Market Drayton-based ERC Sport has announced that it will contest the Silverstone 550, Round Five of the 2019 British GT Championship, with its Mercedes-AMG GT4 to be driven by 2011 GT4 champion Peter Belshaw and Mercedes-AMG factory driver Maxi Buhk.
ERC Sport competed in the 2018 British GT Championship with its Mercedes-AMG GT3, finishing fifth in the teams’ standings. The team has announced that it will enter the 2019 championship on a race-by-race basis and will be on the grid for the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps round on July 20 – 21.
Peter Belshaw last competed in the British GT Championship in 2014 where he drove the ABG Motorsport BMW M3 GT4. Maxi Buhk is enjoying a busy season, competing in the Blancpain GT World Challenge America, the Intercontinental GT Challenge and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The 26-year old German driver currently heads the Intercontinental GT Challenge drivers standings with teammates Raffaele Marciello and Maxi Goetz.
Buhk, who is more widely known for his work with the GT3 variant of the Mercedes-AMG GT is looking forward to his GT4 outings with ERC Sport.
“Silverstone and Spa will be very different to what I’m used to,” said Buhk. “I’ve competed in multi-class events before but never when I’ve been in the slower category. I’m usually the one trying to find a way through the traffic, so I guess it’s good to see things from a different perspective.
“I know British GT’s GT4 class is very competitive – there’s a lot of good Pros who are used to working with their Ams and it’s that relationship rather than outright speed that’s crucial to being competitive. Peter’s won the title before and ERC have recent experience of the championship, too, so we should be on the pace. I’m looking forward to it.”
Track action for the Silverstone 500 begins at 09:30 on Saturday June 8 with FP1 with the lights going out for the three-hour race at 12:35 on Sunday June 9.
