The 2016 Avon Tyres British GT Championship opens on April 17 with a two hour race to be held on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit.
For the 2016 11 teams have entered 15 cars in GT3 with seven manufacturers represented.
Aston Martin V12 Vantages are represented by two examples from TF Sport and one each from Beechdean AMR, Motorbase Performance and PFL Motorsport.
Reigning GT3 Drivers Champions Beechdean AMR return to the championship with a new driver pairing of Andrew Howard and Ross Gunn, Gunn moving up the premier class for 2016. Motorbase Performance have reduced one entry in 2016, the #8 car, driven by Phil Dryburgh and Ross Wylie. PFL Motorsport, who are new to the championship, have entered the #5 car, with a driver pairing of team owner Peter Littler and recent signing Jody Fannin. The #11 TF Sport entry will be driven by Jon Barnes alongside his driving partner from last year, Mark Farmer. The #17 TF Sport car will be driven by 2015 GT3 Drivers Champion, Jonny Adam, along with experienced GT3 amateur driver, Derek Johnston.
Lamborghini are new to the championship and two Huracan GT3s are entered by Barwell Motorsport, GT3 Team Champions in 2015. Drivers for the #6 car will be Liam Griffin, Fabio Babini and Alexander Sims. The #33 car will be driven by Phil Keen and Jon Minshaw.
Team Parker Racing move up to the GT3 category on 2016 with the #31 Bentley Continental GT3. Rick Parfitt Jr, who drove for Team LNT Ginetta last year, and Seb Morris, fresh from the GP3 series with Status Grand Prix, will drive.
Essex-based AmDtuning.com move up from GT4 in 2015 to enter two BMW Z4 GT3s. Currently confirmed is the #7 car to be driven by the established partnership of Lee Mowle and driver Joe Osborne. Drivers for the #4 car are yet to be announced. Team ABBA with Rollcentre Racing, fresh from its recent victory at the Silverstone 24 Hours, has also entered a BMW Z4 GT3, the #88 car being driven by Martin Short and Richard Neary.
McLaren is represented in GT3 by Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse with its factory-backed #79 McLaren 650S GT3, to be driven by Alasdair McCaig and Rob Bell.
Tolman Motorsport is stepping up to the GT3 category this season, campaigning two Ginetta G55 GT3s. The #32 is piloted by Ian Stinton and Mike Simpson while the #56 is driven by David Pattison and Luke Davenport.
A single Audi R8 LMS Ultra is entered by Wakefield-based Optimum Motorsport. The professional pairing of Will Moore, who moves up to GT3 for 2016 and Ryan Ratcliffe will pilot the #14 car.
GT4 has enjoyed significant growth for 2016 and for the first time in the championship GT4 entries outnumber GT3s. 13 teams have entered 18 cars, not all for a full season however, and seven different manufacturers are represented.
Six examples of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4 are on the 2016 entry list. Beechdean AMR is entering two, the #407 car being driven by Jordan Albert and Jack Batholomew while the #408 is piloted by Jamie Chadwick and Paul Hollywood, the latter being entered for the final rounds of the championship.
Generation AMR Macmillan Racing has entered the #42 car to be driven by Jack Mitchell and Matthew Graham. Jamie Chadwick and Matthew George will partner in the #44 Generation AMR SuperRacing entry for the opening round, James Holder having business commitments elsewhere. The #47 JW Bird Motorsport AM V8 Vantage GT4 is driven by Jake Giddings and Kieran Griffin while Stratton Motorsport’s #71 car is piloted by David Tinn and Robin Marriott.
The popular Ginetta G55 GT4 has attracted five entries. Century Motorsport will campaign two G55 GT4s with Sean Byrne and Aleksander Schjerpen sharing the driving duties in the #40 while Nathan Freke and Anna Walewska pilot the #73. Optimum Motorsport with PMW Expo racing, Ginetta GT4 stalwarts, return with Graham Johnson and Mike Robinson sharing the #50 car. RCIB Insurance Racing, managed by Team HARD, will campaign two Ginetta G55 GT4s. Jordan Stilp and William Phillips share the #45 while Robert Barrable and Wilson Thompson drive the #75.
Bringing some further Italian glamour to the British GT paddock is Ebor GT who is campaigning a recently acquired Maserati Gran Turismo MC GT4. Presented in a striking white and fluorescent yellow livery, the #60 car will be driven by Abbie Eaton and Marcus Hoggarth.
Strengthening the GT4 field will be the McLaren 570S GT4. The #59 car will be campaigned by a factory-backed Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse and driven by Ciaran Haggerty and Sandy Mitchell. Two teams were intending to present Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsports at the first round of the championship but challenges with delivery by the manufacture have meant that Lanan Racing and Simpson Motorsport must look elsewhere for machinery for Brands Hatch.
Rounding out the GT4 entries are the #68 and #86 Toyota GT86 GT4s entered by GPRM. Only Stefan Hodgetts has been confirmed for the #68 car so far. Stratton Motorsport will also be campaigning a Lotus Evora GT4, the #70 car to be driven by Robin Shute and Willl Hunholz.
Qualifying sessions begin on Saturday April 16 at 17:05 and the lights go out for the start of the two hour race at 13:30 on Sunday April 17.
