Greystone GT are delighted to announce Ron Trenka and Jon Lancaster as the first confirmed pairing for the all-new McLaren Trophy in 2023.
The Anglo-American duo will compete in the top class of the five-round, Europe-wide series in a brand-new Artura race car run by the Silverstone-based team as part of a planned multi-car line-up in the series.
New York native Ron began racing in 2021 and has enjoyed his best season to date in 2022 with numerous podium finishes in the multi-class Monticello Motor Club series in the USA as well as points finishes in the UK’s GT Cup.
Jon, from Leeds, brings a wealth of experience to the Artura crew. The European Le Mans Series Champion in 2015, he was also a race winner in single-seater categories on the Formula 1 ladder including the Formula 3 Euro Series and GP2 Series.
The duo contested four rounds of the GT Cup in 2022 aboard a McLaren 570S GT4; combining to secure five top-10 finishes including a best finish of seventh at Snetterton.
Greystone GT, meanwhile, expanded their race activities to include the British GT Championship, International GT Open and GT4 European Series, scoring six wins – the highlight of which was a GT4 triumph at the Gulf 12 Hours – and 24 podium finishes.
The new-for-2023 McLaren Trophy features classes for the fastest versions of both the Artura and the 570S race cars. Each round will support the GT World Challenge Europe at one of the continent’s best endurance racing circuits.
Every event features a pair of 50-minute races with pro-am line-ups allowed in each car and the emphasis placed on bronze-graded drivers like Ron to make the crucial difference.
McLaren Trophy calendar 2023
Round 1: Paul Ricard (F) – Jun 2-4
Round 2: Spa-Francorchamps (B) – Jun 29-Jul 1
Round 3: Nurburgring (D) – Jul 28-30
Round 4: Hockenheim (D) – Sep 1-3
Round 5: Barcelona (E) – Sep 30-Oct 1
Ron Trenka said: “I can’t wait for the new season to start and to race in the McLaren Trophy with the new Artura. The tracks are fantastic and Spa, especially, has been a bucket-list track to race on ever since I drove there in a Pure McLaren event a couple of years ago. The car looks amazing, the events are the best GT race meetings in the world and in Greystone GT I’m with a team I feel totally at home with. I’m excited to race with Jon again too. We first met five or so years ago when he taught me how to drift a supercar in the snow and the experience of racing with him in the GT Cup this year helped me knock about six seconds off my laptimes at my local track in New York as well as improving my racecraft no end. I’m getting better every time I sit in a racing car so I’m going to aim high and see if we can sneak a podium in the Trophy.”
Jon Lancaster said: “I’m excited to race in the McLaren Trophy with Ron. The Artura Trophy looks a pretty handy piece of kit and the regulations allow for a pro driver in each car so I’m expecting a very high-level of competition. It’ll be my third season racing with Greystone GT and I very much feel like part of the family here. Ron and I have known each other for a few years and he’s made such incredible progress in what’s really just been a single season of racing against drivers with a lot more experience. The McLaren Trophy will be quite a step up from the GT4 car in terms of overall pace and the Artura is a brand-new challenge for both of us, but while there’ll be a lot to learn, I’m sure we’ll have a lot fun with it.”
Mark McLoughlin, Team Principal, said: “It’s tremendously exciting to enter the new McLaren Trophy and to announce Ron and Jon as the first part of our multi-car line-up. It’s a series that visits some of the best circuits in Europe and should provide thrilling on-track action. Ron is the latest member of the Greystone GT to come from supercar track day driving through to racing with us and his rate of development has been extremely encouraging, while Jon is the total professional who’s been victorious in single-seaters and sportscars at a very high level and was the first driver to win a race with our team. We have a very exciting 2023 ahead of us in a variety of championships and this is just the first step.”
