Brit GT schedule for 2010

[RickP:Clio51]

SRO just announced the Brit GT schedule for 2010 and I think apart from M-Cours instead of the nearer (and IMHO) preferable Spa I think it looks like a pretty good deal.

Also no running on Fridays with 4.5 hours of running crammed into the 2 days of the weekend (3 days over Easter) should reduce costs pretty well.

I've been vocal in my criticism of the SRO with what they are doing in Europe so let me be the first to say I think this is pretty positive.

We have plans afoot to be there in 2010 with 2 * GT4s... fingers crossed.

Cheers
Rick

2009

BRITISH GT

ANNOUNCES 2010 CALENDAR & NEW MEETING FORMAT



The Avon Tyres British GT

Championship today reveals an exciting eight-date, 14-race calendar

for the 2010 season, the highlights of which are a season-closing

'into the night' race at Donington Park and a two-hour race on the

Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone. There will also be a return to the

former French Grand Prix circuit of Magny-Cours, last visited by

British GT in 2006.



The championship will kick off,

as it has in recent seasons, with an Easter Saturday/Monday outing at

the Oulton Park circuit in Cheshire. The championship opener will,

like most of British GT's UK dates, be alongside the Cooper Tires

British Formula 3 International Series. A full F3 calendar, including

that championship's overseas dates, is expected to be finalised

soon.

All British GT events will in

2010 feature a revised format devised in consultation with the teams.

There will be no testing on the Friday - saving teams and drivers a

full day at the track - with two one-hour free practice sessions, as

well as two 15-minute qualifying sessions, scheduled for the Saturday.

All races (either a brace of one-hour events or a two-hour endurance

race) will take place on the Sunday.

The 2010 British GT calendar has

been carefully planned so that no race days clash with other major UK

championships, including BTCC events. "We are very pleased with the

provisional dates and the venues," said Bernadette Fitzsimons, General

Manager SRO Motorsports Group. "The competitors were adamant that they

wanted to retain eight events in total, and that has enabled us to

include Knockhill on the provisional calendar, which we are very

pleased about because it will give us once again the chance to work

with Knockhill's enthusiastic and helpful staff.



"We are also delighted to be

returning to the Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone, which is a

particular favourite of the drivers, and are excited to be able to

plan an "into the night" race at Donington Park. This is proposed as a

two-hour endurance event with refuelling pit stops, and should make

for a really dramatic finale to the championship."
Provisional calendar 2010 Avon

Tyres British GT Championship



03-05 Apr, Oulton Park (with British F3)



08/09 May, Knockhill



22/23 May, Magny-Cours, France



03/04 Jul, Snetterton (with British F3)



17/18 Jul, Rockingham (with British F3)



14/15 Aug, Silverstone GP (2hr race, with British F3)



25/26 Sep, Brands Hatch GP (with British F3)



16/17 Oct, Donington Park (2hr race, partner races tba)







Other plans already announced for

the 2010 Avon Tyres British GT season include the reintroduction of

the Cup Class, providing a cost-effective means of competing at the

highest level of GT racing in the UK, as well as changes to GT3 to

allow all FIA GT3 homologated cars to compete, including those with

superseded homologation, and the introduction of an innovative

Challenge Cup for amateur drivers. There will be excellent TV coverage

on terrestrial TV via Channel 4, with additional coverage on Motors TV

across Europe, and online via Channel 4's video-on-demand service

4OD.

[GroupOfOne]

Glad the Oulton Park opener is retained (from a purely selfish p.o.v of course) and the end of season 'Into the Night' at Donington sounds good, providing the track exists of course, albeit perhaps a little copy of Britcar! But hey, shows SRO are perhaps realising what's popular with drivers and spectators.

Hope to see you out there in 2010 Rick!

[m1fcf]

Originally Posted by RickP:Clio51

The 2010 British GT calendar has been carefully planned so that no race days clash with other major UK championships, including BTCC events.

Except:
- 3/04/05 April : Outlon Park : BTCC@Thruxton; Superleague@Silverstone
- 07/08 May : Knockhill clashes : LMS@Spa
- 02/03 July : Snetterton : FoS@Goodwood
- 17/18 July : Rockingham : WTCC@Brands; LMS@unconfirmed

must have forgotten the international racing then.



note: all dates I have are provisional and open to change

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by m1fcf

Except:
- 3/04/05 April : Outlon Park : BTCC@Thruxton; Superleague@Silverstone
- 07/08 May : Knockhill clashes : LMS@Spa
- 02/03 July : Snetterton : FoS@Goodwood
- 17/18 July : Rockingham : WTCC@Brands; LMS@unconfirmed

must have forgotten the international racing then.



note: all dates I have are provisional and open to change

Europeans have zillions of races, what did you expect?

[GroupOfOne]

Originally Posted by m1fcf

Except:
- 3/04/05 April : Outlon Park : BTCC@Thruxton; Superleague@Silverstone
- 07/08 May : Knockhill clashes : LMS@Spa
- 02/03 July : Snetterton : FoS@Goodwood
- 17/18 July : Rockingham : WTCC@Brands; LMS@unconfirmed

There's always going to be clashes with something international, they'd have trouble avoiding all the FIA GT, LMS and International GT Open dates alone, let alone factoring in WTCC, Superleague. I'm just happy they're avoiding 90% of BTCC weekends, as that seems deliberately stupid

Also strictly speaking their race day doesn't clash with the BTCC at Thruxton, as the touring cars are on Sunday whereas both the GT races will be on Monday*. I realise there's still practice etc though, but that prompts my question.

Is the avoidance of such done more so to a) encourage spectators b) help teams competing in more than one series or c) to gain increased media coverage?

*I'm not sure how many spectators that go to Thruxton BTCC would also go to to Oulton Park F3/GT. Especially as they're relatively far apart. Apart from a hardcore I'd suggest there wouldn't be too much crossover here, so if any clash wasn't going to do 'damage' this would probably be it.

[GroupOfOne]

SRO have just announced that one of the TBC support events for Donington (all being well) will be the British, and final, round of the FIA GT4 Cup. Hopefully it'll be as standalone races, though if not there's one way to bump up the field for the 'Into the Night' race.