Cheshire-based teams Speedworks Motorsport and ABG Motorsport are the latest squads to confirm plans for the 2010 Avon Tyres
British GT Championship.
Speedworks is to field a Ginetta and ABG a KTM X-Bow in the new-for-2010 'G4' category, which brings together homologated GT4 cars and Supersports machinery.
The G4 class is growing apace, with at least seven cars expected on the
Oulton Park grid on 5 April for the championship's opening rounds and further competitors joining the party later in the season.
In addition to the G4 machines at least a dozen GT3 cars will be in action at Oulton, with new competitors in the GT Cup class, drawn from the Porsche Cup and Ferrari Challenge, helping to expand the field to more than 20 cars in total for
Oulton Park and the rest of the season.
Speedworks' Ginetta G50 will be driven by team principal and co-founder Christian Dick and Jamie Stanley, who won 11 times in the Lotus Elise Trophy in 2009. Chester-based Stanley said: "It's a natural step up for me after my success in the Lotus. The Avon Tyres
British GT Championship is an international-level series with a good reputation; I'm confident that it is the best place for me to take the next step in my career."
Stanley, Dick and the Sandbach-based Speedworks team are sponsored by fishing equipment manufacturer FOX International. Christian, who enjoyed two successful
British GT outings last year, added: "It's a great move for the team to be racing in a major international championship, and we take a lot of confidence into the season after our performances last year. It's a competitive series with a lot of strong drivers and teams, but Speedworks has had an enormous amount of experience and success in running the Ginetta G50, and Jamie is a strong driver, so we hope to be fighting for race wins and the title."
ABG Motorsport's KTM entry will be driven by reigning Scottish Formula Ford Champion Rory Butcher and Benjamin Harvey. Team boss Peter Hignett said: "ABG Motorsport has made a commitment to
British GT to enter an X-Bow for the full championship. We have a strong driver pairing which gives us confidence for the season."
It will be 22-year-old Butcher's first full sports car racing campaign; his team-mate Harvey began his track career last season at the wheel of a Porsche 996. "I am glad to have it all sorted because it is still only March,” said Rory. “We have testing sorted - we'll be going to Spa,
Oulton Park and Rockingham. It is a great feeling to be so organised. It is a massive opportunity for me and a step up. This is going to be a tough year but I am really looking forward to the challenge."
There will be at least four Ginettas in action at Oulton Park. Another of them is to be fielded by Team Osborne Racing for 2009 GT4 European Cup title winner Joe Osborne and Osman Yusuf. Joe, 21, is no stranger to
British GT success: he was a double outright race winner at Rockingham last season at the wheel of the Barwell Motorsport-prepared Invitation class Ginetta G50Z.