It’s a Bank Holiday weekend and it’s the British GT Championship’s annual visit to Oulton Park so it must still be Easter and the opening round to the new season, right??

Whilst it may co-incidentally still be another Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK, it certainly is not Easter as the British national GT championship this times heads back up the M6 for their second round to the season with two one-hour sprint races scheduled in for Monday at the Cheshire circuit.

 

This year saw the curtain raiser to the new season was held at Silverstone for their championship’s blue ribband event – the three-hour Silverstone 500 which welcomed five Aston Martin Racing powered crews to the Northamptonshire circuit amongst the then twenty-nine entries.

This weekend sees the total number of entries drop slightly to twenty-four cars with the #7 Beechdean AMR still being the sole AMR Vantage GT3 crew representing the marque within the thirteen strong GT3 class with drivers Andrew Howard and Ross Gunn whilst the same four AMR Vantage GT4 crews return within the eleven strong GT4 class.

 

Whilst the Silverstone circuit proved itself to be a wise opening venue over that of the tight and twisty Oulton Park circuit, the opening round a month ago certainly provided some intensive racing that resulted in prizes for some and thoughts of what might have been for others.

As far as we can see (and how things stand today) there are no changes within the five AMR powered crews with Will Orton/Jessica Hawkins (#21 MK Racing), Dan Lavery/Darren Turner (#27 Grange Racing with FSR), Joe Wheeler/James Townsend (#40 Townsend Racing by Fox Motorsport) and John Hartshorne/Ronan Pearson (#97 GBR Stratton Motorsport) all returning for their crack at two sprint races.

 

Most of the teams would have been at Oulton Park last week for a final test before this weekend’s event with the Beechdean, MK Racing and GBR Stratton Motorsport teams looking to continue their class podium winning fortune from Silverstone whilst the others look to make amends for their mistakes made that left them out of contention or indeed, out of the race. The #21 will, however, have to serve an additional seven seconds at it scheduled stop during race 1 on Monday having finished second overall in GT4 last time out.

Being a Bank Holiday event at Oulton Park – track action will begin with private testing on Friday before Free Practice, Pre-Qualifying and Qualifying on Saturday before everything has to quieten down for Sunday before the noise grows over the 11:15 and 15:45 starts to the two races.

 

These two races will certainly be eventful – let’s just hope not dramatically so!

Photo credits – Jacob Ebrey.

 

The opening round to the 2026 British GT Championship proved itself to be yet another classic as after three hours of inter GT3 and GT4 class racing, the results were still all up for grabs until the very last lap.

Originally intended as a twenty-nine-car entry, a freak accident for one of the drivers during an earlier session had seen his thumb injury prevent him from taking any further part but that thankfully did not affect any of the five Aston Martin Racing powered runners.

 

Although somewhat dull and chilly to start, the warm spring sunshine soon warmed the full Grand Prix circuit layout as the British GT Championship prepared to run its Blue Ribband Silverstone 500 event as its opening round in-favour over an early start Easter race weekend from Oulton Park.

During yesterday’s qualifying, the #7 Beechdean AMR Vantage GT3 of Andrew Howard and Ross Gunn had to make do with a P10 starting position for today’s three-hour race as they prepared themselves for another tough campaign within the top-flight GT3 Pro-Am class.

 

GT4 was being well represented across the brands with four AMR Vantage GT4 powered crews competing in both Silver and Pro-Am. It was to be the silver classed #21 MK Racing Vantage GT4 of Will Orton and Jessica Hawkins who would lead the way today with their P3 starting position whilst the #27 Grange Racing AMR of Dan Lavery and Darren Turner lead their class stablemates of James Townsend/Joe Wheeler and the #97 GBR Stratton Motorsport entry of John Hartshorne and Ronan Pearson were all close behind in P4, P8 and P9 respectively.

After an emotional mark of respect to the recently lost of the Championship’s Pit Lane Manager Julze Batten Dale, the now twenty-eight strong grid assembled upon the National Pit Straight for what was always going to be a tough, strategic and fortune needed three-hour slog.

 

Early contact on the opening laps saw both Howard and Orton capitalise upon the mistakes of others to quickly move up the order as the #7 rose up to P3 overall and the #21 car headed the GT4 pack, but that earlier contact also lead to an early intervention of the Safety Car – something that many teams then changed race strategy with as a consequence.

