Apex Motorsport has revealed that it will continue with its racing programme for the 2008 season, despite the death of team principal Richard Lloyd in Sunday's place accident in Kent.
Lloyd died along with former BTCC race winner David Leslie, Apex team member Chris Allarton and the two pilots when the private aircraft came down shortly after take-off from Biggin Hill airfield en-route to France for the
FIA GT3 European Championship equalisation tests that took place earlier this weekend.
It was an incident that has shocked the motorsport community both in Britain and abroad with both Leslie and Lloyd having been influential figures on the motorsport scene, with Lloyd having been the man behind Bentley's success in the Le Mans 24 Hours back in 2003.
Having gone into partnership with Harry Handkammer to relaunch Apex Motorsport with the Jaguar XKR GT3 project, the team was set to make its belated debut in the FIA GT3 Championship this season running three cars after extensive testing over the winter, and Handkammer insisted that the accident would only encourage the team to push harder to secure results in memory of those who died.
"The loss of Richard Lloyd, David Leslie and Chris Allarton in an air crash on Sunday, 30th March has reverberated throughout British motorsport, and those shock waves have obviously been felt most deeply by not only their families, but also by all of us within Apex Motorsport," Handkammer said in a statement issued on behalf of the team.
"Richard was the heart and soul of our company, and it was his vision, knowledge and enthusiasm which have brought us to where we are now with the Jaguar XKR GT3 programme. He possessed a sure, but gentle touch in all that he did, and was the consummate politician in this competitive business that we all love.
"David had been involved with us for many years as a friend, colleague and team mate. His contribution to Apex over the last 12 months cannot be under-estimated, and he was looking forward immensely to driving with us full time in the FIA GT3 European Championship this year. His smile could light up a room, and he was solid as a rock no matter what was happening around him.
"It is particularly tragic when a young person's life is ended prematurely, and Chris was just at the beginning of his motorsport career. He was so enthusiastic about the coming season with Apex in his role as a data engineer, and we know that he would have made a great and valued contribution to our team.
"While our first thoughts and feelings are with Philippa, Jane and their children, and Chris' family, we also know that motor racing never stops. We also know that Richard and David would not have wanted it to stop.
"Apex will be forging ahead with the Jaguar XKR GT3 programme and its entries in the 2008 FIA GT3 European Championship. We were racing before to win; now we will be racing with an added purpose – in memory of Richard, David and Chris."
