The Avon Tyres British GT Championship begins at Oulton Park, in Cheshire, on Easter weekend and a bumper field of 23 cars from 13 different manufacturers has been confirmed for the 2012 season – the seventh year for which Avon has been sole tyre supplier and title sponsor to the series.
The UK’s premier sportscar series will feature racers from Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Chevron, Corvette, Ferrari, Ginetta, Lotus, McLaren, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan, and Porsche, with 20 teams and 46 drivers.
“We’ve worked hard over the winter to build upon the successful platform we established in 2011,” said Benjamin Franassovici, British GT Championship Manager. “To have such a good variety of sexy GT3 and GT4 cars is the reward from last year’s successful season.
“Having the likes of Nissan, BMW and Mazda joining our grid shows we’ve made a leap forward on previous years. We also welcome some quick new drivers into our family and I think we’re set for our best season to date.”
The championship will use Avon’s fourth-generation GT tyre, which has already been tested in competition at the Gulf 12 Hours race at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit in January. The performance in that event, as well as Avon’s six years of experience in British GTs, has ensured that the company will also act as sole tyre supplier to the Dutch GT4 Championship, as well as the Italian GT and Sportscar Championships.
Paul Coates, General Manager for Avon Tyres Motorsport, said of the new season, “The challenge of producing such a wide range of tyres and sizes for so many different cars that run to a similar pace is one that we have embraced, and we have produced a tyre that is popular with teams and drivers.”
The championship begins at Oulton Park with a pair of one-hour races on Easter Monday before heading to the Nurburgring in Germany where the series will support the circuit’s famous 24 Hour race. Races follow at Rockingham, Brands Hatch, Snetterton and Silverstone before the series ends at Donington Park on 30 September.
