Oliver Bryant

Oliver Bryant is a British racing driver who spent most of his career in sports car races. He won no championship titles but he was a front-runner in some national and European GT competitions, such are British GT Championship, GT Cup UK or Blancpain GT Series.

Oliver Bryant

Starting a GT racing career with Lamborghini Diablo and Morgan Aero

Born in November 1985, Oliver Bryant started to race in historic events in 2002 and then entered GT racing in November 2004, participating in the Bahrain GT Festival with French team RSG, driving a Lamborghini Diablo GTR-S.

In 2005, Bryant joined Team Aero to drive the #11 Morgan Aero 8 GT full season in the British GT Championship. He was sharing a car with Keith Ahlers, scoring two wins in GT3 class and finishing fourth in the final standings.

Young Oliver Bryant

Bryant was the Rising Star of the British Racing Drivers' Club in 2006

In 2005, Bryant also joined Tech 9 Motorsport to drive a Porsche 996 GT3 RSR at Nurburgring 1000 Km, a part of the Le Mans Series. Next year, he stayed with Tech 9 to drive Porsche 997 GT3 Cup in the inaugural season of the European GT3 Championship but also continued to race with Team Aero in the British GT Championship, finishing fourth in the points in GTC class.

Bryant's good results in 2006 earned him the Rising Star honor in the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC). He became the member of the Club three years later, in 2009.

Oliver Bryant early in a career

Racing with three teams in the 2007 British GT Championship

In 2007, Bryant raced in the British GT Championship, driving for three teams over the season. After four rounds in Tech 9's #9 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup, including a victory at Oulton Park together with Mark Harris, he switched to the #11 Damax Ascari KZ1R GT3 in two rounds, sharing a car with Phil Keen.

He ended a season in the #44 Eclipse Mosler MT900 R GT3, sharing a car with Stuart Hall. In the end, he was just 20th in the championship points.

Racing in a Dodge Viper in 2008, switching to Ginetta in 2009

One more change followed in 2008 when Bryant joined Team RPM to drive a Dodge Viper Competition Coupe in the British GT Championship. He was combining rides in the #1 and #2 cars, with Nick Foster and Steve Clark as his co-drivers. Bryant's best result was the third place Brands Hatch and he finished 15th in GT3 standings.

In 2009, Bryant spent a season with Barwell Motorsport in the British GT Championship. He was driving a Ginetta G50Z in the Invitational Class, not being eligible to fight for the championship title. The highlight of the season was the round at Rockingham where he and Joe Osborne scored overall wins in both races.

Oliver Bryant is celebrating a British GT victory at Rockingham in 2009

Slowing down with racing in 2010 and 2011

Bryant slowed down his racing activities in 2010, participating in just one British GT race with Trackspeed's Porsche 997 GT3 R, finishing third at Spa together with Oliver Morley. He also raced at Silverstone 24 Hours ina Marcos Mantis GT3.

In 2011, Bryant again participated in only two races over the year. The one was the Spa 24 Hours, where he was driving an Aston Martin DBRS9 for Ecurie Ecosse, finishing 20th overall and 9th in Pro-Am class. His second race in 2011 was the Britcar round at Brands Hatch in a Marcos Mantis GT3.

Returning to a full-time schedule in 2012

Bryant returned to the full-time racing schedule in 2012, joining Ecurie Ecosse to drive the #79 BMW Z4 GT3 in the British GT Championship. His new partner was Alasdair McCaig. The start of the season was fantastic as they won the Race 1 at Oulton Park.

Later in the season, they added a podium at Brands Hatch to finish ninth in the championship points. Outside British championship, he participated in one race of the Blancpain Endurance Series.

Oliver Bryant was racing with BMW from 2012 to 2015

Third place in the 2013 British GT Championship

In 2013, Oliver Bryant scored his career-best result in the British GT Championship, finishing third in the overall standings after winning one race in the #79 BMW Z4 GT3. He and Marco Attard were race winners in the fourth round at Silverstone.

In other races, they were on a podium two more times, entering the season's finale as championship contenders but lost a title by just 3.5 points.

Two class podiums at Spa 24h with Ecurie Ecosse

In 2014, Bryant stayed with Ecurie Ecosse but his main job was to drive the #79 BMW Z4 GT3 in the Blancpain Endurance Series. He was sharing a car with Andrew Smith and Alasdair McCaig in Pro-Am class, finishing third in the final standings. Their best result was the seventh place overall and 2nd in Pro-Am class at Spa 24 Hours, where the fourth co-driver in a BMW was Alexander Sims.

In 2015, Bryant continued to drive BMW for Ecurie Ecosse in the Blancpain Endurance Series, finishing the season 15th in the Pro-Am classification. His co-drivers were Alasdair McCaig and Devon Modell, plus Alexander Sims at Spa, where they were 7th overall and third in class.

While racing with Ecurie Ecosse at European scene, Bryant also competed at national level, finishing second in GTB class of the GT Cup UK in 2014.

Oliver Bryant was driving a Corvette in his debut at Le Mans in 2016

Two attempts at 24 Hours of Le Mans

In 2016, Bryant was out of full-time racing, focusing more on historical events and providing lessons ad driving coach. In June 2016, he made a debut at 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving the #57 Chevrolet Corvette for Team AAI in GTE Am class. He was sharing a car with Americans Johnny O'Connell and Mark Patterson, finishing ninth in class.

Bryant returned to Circuit de la Sarthe in June 2017 with British team Beechdean AMR, driving the #99 Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE, again in GTE Am class. Sharing a car with Ross Gunn and team owner Andrew Howard, he finished seventh in class.

In 2018, Bryant was again out of full-time racing, appearing mostly at historic events and recording just one start in the official competitions, driving a BMW M235i for Duwo Racing at Silverstone 24 Hours and finishing second in class.

Oliver Bryant at Goodwood Revival in 2018

Photos: Oliver Bryant FB, Gary Harman,