BRITISH GT SEASON TAKES SHAPE FOR 2012
The Avon Tyres British GT Championship is set for another spectacular seasin in 2012. Photo: www.jakobebrey.com
A seven-meeting calendar featuring the UK’s best circuits and a repeat of the successful mix of one, two and three-hour races are planned by the SRO Motorsports Group for next season’s Avon Tyres British GT Championship.
British GT will once again visit Oulton Park, Rockingham, Snetterton and the Grand Prix circuits of Brands Hatch, Silverstone and Donington Park. Next year’s overseas round will take place on the German Grand Prix circuit at the Nürburgring.
“The mix of circuits and race formats which were introduced in 2011 proved very popular,” said championship manager Benjamin Franassovici, “and we were keen to retain this element for the coming season. The one calendar change of any note is that we will be visiting the superb Nürburgring. 2011 has been a huge success for the Avon Tyres British GT Championship, not only with the numbers of cars entered but more importantly the quality of the machinery mixed with some great racing, which led to great unpredictability. We feel at this time that stability is key to building the championship: we need evolution, not revolution, and we are confident of providing teams, drivers and partners with another great package next year. There is more to come in the next few weeks. I cannot wait for round 1 at Oulton Park!”
The exact race format for each meeting has yet to be cast in stone, but it is likely that there will be 120-minute races at three of the meetings, one three-hour event, probably at Silverstone, with double-header 60-minute races at the other meetings.“Interest for next year is already very encouraging,” adds Franassovici, “both in GT4 and in GT3, and new teams and drivers are enquiring in addition to established championship runners. In terms of rules and regulations, 2012 will be very similar to this season, and it is this stability which makes the championship as attractive as it is. The ‘pro-am’ driver pairings will continue to be an essential part of the British GT platform, and two-car teams will be encouraged and will be rewarded by a revised points system for the team championship.”
The calendar and plans have been welcomed by Keith Cheetham of Trackspeed, the champion team of 2010 and ’11: “We are planning to return to British GT in 2012 with two cars, and look forward to claiming our third consecutive championship title. It’s a series which rewards consistency, and we will be aiming for that next year. The calendar looks good, with a good range of circuits which should suit different chassis.”
Andrew Tate, who with driving partner Alex Mortimer won one race in 2011, says he will definitely return next season in a two-car team alongside champion Jim Geddie. “One win was not enough, I want multiple wins next year and to snatch the title off my team mates,” he added. “Both Jim and myself will be driving for our own team, Apex Cin Energy Motorsport.”
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