CRS Racing

CRS Racing was a British motor-racing organization founded in 2007 by racing driver Andrew Kirkaldy and Canadian-Greek businessman and driver Chris Niarchos. Its immediate predecessor was Team AKA, a Kirkaldy-led operation that entered the British Formula Renault Championship from 2004. Niarchos initially supported the team as a sponsor and later joined Kirkaldy in reshaping it into a broader professional racing organization. The team expanded beyond Formula Renault after the 2007 season. It was first presented as AKA Cobra and then relaunched as CR Scuderia, reflecting its move into Ferrari-based grand touring competition. Under the CR Scuderia name, the organization entered the FIA GT Championship, the British GT Championship and continued its Formula Renault program. Its driver roster included Kirkaldy, Niarchos, Rob Bell, Luke Hines, Jeremy Metcalfe and Adam Christodoulou, among others. The 2008 season established the team as a significant British GT and junior single-seater competitor. Kirkaldy and Bell won both races at the Bucharest City Challenge in the FIA GT Championship. In British GT, the team's Ferrari entries won races and secured the teams' title, while Hines and Metcalfe finished second in the drivers' standings. In Formula Renault, Christodoulou won the drivers' championship after taking seven victories, giving the organization titles in two categories. The operation adopted the CRS Racing name before the 2009 season. It continued to compete in the FIA GT Championship and Formula Renault, while moving its British GT Ferrari program into the FIA GT3 European Championship. During this period, CRS also became involved in the development of McLaren Automotive's GT racing program. The McLaren MP4-12C GT3 made its competitive debut at Spa-Francorchamps in 2011 as an invitational British GT entry, with Chris Goodwin and Andrew Kirkaldy recording pole position and a best race result of fourth. Three MP4-12C GT3 cars subsequently entered the Spa 24 Hours, although only one finished. From 2010, CRS Racing worked in partnership with McLaren Automotive on the sports-car and customer-racing program. The partnership ultimately led to the organization being rebranded as McLaren GT, with responsibility for building and maintaining McLaren customer racing cars. CRS Racing subsequently concentrated on McLaren GT activities rather than operating as an independent multi-series team. The CRS Racing identity is therefore principally associated with the team's 2004–2012 development, its Ferrari-based grand touring campaigns and its role in establishing McLaren's modern customer GT racing operation.

CRS Racing grew out of Team AKA, an operation established by Andrew Kirkaldy for the British Formula Renault Championship. Team AKA began championship competition in 2004 with James Jakes, who finished tenth in the drivers' standings in his first season. Jakes helped the team rise to third in the series in 2005, while Swedish driver Alexander Storckenfeldt delivered Team AKA's first Formula Renault victory at Thruxton. Later drivers included Jeremy Metcalfe, Peter Rees and Patrick Hogan. Hogan won six races in the 2006 campaign and finished second in the drivers' championship on a tiebreak, while the team also placed second in the teams' standings. Chris Niarchos became involved in 2007, initially sponsoring Team AKA. Kirkaldy and Niarchos had previously driven together for Scuderia Ecosse in the FIA GT Championship, and their renewed partnership gave the operation ambitions beyond junior single-seater racing. The team competed as AKA Cobra during the 2007 British Formula Renault season, with Adam Christodoulou, Chris Holmes, Nathan Caratti and returning driver Jeremy Metcalfe. Christodoulou finished fourth in the drivers' championship, Metcalfe won two races and the team again finished second in the teams' championship. After the 2007 season, the partners left their association with Scuderia Ecosse and relaunched the operation as CR Scuderia. The new team entered the FIA GT Championship and British GT Championship while retaining a Formula Renault presence. Its GT program used Ferrari machinery. Kirkaldy shared an FIA GT car with Rob Bell, while Niarchos drove the second car. In British GT, the roster included Luke Hines, Jeremy Metcalfe, James Sutton, Michael Meadows, Michael Cullen and Paddy Shovlin. Christodoulou returned to Formula Renault alongside Scott Jenkins, Sten Pentus and Ryuji Yamamoto. The 2008 season was the team's breakthrough year. Kirkaldy and Bell won both races at the Bucharest City Challenge and finished sixth in the FIA GT Championship. The Ferrari entries won races in British GT, where Hines and Metcalfe finished second in the drivers' championship and the organization won the teams' championship. Christodoulou also secured the Formula Renault drivers' title with seven victories, giving CR Scuderia championships in both British GT and Formula Renault. Before the 2009 season, CR Scuderia became CRS Racing. Kirkaldy and Bell continued in FIA GT, while Niarchos and Tim Mullen shared the team's other Ferrari. The Formula Renault lineup changed, with Harry Tincknell, Matias Laine, Joshua Scott and Lewis Williamson entering for the team. CRS moved its additional Ferrari activity from British GT to the FIA GT3 European Championship, where Chris Goodwin, Klaas Hummel, Phil Quaife and Robert Hissom were listed among its drivers. CRS Racing subsequently developed a close technical and commercial relationship with McLaren Automotive. The organization helped develop the GT3 version of the McLaren MP4-12C. The car first raced competitively at Spa-Francorchamps in July 2011 as an invitational British GT entry. Chris Goodwin and Andrew Kirkaldy achieved pole position and a best result of fourth across the two races. Three MP4-12C cars also entered the Spa 24 Hours, with one reaching the finish. From 2010 onward, CRS's McLaren work increasingly defined the organization. The team ultimately rebranded as McLaren GT, taking responsibility for building and maintaining customer racing cars. CRS Racing thereafter concentrated on the McLaren GT operation, so the CRS name ceased to represent an independent broad-based racing team. Its historical importance lies in the progression from British Formula Renault competition to championship-winning Ferrari GT programs and its contribution to McLaren's customer GT racing infrastructure.