After that, the race seemed to settle slightly as the #7 was holding station but Orton had had to yield to the greater pace of the #74 Ginetta before an apparent mistake from Townsend caught his #40 Aston Martin hurtling backwards into the gravel trap at the end of the Hamilton Straight – this time it was the first of what would become four FCY interventions to allow for recovery.

 

Finding themselves laps down after being pull free, the #40 Townsend Racing’s crew day would go from bad to worse as they then got one of many drive through penalties awarded to cars for speeding within the last FCY period – the #97 GBR Stratton and #27 Grange Racing crews were also impacted by this to a point of maybe the limiter function aboard all Vantage GT4 being not quite on point when it needed to be?

At about the halfway mark disaster, however, befell the #27 Grange Racing AMR with then Turner at the wheel as a reactionary move between two cars going into Brooklands saw the #27 car make heavy contact with the #84 McLaren from which there was no recovery for either. Although uninjured, the young Revie Lake was unnerved to give the former Le Mans winner his full bodily expression on how he saw that manoeuvre!

 

Another FCY opportunity for others to make another of their three mandatory stops which saw all remaining AMR powered crews revert back to their starting drivers as the race entered this central phase but, at the restart, two separate GT3 related incidents on track again saw the yellow flags wave.

With an hour to go Howard was still holding a worthy P3 overall position whilst Orton was still trying to chase down the #74 Ginetta in GT4 whilst Howard over tried his defence of position to come out two places worse off as a result. Whilst the #97 GBR Stratton car was being given yet another drive through penalty for speeding under a FCY, an unseen incident between the #7 Aston and #15 Mercedes saw Howard off track and having to restart the car after probable contact. Able to get going again, the #7 had lost significant track position.

 

Then, and with just thirty minutes remaining but, a fourth FCY intervention brought the remaining grid back behind the Safety Car again for what would turn out to be a final seven-minute charge to the flag. Despite that, three AMR powered crews manage to either elevate or maintain their positions to bring home an opening class podium position at the end of this 500km race.

The #7 Beechdean AMR crew of Howard and Gunn picked up a P3 finishing within their GT3 Pro-Am class, the #21 MK Racing crew of Orton and Hawkins picked up a well-deserved P2 overall (and Silver) finish whilst (and despite all of their earlier drive through penalties and issues on track) saw the #97 GBR Stratton crew of Hartshorne and Pearson pick off a P3 GT4 Pro-Am finish for their efforts.

 

Next stop will be from Oulton Park in late May.

Photo credits – Jacob Ebrey / Phil Hay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A fresh wind and grey skies beckoned the start to the 2026 British GT Championship on Tuesday as twenty-six GT3 and GT4 cars congregated at the home of British Motorsport for their annual Media Day presentation and test around the full Grand Prix circuit of Silverstone.

Whilst Mother Nature may not have been that complementary to start with, the bright livery designs soon warmed the day with the sun soon making an appearance as all the cars and crews enjoyed three test sessions around the circuit as well as a public presentation within the pit lane and press conference during the lunch interlude.

 

Unfortunately for us, there were no last-minute announcements as we were already aware of the five Aston Martin Racing powered crews who would compete full season within the Championship although one team was still hopeful of a late signing with discussions due to take place still at the test.

The Beechdean AMR team will be the sole AMR Vantage GT3 powered team within the front running class after the Blackthorn AMR had earlier announced their 2026 racing programme within the European theatre for their driver clientele.

 

Andrew Howard would return to the battles within the Pro-Am class alongside Ross Gunn who returns to the team after a number of years away from the championship and in addition to his already declared IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championship with the Heart of Racing AMR team within a car sporting a livery design reminiscent of that raced by the team in the then brand new Vantage GT3 at the Gulf 12hr back in 2018.

Whilst people still climbing the GT ladder were describing their challenges stepping up from either Ginetta Series or GT4 classes in terms of driver/car interactions, Gunn was the only one suffering a simple issue downgrading between his GTP/Hypercar charge elsewhere to that of quickly familiar Vantage GT3.

 

Then, within the GT4 class there are the brightly coloured quartet of AMR Vantage GT4’s from Full Send Racing, GBR Stratton Motorsport, MK Racing and the Townsend Racing powered by Fox Motorsport teams – all fielding one car apiece despite the earlier hopes of some to race two cars.

