In the immediate aftermath of the announcement of a record 38 car full season entry list the British GT Championship Media Day convened at a mildly (but very visibly) revamped Donington Park.
Despite Aston Martin Customer teams Optimum Motorsport and TF Sport testing at Oulton Park, and other teams awaiting delivery of their new cars, 24 of the 38 cars assembled in frigid conditions, the thermometer en route barely grazing a plus value!
Beechdean Motorsport fielded the only Aston GT3 for the day’s activities, with Team Parker Racing fielding their stunning Gen 2 Bentley, JRM still building up their recently confirmed effort.
The Balfe Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 is set to be delivered in time for just very brief testing before the start of the season but David Balfe was confident, having seen the speed and reliability of the car in its first race outing in Abu Dhabi in December. “It was a big confidence boost in the car, we can’t wait to get going with our own car now though.”
Both Century Motorsport BMW M6 GT3s were present, quite some progress for Nathan Freke and co. from Media Day 2018 when the team were hustling to fill seats in their second M4 GT4.
The #9 car is an ex Rowe Racing car, the #3 came from Teo Martin Racing’s GT Open programme.
The #9 car includes Adrian Willmott – alongside Jack Mitchell, Willmott, a sometime competitor in the Championship for several years, in particular with the 22GT Aston Martin GT3 effort alongside Tom Alexander, Willmott though had his first start in the British GT Championship in 2002, aboard a Chrysler Viper alongside Tony Littlejohn, a year when he was competing in, (and indeed winning the Championship in) Formula Palmer Audi.
Both AMG GT3s were on parade too, Abba Racing and RAM Racing with a car apiece, Adam Christodoulou ready to roll with Richard Neary in the ABBA car, though he will miss the Donington Park round due to a clashing commitment elsewhere in what looks set to be a packed year for Adam, 20 race weekends accounted for already with the British Championship, some VLN races, N24 and commitments in China GT too and with more to come.
Rounding out the Media Day GT3 contingent are Barwell Motorsport with their pair of Lamborghini Huracan Evo GT3s, again beautifully presented.
Barwell look set to add additional races to their current British GT/ Blancpain Endurance plans, the Mugello 12 Hours and Barcelona 24 Hours looking very likely with a single Huracan Evo apiece, and likely the final three races in GT Open, again with a single car.
More than one knowledgable paddock source predicted a very different look to the racing in the British Championship this coming season with the switch for the Bentley and Aston Martin squads to their new generation cars. “The Astons and Bentleys were ‘power’ rather than aero cars which meant that you were always having to try to get by under braking and in the corners before they hared off on the straights. Their new cars though aren’t like that, if the BoP is good this could be very close.”
Finally in GT3 comes the solo GTC entry, all will be explained, Adam Wilcox, a welcome Championship returnee with Michael Igoe in the #18 WPI Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – It’s pretty clear though that this is a scouting mission ahead of a decision on whether (or more likely when) the pair will step up to GT3 – With Porsche Michael? “Who else!”
Several sources suggest that a new 911 GT3R has already been ordered for the team.
