Signs were already there last season that the GT4 field for the British GT Championship was on the up but in 2016 the ‘junior’ class outnumbers the headlining GT3s.
16 cars are set to do battle in the class at the Brands Hatch season opener spread across six different marques with more to come.
Aston Martin: 5 Cars
JWBird Motorsport return with an unchanged squad, 2014 GT4 champion Jake Giddings spent last season helping co-driver Kieran Griffin (brother of GT3 Lambo driver Liam) get up to speed and the team are now looking to step up to regular top-six finishers. Continuity could be key amongst a grid comprising many fresh faces.
Beechdean AMR arrive with double GT4 title-winning form behind them and with a pair of teenage single-seater converts, Jordan Albert and Jack Bartholomew, looking to maintain that streak.
Generation AMR return to handle a pair of Aston Martins, one under the SuperRacing banner where Jamie Chadwick replaces full season entrant James Holder for the opening rounds (Holder has business commitments). The 2015 GT4 Champion will share the car with Matthew George.
The second car is entered for the ambitious MacMillan racing outfit with ex-open-wheel racers Matty Graham and Jack Mitchell looking to hit the GT racing ground running.
Stratton Motorsport’s Aston Martin for David Tinn and Robin Marriott, is the only all-Am lineup contesting the class.
Ginetta: 7 cars
One of only two unchanged lineups in the field, 2015 championship runners-up, Graham Johnson and Mike Robinson are back aboard the PMW Expo/Optimum Motorsport Ginetta G55 GT4. The Pro-Am pairing won first time out at Oulton Park 12 months ago finished second at Brands last season.
Century Motorsport returns with two Ginettas this season. Team boss Nathan Freke, who finished second during a one-off appearance at Donington last year, partners Anna Walewska.
The second Century G55 features Sean Byrne and 2015 Silver Cup runner-up Aleksander Schjerpen, who remains with Century for a third British GT4 campaign.
A newcomer to the Championship is BTCC regulars Team HARD with a pair of RCIB Insurance Racing-entered Ginetta G55s, both of which feature intriguing Silver-rated driver crews. Former WRC regular Rob Barrable has his roots in circuit racing and will be counting on all of that experience alongside fellow Formula Ford graduate Wilson Thompson. Junior tin-top converts Jordan Stilp and William Phillips comprise the squad’s second entry.
Continuing dramas for the now much delayed Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsports programme means that the expected cars will not be seen at Brands Hatch.
Both teams previously scheduled to run them – Lanan Racing and Simpson Motorsport – will though be on the grid with a Ginetta apiece.
Joey Foster and Alex reed make for an intriguing partnership in the Lanan car, Foster a very quick man indeed. As is Scott Malvern who anchors the Simpson effort alongside Nick Jones.
Lotus: 1 car
Stratton Motorsport arrives with the Lotus Evora campaigned in 2015 by ISSY Racing to the Pro/Am title.
Robin Shute and American Will Hunholz campaign the car.
Maserati: 1 car
The Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4 makes its British GT debut in the hands of Ebor GT. Marcus Hoggarth and Abbie Eaton both make their Championship debuts this season in the sonorous Maserati. It looks set to be a crowd favourite for the soundtrack, and then it’s down to the team to see whether the pace adds further interest.
McLaren: 1 car
A pukka world debut for the Championship comes from McLaren in the shape of the Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse entered McLaren 570S GT4.
The effort fields a pair of Scottish ex-single seater youngsters, Ciaran Haggerty and Sandy Mitchell, who, at 16 years and 41 days, becomes the youngest driver ever to contest a British GT race on Sunday.
2016 is principally earmarked as a development year as the team sort out a very new package. The car though is a stunner, with plenty of interest in progress on this programme from other teams.
Toyota: 1 car
The GPRM Toyota returns with the team having moved development in-house after engine woes last season for the GT86 GT4. Stefan Hodgetts and James Fletcher know the car well and have shown speed when reliability has allowed.
There’s a second car available if the plan comes together!
