After a season of competition in the American Le Mans Series, Barwell Motorsport has revealed plans to return to racing on European soil for the 2009 season.

Having started 2008 running its Aston Martin DBRS9, the team – running under the banner of Drayson-Barwell thanks to a joint venture with driver Paul Drayson – switched to the new Aston Martin Vantage GT2, with Drayson joined at the wheel by Johnny Cocker.

Into 2009, the team will look to compete a full season in the Le Mans Series while also chasing an entry into the Le Mans 24 Hours. The team will look to run the Vantage GT2 again having spent the season helping to develop the car, although it could elect to run with another manufacturer.

Aside from the LMS programme, the team is also planning to run a brace of DBRS9s in the FIA GT3 Championship, returning to the car it campaigned in British GT in 2006 and 2007.

“The Aston Martin Vantage is moving closer and closer to the outright GT2 pace,” Barwell MD Mark Lemmer said, “and the FIA has certainly got on top of the balance of performance for the DBRS9, which is a serious contender for the 2008 FIA GT3 title.

“With all this is mind, I am really looking forward to the team coming back to the European stage and showing what we are capable of!”