The British GT Championship has confirmed that a full 36-car entry will contest this year’s series, during the annual Media Day at Donington Park today (Tuesday).
The full field comprises 19 GT3 cars and 17 GT4s, totalling 72 drivers, with the majority in action at the Leicestershire circuit today.
The 19-strong GT3 entry is one more than last year and the most since 2014. But although Pro-Am remains the most prominent class, a record seven Silver-Am crews are also set to contest the entire season.
Silver pairings have been GT4’s dominant force for much of the last decade but this year the balance of power has shifted towards Pro-Am, which contributes 10 of the 17 entries.
The overall list features 10 manufacturers, nine of which are racing in GT4. That category also includes four new models – the Aston Martin Vantage, Ford Mustang, Ginetta G56 Evo and Lotus Emira – while the GT3-spec Vantage also makes its senior class debut.
That same category features five former overall champions: Jonny Adam, Rob Collard, Andrew Howard, Ian Loggie and Sandy Mitchell. Another, Seb Morris, is hoping to become only the second-ever GT3 and GT4 champion.
But he’ll face tough opposition from the likes of Erik Evans and Matt Cowley who will defend their GT4 titles in opposing entries. That class also features two more former champions in the shapes of Dan Vaughan and Matt Nicoll-Jones.
Other prominent drivers include Aston Martin F1 Ambassador Jessica Hawkins, factory stars Raffaele Marciello, Maximilian Goetz and Tom Gamble, reigning Porsche Carrera Cup GB champion Adam Smalley, former BTCC racer Ricky Collard, multiple British GT championship runner-up Phil Keen, and Alex Buncombe who makes his first start since 2013.
It was also confirmed that the series will benefit from live coverage on the Sky Sports F1 channel at the majority of events across the next two seasons.
The British GT season starts at Oulton Park on Easter Bank Holiday weekend (March 30, April 1) before visiting additional MSV venues with Donington Park next up on 25-26 May, Snetterton on 13-14 July, a return to Donington on 7-8 September and the finale on the majestic Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit on 28-29 September.