It’s a dream most of us share. To race at a professional level in a current Porsche racing car is the sort of thing that can make life a bright and welcoming place after divorce, disease, or any great distress. Archie Hamilton, a 29-year-old YouTuber and racing driver, has made his return to motorsports in the Porsche GT4 Sprint Cup Challenge. In this stimulating footage, he takes us behind the scenes of how his team operates on an official test day.
With the confidence of a professional, Hamilton gets to grips with the 425-horsepower Cayman GT4 CS within a few laps.
A quick guide through the spartan interior shows us the CS only retains the essentials. A brake bias adjuster, ABS adjuster, traction control, and ESC are the only controls present on the carbon dash. No frills, no extra, and just enough wiggle room to make a gentleman driver feel at ease.
Strangely, this frill-free racing car is still started on a key.
Having Silverstone as the backdrop only makes the event that much more special. With the sunshine warming the track, Hamilton gets back to pushing the car hard and teasing the back end of the Cayman GT4 CS through fast corners. A little curb hopping, some dabs of countersteer, and the man looks completely at home. The sensational lap times reflect this.
Considering he’s been out of the seat for nearly four years, he shows incredible pace and is only .15 seconds off his more experienced teammate, Dino Zamparelli. With a few more practice sessions to brush the cobwebs off, Hamilton should be in good stead for a podium in the coming months.
The first event of the 2020 Porsche Cayman GT4 Sprint Challenge is scheduled for April 25-26—assuming the season proceeds as scheduled. With any luck, he’ll be at the sharp end of the pack. A true talent with a broad fanbase and an ability to elucidate racing technique like few YouTubers can, Hamilton is in good stead to grow his channel—and his trophy cabinet—quickly.
