December 17, 2014
Published on tags: Supercup

 

SimCraft Racing becomes the fourth Supercup team to reveal its driver lineup ahead of the 2015 season, confirming the retention of race winner Tom Parker and new signing Tom van der Voort.
Tom Parker joined SimCraft Racing ahead of the 2014 Spanish Grand Prix, replacing team manager Alex Cooper, and went on to secure eight podium finishes for the team, including victory in the Abu Dhabi Feature Race and pole position in the season ending Brazilian Grand Prix. The young Brit finishing a respectable fifth in the Drivers' Championship despite not competing in two rounds of the seventeen round season. With many tipping him to make the step up to a Superleague drive for the 2015 season, following his 'should have been victory' appearance in Hungary for SimCraft Midnight Motorsport, both Parker and the team will be hoping that their respective successes can be repeated and perhaps improved upon with this renewed partnership, the team having fallen just shy of Teams' Championship success in 2014.

Tom Parker, now driving the #0 SimCraft Racing car, appeared pleased to be remaining with the team:

'I am absolutely delighted to have re-signed with SimCraft Racing for the 2015 Supercup season. After finishing the season on a high in Brazil with a pole and another double podium, I am eager to take that pace into the new season and hopefully challenge for higher honours on a more regular basis. I feel I have come on as a driver in a huge way and I want to thank SimCraft for keeping the faith in me.'Â?

Tom van der Voort joins the team following two seasons at front running Superleague outfit, Nijo Racing, his drop back to the Supercup will perhaps come as a surprise for many but with the Dutch driver having secured seven top five finishes over the course of his Superleague career, the team is confident that he will be one to watch come the start of the 2015 season in Melbourne, Australia.

Tom van der Voort, driving the #2 SimCraft Racing car for the 2015 season was jubilant regarding his move to the American based squad:

'I'm very excited to be joining the SimCraft Racing team. To be able to join such a highly regarded team is certainly something to be proud of and I must thank the team for this. Some people might see it as a step down coming from Superleague, but I see it differently. It's more of a side step. After two years of, let's be honest, mediocre Superleague results, I thought it was time for something new and fresh. Luckily, SimCraft gave me the opportunity to join and strengthen them. And with this team, I am sure I can turn mediocre results into great results!'Â?

Whilst it is unclear as to whether the team will be seeking sponsorship from Dutch navigation company TomTom for the 2015 season, the two drivers are clearly looking forward to working with each other and have lofty aspirations for the season ahead:

Tom Parker:

'Having Tom as a teammate for next season is so very exciting for me in a number of ways; Tom and I get on so well outside of the race circuit so I am very much looking forward to putting myself up against arguably one of the most underrated drivers in the GPVWC field. Tom is an outstanding driver and I cannot wait to see how I can match up against him. With me and Tom, I think we have a chance to try and go one step better than last year and challenge for the teams title. There will be plenty of challenges from the likes of Walk Racing and Positive just to name a couple so I am eager to try and put them out of our reach.'

Tom van der Voort:

'It makes me even more excited to have Tom Parker as a team mate. We are very close friends both on and off the track. He's a great guy and a great driver. He will push me all season long, and I intend to do the same to him. My goal for this season is very clear. I want podiums, I want wins, and I want the title. Together with Tom and the team, I think this is a very real possibility. The professional approach and vibe of sheer determination radiates from this team and I will not let them down.'Â?

As a part of the announcement, it was also revealed that both Parker and van der Voort would receive reserve roles with the top two Superleague teams of the 2014 season, with Tom Parker being announced as reserve driver for CSG Racing alongside Lewis Redshaw and Lukas Euler, whilst Tom van der Voort would be acting as reserve for SimCraft Midnight Motorsport, alongside Alex Cooper and Nick Rowland - both were excited by the prospect of working with their respective teams.

Tom Parker:

'I would also like to thank CSG Racing for the opportunity to be their reserve driver for the 2015 Superleague season. To be offered the chance to drive for the reigning World Champions is an absolute honour and is testament to how far I have come in a single year. I hope to repay them for the faith shown in me by helping them take the fight to Midnight and Hawkeye and retain the Constructors trophy, and maybe even get a crack at a race after the missed opportunities of last year.'

Tom van der Voort:

'This whole campaign is also supported by my role as test and reserve driver for the SimCraft Midnight Motorsport team. Being part of the two time champions team is not something everyone can say, and I am proud and humbled that I can. I will help the best way I can to get Midnight back to winning the championship.'