Aston Martin CEO takes on 24 hour racing challenge

This is probably the coolest thing you will read today. The CEO of Aston Martin is about to swap his business suit for a race suit as he lines up alongside three fellow drivers to run a V8 Vantage GT4 in the forthcoming Dunlop Britcar 24 hour race. We are talking about a certain Dr Andy Palmer who will be seen racing around the Silverstone circuit.

In what will be his first competitive outing at the wheel of one of the sports car firm’s own track cars, Dr Palmer will be teaming up with Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman; British motoring journalist Andrew Frankel and aspiring 22-year-old racer Alice Powell to tackle the gruelling 24-hour endurance event later this month.

Dr Palmer said: “As the CEO of a sports car company with such an impressive racing heritage, I have of course been itching to get behind the wheel of one of our race cars. I’ve done some GT4 racing in the past but this will be my first attempt at a 24-hour event.”

The 24-hour race will be staged at the Silverstone circuit, between April 23 and 26 as part of the 2015 Britcar Trophy Championship.