Austrian Niki Lanik tests Aston Martin N24 at Brands Hatch

<p>Niki Lanik, 21-year old Austrian, tested a GT4-spec N24 Aston Martin Vantage this Monday at Kent’s famous Brands Hatch racing circuit. Having done over two years in a competitive onemake series, the UK Clio Cup (winning the 2006 & 2007 Winter Titles, having secured many top results and pole positions through out the summer and winter seasons), Niki Lanik has the option to make the move up the racing ladder into national and international GT racing.<br /> <br /> Lanik, having most of his career based around front-engine/front wheel drive race cars, found the likes of the 410hp rear-wheel-drive Aston N24 surprisingly quickly within two 30-minute test sessions, setting the quickest time of 51.10 seconds out of five drivers. The Aston Martin, upgraded by Prodrive and currently owned and run by Beechdean Motorsports, is a full GT4-spec racing machine, with a 4.2L V8 engine mounted in the front, driven through a high-tech 6-speed paddle shift gearbox, and Avon slicks all around.<br /> <br /> NIKI Lanik is working hard on acquiring sponsorship and figuring out his best career move for 2009: “I need to make sure I get a good deal set up. If I participate in endurance events, such as British GT or European GT4, I need to ensure I have a fast team mate so we can help each other win the championship. At the moment I still do not know where I will be racing this season. There are many good deals around and many teams are showing interest. There are also many races in European and Eastern countries which are of interest to me, having been born in Vienna.”</p>