AMR Factory driver Darren Turner and Dan Lavery within the #27 Grange Racing by Full Send Racing have their names out there the longest of the AMR powered runners and half already undertaken numerous test sessions around the country. They too had hoped to field two cars, but we understand from the team that they first wanted to get the team/car/crew functioning within the right direction before considering a second car, but we may get to see their black liveried car competing within the GT Cup Championship later this season.

 

The team did suffer from an understeer issue at the test which saw them sit out most of session three as suitable adjustments were made.

James Townsend takes a progressive step up the racing ladder this season having started within the Ginetta family and this year sees his first competitive racing steps within the GT4 class with his own Townsend Racing team operating under the watchful eye of the more established Fox Motorsport team.

 

Speaking at the press conference, Townsend spoke about the importance of a coherent ladder system – something that the governing SRO body have embraced this year by taking the Ginetta Junior and Ginetta GT Championships under their wing this season. He will be joined by the more GT4 savvy Joe Wheeler within their pink and purple coloured #40 car.

Townsend would suffer from a puncture during the day, but he was able to bring the car home with little to no damage from the flailing rubber.

 

Originally posted out as an MKH Racing entry but later revised to just an MK Racing Vantage GT4 entry (after Stuart Hall stepped away from the team last year) saw the Peter Montague lead team buck the Aston Martin Racing Pro-Am classed entry with a silver class entry for both Will Orton and Jessica Hawkins.

Orton endured something of a ‘challenging’ GT4 European Series experience last year with the Racing Spirit of Leman team after he and Marc Warren enjoyed a successful year together with the then Forsetti AMR team in 2024.

 

Likewise, the Aston Martin F1 Ambassador Jess Hawkins had a similar experience with the Comtoyou Racing team within the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Series last year where she found herself without a race car (due to earlier damage) at several of the rounds.

Competing within the highly competitive silver class, this year will be their chance to see what they are made of.

 

That leaves the solo #97 GBR Stratton Motorsport entry of John Hartshorne and Ronan Pearson which sees the venerable Hartshorne step down to the GT4 platform after previous years with the Vantage GT3 and GTE with TF Sport whilst Pearson steps up to the rear wheel driven GT4 platform for the first time.

 

Continuing to utilise the driver coaching opportunities ‘within the team family’ of Jonny Adam, emphasis will be getting Pearson literally up to speed within the car before the opening round of the season at Silverstone in just three weeks’ time. That coaching continued after media day as the team reverted back to their home track of Snetterton the next day on that very matter.

 

With the opening Silverstone 500 round in late April being a three hour introduction into the season as opposed to a more traditional two – one hour sprint races around the tight and twisty Oulton Park circuit, that should at least give the rookie drivers and teams room to ‘manoeuvre’ around the Grand Prix loop and represents a sensible choice by the series considering the number of opening weekend shunts we have seen in the past in Cheshire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This morning sees confirmation of the return of something resembling a British racing institution as the Beechdean Aston Martin Racing team announce their return to the British GT Championship for 2026 with their fan favourite racing duo of Andrew Howard and Ross Gunn.

Also confirming their return to the championship’s Pro-Am category after both Howard and Tom Wood secured the Silver-Am Championship win last season, sees this familiar duo reunite for the first time in several years since their last full season effort together (although both did race together at last year’s Spa 24hr) as well as their more familiar blue and white Beechdean livery.

 

Having competed at two endurance rounds so far, the British GT Championship moves onto the first of its sprint rounds from Oulton Park this Bank Holiday weekend with an expected entry list of twenty-three cars.

Being a sprint event, that sees a large reduction in especially the number of GT4 class runners as many of those are making use of the new for 2025 Endurance Cup class which obviously means that they sit out the sprint rounds.

 

An enhanced grid entry has just been confirmed for this weekend’s second round of the British GT Championship from Silverstone as now thirty-three crews prepare themselves for the Blue Ribband Silverstone 500 event.

The opening round to the 2025 season from Donington Park saw twenty-six GT3 and GT4 crews take to the track for the first time of asking at the start of the month and todays entry news out of the SRO sees one further Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 to add to the two full season AMR GT3’s and the Endurance Cup entered Vantage GT4.

After the three-hour round of the Silverstone 500 four weeks ago, the British GT Championship is again back out on track at Donington Park this weekend for another three-hour marathon.