• 2012

  Rebranding as McLaren GT

  [1]CRS Racingen.wikipedia.org

  CRS Racing concentrated on McLaren GT, which built and maintained McLaren customer racing cars.

• 2011

  McLaren MP4-12C GT3 makes racing debut

  [1]CRS Racingen.wikipedia.org

  The developing MP4-12C GT3 appeared at Spa in British GT, taking pole position and a best finish of fourth.

• 2010

  McLaren partnership begins

  [1]CRS Racingen.wikipedia.org

  CRS Racing partnered with McLaren Automotive on the development of its sports-car racing program.

• 2009

  CR Scuderia becomes CRS Racing

  [1]CRS Racingen.wikipedia.org

  The organization adopted the CRS Racing name and continued in FIA GT, FIA GT3 and Formula Renault.

• 2008

  First major championship season as CR Scuderia

  [1]CRS Racingen.wikipedia.org

  The team won the British GT teams' championship and the British Formula Renault drivers' championship, while also taking FIA GT race victories.

• 2007

  Niarchos joins the operation and CRS's predecessor expands

  [1]CRS Racingen.wikipedia.org

  Chris Niarchos became a sponsor and partner, and the team competed as AKA Cobra before preparing for wider GT competition.

• 2004

  Team AKA enters British Formula Renault

  [1]CRS Racingen.wikipedia.org

  Andrew Kirkaldy's Team AKA began competing in the British Formula Renault Championship.

A British professional racing team that evolved from a Formula Renault entrant into a multi-category GT organization and later became closely integrated with McLaren's customer racing program.

• Single-seater racing · 2004

  Formula Renault racing program

  The team's original competitive foundation was a British Formula Renault program inherited from Team AKA. It developed drivers including James Jakes, Jeremy Metcalfe, Adam Christodoulou and others, and achieved a British Formula Renault drivers' title in 2008 through Christodoulou, who won seven races.

• Grand touring racing · 2008

  Ferrari GT racing program

  After its relaunch as CR Scuderia, the organization used Ferrari race cars in FIA GT and British GT competition. The program produced multiple 2008 victories and the British GT teams' championship before later Ferrari entries moved into the FIA GT3 European Championship.

• GT3 race car development · 2011

  McLaren MP4-12C GT3

  CRS Racing helped McLaren Automotive develop the GT3 racing version of the MP4-12C. The car made an invitational British GT appearance at Spa in 2011, where it took pole position and finished as high as fourth across the two races. The program became part of the later McLaren GT customer-racing operation.

• 2010

  Commit to McLaren customer GT developmentStrategy

  Background

  CRS Racing's partnership with McLaren Automotive created an opportunity to support a new manufacturer sports-car racing program.

  Action taken

  The organization increasingly devoted engineering and operational resources to McLaren GT development and customer-car support.

  Aftermath

  The CRS Racing operation was ultimately rebranded as McLaren GT and ceased to operate primarily as an independent multi-series team.

  Source

• 2009

  Move selected Ferrari entries into FIA GT3Strategy

  Background

  Although the team was the defending British GT teams' champion, it re-evaluated where to deploy its additional Ferrari cars.

  Action taken

  CRS Racing moved the relevant cars to the FIA GT3 European Championship while continuing separate FIA GT and Formula Renault programs.

  Aftermath

  The change broadened CRS's participation in European GT racing and coincided with its McLaren development work.

  Source

• 2007

  Expand from Formula Renault into GT racingStrategy

  Background

  Following Chris Niarchos's sponsorship and partnership with Team AKA, the founders sought to establish their own operation in FIA GT and British GT competition.

  Action taken

  The team was reorganized, renamed CR Scuderia and expanded its competition portfolio while retaining Formula Renault.

  Aftermath

  The reorganization produced a successful 2008 season with victories and championships in multiple categories.

  Source

1. 1CRS Racingen.wikipedia.org