The GT Cup Championship was founded in 2007 by Marc Haynes as premium GT Sprint series.
The aim of the championship to to provide a genuine driver race experience, putting sportsmanship and fun first. Add to this access for the drivers to quality race tracks giving the best service at an affordable price. Finally they look to share their passion with like minded racers and to create an environment to delight the drivers, teams, families and supporters.
The GT Cup aim is to help amateur drivers improve their race and driving skills with a professional drivers and have fun doing it.
Professional drivers may enter the championship with an amateur driver as a two driver team.
Former drivers from this championship have gone on to race in the British GT Championship, World Endurance Championship and more.
The minimum requirement to enter the GT Cup is to hold an Inter Club (Race National B) License.
The GT Cup is home to a broad range of past and present GT race car. The grid is split into 6 groups.
These are:
GT3 - For homologated GT cars running to the manufactures specification and subject to either current or the FIA performance figures that will be set down on the GT Cup balance of performance document before each race. Cars in this class include the Mercedes AMG GT3 and and Ferrari 488 GT3.
GTO - Open specification cars built by very low volume manufactures (subject to meeting the balance of performance and the maximum power to weight for the group). GT2 and GTE class cars, modified challenge cars, cars that are not derived from universally recognised volume GT manufactures. Cars in this class include the Brabham BT62 and the Radical RXC GT3.
GTC - Later model year Challenge Cup specification cars, with performance balancing where required. Cars in this class include the Ferrari 488 Challenge and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo.
GTB - Early year Challenge Cup cars with minimum specification changes together with modified saloon based GT cars. Cars in this class include the Marcos Mantis and and the BMW 1 Series.
GTH - For homologated cars running to manufactures GT4 specification. Cars in this class include the McLaren 570S GT4 and Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4.
GTA - Lower specification Cup, Challenge and one make series cars. This class is mostly made up of Ginetta's.
With this structure in place, it means that race cars current and past can race on an equal footing often passed their usual life cycle.
The weekend format will have a 15 minute warm up session and a 15 minute qualifying session separated by a brief break. There is then a 25 minute sprint race that only the amateur driver can race in and a 50 minute pit stop race that if the team has two drivers, the amateur starts then handing over to the professional driver. This happens both days of the weekend so plenty of action is on offer.
I arrive at Silverstone in good time although its raining and park in the paddock. I have a quick look around the paddock before the warm up and qualifying.
All of the GT Cup cars this weekend had an orange heart on them to remember Robert Foote, the marshal who was tragically killed at Brands Hatch recently.
Once the cars leave the paddock, I base myself around Copse corner.
Paddock, qualifying photo's.
After qualifying, I make my way to the paddock and to Bute Motorsport who organise the GT Cup Championship. I am warmly welcomed by Stephanie Inglis. Stephanie informs me that Hannah James, the Championship Director and my contact who I've been liaising with is making her way back from Race Control.
I make my way through the paddock and grab lunch early. I then head back to Bute Motorsport and meet Hannah. We have a chat about the events during qualifying and Hannah answers my questions regarding the championship. Not wanting to take to much of Hannah's time I make my way back to Copse corner for the race
Cars on the grid before the race. The car on Pole Position is the No 88 Abba Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 Driven by Richard and Sam Neary. This car was re-shelled after it had a huge incident at Spa Francorhamps in Belgium recently. The team re built the car but did not have time to put the wrap on it or any of the liveries.
The No 88 Abba Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 Driven by Richard and Sam Neary leads the field on the 1st lap heading towards Copse Corner.
The No 50 Valuga Racing 911.1 GT3 Cup car driven by Carl Cavers and Lewis Plato is being challenged by the No 66 Enduro Motorsport Mercedes AMG GT4 driven by Morgan Tilbrook and Marcus Clutton.
The No 20 Saxon Motorsport BMW 1 Series driven by Tom Barrow trying to keep ahead of the No 27 FF Corse Ferrari 488 Challenge driven by Laki Christoforou and the No 1 Orange Racing powered by JMH McLaren 570S GT4 driven by Josh Jackson and Michael O'Brien
The No 9 Topcats Racing Lamborghini Super Trofeo driven by Jensen Lunn and Warren Gilbert, No 333 Kan Yan Racing Ferrari 488 Challenge driven by Andie Stokoe and David Mcdonald and No 113 Team Webb Lamborghini Super Trofeo driven by James Webb race towards Copse corner.
