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The British GT Championship Hots Up

The British GT Championship (takes its double header weekend to Brands Hatch on the weekend of July 12^th, with the leading team and odds on favourite, Southampton based Brookspeed Team Trimite hoping to come away having secured the title. Going into the weekend with a 25 point lead, they need to finish the weekend 21 points in front to win the season. With an in-form Viper and two in-form drivers, it is a certain possibility. I spoke to Brookspeed’s PR Manager Peter De Vries to find out more about the GT circuit and ask why it’s gone so well this season.  

Peter, is the team confident ahead of the race at your home track at Brands-Hatch?

Brands Hatch isn’t a circuit that suits our car because it is a very twisty circuit with not much opportunity to use the brute force of the Viper. Having said that, last year a Viper won both races at Brands Hatch so with good preparation and a good set-up on the car we should be able to score some important championship points.

What would you say are the necessary factors for a GT team to gel together?

Co-operation, respect and equality are the biggest factors in getting a team to work together. Every member’s role is an important one, from the team principals’ down to the guys who clean the wheels. Everyone contributes toward the weekend and acknowledging that helps the team to work as a unit.

The GT circuit’s fan base has grown in recent years but is still rather a ‘niche market’ so to speak, why is this do you think?

All forms of motorsport suffer from the popularity of Formula One which draws most of the available funding and television coverage. However, the British GT Championship is still acknowledged as the pinnacle of sports car racing in the UK and audiences for it are growing all the time thanks to some of the closest racing in the country.

How much, on average, does it cost per race to compete in the GT’s and do you feel this figure is justifiable?

Whilst I can’t reasonably expose all our running costs, to give you an idea of the figures involved:

Car - £153,000

Insurance - £10,000 - £15,000

Fuel- £2.50 per litre and we’d use 650-800 litres a weekend. 8 weekends racing a year

Tyres: £1,000-£1,200 per set and we’d use 3 sets a weekend minimum.

All this is without considering wages, workshop rent, hotels, and travel expenses. Without a doubt it is a very expensive sport but in comparison to Formula One and Premiership Football it’s very reasonable for a year.

 Would you ever consider taking the bold step into Formula One and, if so, would such a change be realistically possible considering the growing costs of F1 teams?

Formula One, especially in the state it is in today it not something that appeals to us. Our long term goals, as with most sports car teams are to compete at Le Mans & Daytona in the LMP 1 & 2 series. From our current position, Formula One is completely unrealistic, the budgets involved are astronomical and even with the funding in place, you can’t simply buy your way in.

And finally, what, in your opinion, has made Brookspeed Team Trimite so successful this season?

There are two factors that have made this a good season for us. Firstly the unrelenting determination of Martin & Guy to see Brookspeed succeed and, secondly, our fantastic drivers Jon & James. They are not only very quick & very talented but they quickly settled down in the team and have bonded well with everybody. As such we form a very strong, close knit team and that’s what it’s all about in the GT Championship.

To place a bet on the British GT Championship check out online betting website Blue Square.