Le Mans winner Nick Tandy's team to race in Porsche Carrera Cup GB

British Formula Ford title-winner JTR currently runs Patrik Matthiesen in the F4 British Championship, which supports British Touring Cars.

Team boss Tandy, who won the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours sharing a Porsche 919 Hybrid with Force India Formula 1 racer Nico Hulkenberg and fellow factory GT driver Earl Bamber, is now planning a three-car attack on the Carrera Cup, which is also on the BTCC bill.

"We've been thinking about it for a few years and, after meetings with Porsche about the future of the championship, we decided now was as good a time as any," said Tandy.

"Ideally I'd like to run one car in each of the three GB classes - Pro, Pro-Am1 and Pro-Am2."

The Carrera Cup has included rounds supporting the World Endurance Championship in recent years - Le Mans in 2014, Spa in 2015 and Silverstone this season - and Tandy believes that is an extra appeal.

"The calendar looks good, supporting WEC as well as British Touring Cars," he added.

"Those sorts of events are good for the series."

Tandy was a race winner as a driver in the Carrera Cup GB and took the 2011 German Carrera Cup crown with Konrad Motorsport.

After winning races in the F1-supporting Supercup, Tandy became a factory Porsche GT driver.

He believes his experience should help JTR run competitively in 2017.

"I was involved in the original development of the Carrera Cup car, and the new one [set to appear in the Supercup next season and the UK in 2018]," said the 31-year-old.

"I know how to set them up, I know how to drive them, and I will coach our drivers.

"The idea is to come in straight away and win."

Although no drivers have yet been confirmed, Tandy believes the Carrera Cup provides an obvious opportunity for junior drivers to become professionals.

"It's clear that if you win in GB you will get the opportunity to race in Germany and if you win there you have chances to race all over the world," he said.

"As long as you keep winning, there is a natural progression to professional motorsport."

JTR has not ruled out continuing in single-seaters, but Tandy said that "at this point we are 100% committed to running Porsches" and hopes JTR can expand into other series in future.

"It would be good to think we could race in Europe and the Supercup."