT racing. I fancy the challenge of passing cars and working out race strategy. I'm keen to be involved in the series," said the two-times BTCC champion.