Avon Tires prepares for unmissable Silverstone 500

May 30, 2014

For the third round of the 2014 Avon tires British GT Championship, the much anticipated three-hour Silverstone 500 will have a bumper grid of 38 Avon-shod entries.
 
Taking place this weekend, at the Home of British Motorsport, six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy will be among the mix of amateur and professional drivers battling it out on the challenging 3.660-mile Grand Prix Circuit, host to the Formula 1 British Grand Prix in just five weeks’ time.
 
Billed as the biggest outing of the Avon tires British GT Championship this season, the Silverstone 500 has become the jewel-in-the-crown for one of the most highly rated national GT championships in the world.
 
Across the GT3 and GT4 classes, marques racing for glory at the Northamptonshire track include Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Ginetta, Lotus, McLaren, Nissan, Porsche and Toyota.
 
Sir Chris Hoy, contesting the full seven-race British GT calendar with Nissan Academy Team RJN, is gearing up for his Silverstone race debut in the Nissan GT-R GT3, racing alongside experienced team-mate Alex Buncombe.
 
The self-confessed petrolhead and British gold medallist commented, “Silverstone is our kind of circuit so I hope we can get out there and make amends for Rockingham. I’m very excited that we are racing at Silverstone; it’s a high-speed track so it should really suit the GT-R. I have more experience under my belt now so I’m looking forward to my first three-hour race.”
 
Avon tires Motorsport General Manager, Paul Coates, said, “This season the British GT Championship is providing impressive grids, and closely fought racing with it. Avon is proud to be associated with a series that continues to grow in stature, and the Silverstone 500 is undoubtedly the most popular event on the calendar in terms of entries, and unsurprisingly so. Silverstone is a fast, flowing and abrasive circuit that challenges the drivers and can be tough on the tires.
 
“As the Sole tire Supplier to the British GT Championship, Avon has to meet the needs of a wide range of manufacturers, with a single tire – and that’s the challenge for Avon, to continually develop a superior tire for all. We work with the teams at each round to make sure our tires are used to maximum effect.”
 
Avon tires is the Sole tire Supplier to the British GT Championship, and has been the title sponsor of the series since 2006.
 
The third round of the Avon tires British GT Championship at Silverstone takes place on 30 May – 01 June. Free Practice 1 and 2, along with Qualifying take place on Saturday. Warm-up is scheduled for the Sunday morning, and the three-hour race starts at 14:15hrs.
 
Ahead of Silverstone, Marco Attard and Alexander Sims in their Ecurie Excosse BMW Z4 currently lead the GT3 Championship, as Beechdean Aston Martin team-mates Jake Giddings and Ross Wylie top the GT4 standings.