The No 4 Triple M Motorsport/Tecserv Nissan Nismo GTR GT3 driven by Grahame Tilley and Will Tregurtha leads the No 155 FF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 driven by Laurent De Meeus and Jamie Stanley and the No 247 LK Motorsport Ferrari 488 Challenge driven by Lucky Khera down the Start/Finish straight.
The No 9 Topcats Racing Lamborghini Super Trofeo driven by Jensen Lunn and Warren Gilbert.
The No 7 Raw Motorsports Radical RXC GT3 driven by Steve Burgess and Ben Dimmack chases the No 61 Scott Sport Lamborghini Huracan GT3 driven by John Dhillon and Phil Quaife around Copse corner.
The No 4 Triple M Motorsport/Tecserv Nissan Nismo GTR GT3 driven by Grahame Tilley and Will Tregurtha
The No 28 SB Race Engineering Brabham BT62 Driven by Paul Bailey and Ross Wylie overtaking the No 9 Topcats Racing Lamborghini Super Trofeo driven by Jensen Lunn and Warren Gilbert. The Brabham would have a busy weekend. In the first race of the day it would spin at Copse corner on the first lap and be relegated to 41s and last place. By the time the chequered flag fell it was in fourth place overall.
The No 155 FF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 driven by Laurent De Meeus and Jamie Stanley
The No 23 Greystone GT McLaren 570S GT4 driven by Iain Campbell and Duncan Tappy.
The No 90 Balfe Motorsport McLaren 570S GT4 driven by Mike Price and Callum Macleod doing battle with the No 44 Signature RV/Paddock Motorsport McLaren 570S GT4 driven by Steve Ruston and John Whitehouse.
The No 44 Signature RV/Paddock Motorsport McLaren 570S GT4 driven by Steve Ruston and John Whitehouse leading the No 77 Greystone GT McLaren 570S GT4 driven by Mark Hopton and Adam Carroll, the No 17 Orange Racing powered by JMH Ginetta G5 Supercup driven by Russell Lindsay and Patrick Collins, the No 15 Century Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 and the No 6 Century Motorsport Ginetta G5 Supercup around Copse corner
The No 20 Saxon Motorsport BMW 1 Series driven by Tom Barrow.
The No 26 Paddock Motorsport McLaren 570S GT4 driven by Moh Ritson and Tom Rawlings
The No 70 FF Corse Ferrari 488 Evo passes The No 26 Paddock Motorsport McLaren 570S GT4 driven by Moh Ritson and Tom Rawlings.
The No 96 Stanbridge Motorsport Lamborghini Super Trofeo driven by Chris Kemp and Stuart Hall.
The No 113 Team Webb Lamborghini Super Trofeo driven by James Webb, leads
the No 9 Topcats Racing Lamborghini Super Trofeo driven by Jensen Lunn and Warren Gilbert. the No 31 Valuga Racing Porsche 911.2 GT3 Cup driven by Jan Klingenberg and Dino Zamperelli and the No 34 Team Hard Racing Porsche 911.1 GT3 Cup driven by Richard Marsh and Sam Randon around Copse corner.
The No 88 Abba Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 Driven by Richard and Sam Neary.
The No 247 LK Motorsport Ferrari 488 Challenge driven by Lucky Khera.
The No 118 Fox Motorsport Ginetta G5 Supercup driven by Ian Duggan and James Townsend.
The No 82 Feathers Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 driven by James Guess and Darren Turner leads the No 96 Stanbridge Motorsport Lamborghini Super Trofeo driven by Chris Kemp and Stuart Hall around Copse corner.
The No 66 Enduro Motorsport Mercedes AMG GT4 driven by Morgan Tilbrook and Marcus Clutton
The No 67 Orange Racing powered by JMH Ginetta G5 Supercup driven by Simon Orange.
The No 35 Valluga Racing Porsche 911.1 GT3 Cup driven by Nick Phelps.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent watching the GT Cup at Silverstone, if you like watching GT cars racing then this is a must watch. For me this is the best sounding championship in motorsport. The noise these cars create is just superb.
The racing is close and there are battles going on in every part of the field due the 6 class system the championship incorporates.
The drivers I spoke to were happy to chat briefly post race.
If you cant get to either of the remaining races at Donington Park in September or Snetterton in October, you can watch all of the action via the GT Cup Youtube channel a link has been provided below.
I would like to thank Hannah James, Stephanie Inglis and the team at Bute Motorsport for making me feel welcome and for organising the championship.
For further information about the GT Cup please find links below to their website and Youtube Channel.
