GT Cup UK 2012.

[adam46]

I am suprised there is no thread for this considering how good it is looking this season now that it has opened up to GT3's.

Do you think this series may rival British GT in the future??

(I would post results from Donington but me and hyperlinks don't mix, could someone else give it a go please?)


If this is considered to go under 'Sportscar & GT Racing' feel free to move it.

[JBarrettCommentator]

I can't see it challenging British GT and GT Cup are one driver sprint races, but I may be wrong.

Donington results here: http://www.tsl-timing.com/msvr/2012/121751gtc.pdf

[kipper]

I can't see GT Cup challenging British GT. Ultimately the Cup is aimed at amateur drivers and as such, it probably wouldn't be in the interests of the championship to have drivers of the calibre of Westbrook, Simonsen or Adam for they would surely dominate. Furthermore, in my view the format of the GT Cup is not akin to an international sportscar series as it eschews longer races.

I do have some concerns as to whether the introduction of the latest GT3 machines is a good idea for I can envisage these machines out performing the older cars on the grid, which may deter the owners of the less competitive cars.

[adam46]

^ The above is a worry I must say.

[Andy 308GTB]

**** should this thread be moved to the GT section??? ****


When the GT Cup first came on the scene it had large grids, drivers even defected from Britcar to it and it was a good series.

I saw the Silverstone race on Motors TV last night - the grid was made up of 10 or 12 cars... and the spectators were outnumbered by the marshalls!

One of the big selling points of the series used to be that it was for amateur drivers.
Shorty (winning all 3 rounds) in a Mosler doesn't seem to fit the 'amateur' status - but after his treatment in the British GT series the other year I guess he will race where he can.
It was great to see Chamberlains Porsche 935 replica back on the track (where it was unreliable as ever ) but this car doesn't seem to be a natural fit for the series either.

Please don't get me wrong as I was a big fan of this series when it first started but I guess the economic situation has strangled the numbers (Britcar appears to be struggling too - although the 24 hour may be different)

Interestingly the British GT series is getting stronger. However the International series (International GT Open/ADAC GT Masters/Blancpain etc) appear to be booming with packed grids and top end cars/drivers.

Is it just the GT scene in the UK that is struggling?

[stuart thompson]

I was hoping this weekend would attract a few extra entries but on paper is probably the worst all year

[GT3 RSR]

Apparently the numbers are better for Snet next weekend - 20 odd cars registered. We can but hope - the championship is well run, friendly and not crazy expensive.

[Andy 308GTB]

Originally Posted by GT3 RSR

Apparently the numbers are better for Snet next weekend - 20 odd cars registered.

I hope you're right - the grid numbers at Brands Hatch last weekend were poor.

Originally Posted by GT3 RSR

We can but hope - the championship is well run, friendly and not crazy expensive.

This was my understanding.

[Down F0rce]

Hopefully the entry list will stay at 20-odd for the Knockhill round!

[tux]

Is the Mclaren out yet? Sure i read the Geddies have one.

Is Derek Johnstons Ferrari a proper GT3 car or a challenge with an aero kit?

[Tim the Grey]

McLaren in GTCup? Hmm, I remember when Bute ran this as a low cost series, for older GT3s, plus any other Cup classes who cares to join in.
Now it seems it's another way to dilute the market.

Why cannot folk accept what they have, and stick with it? Between Britcar and British GT, they had a tidy little niche, but it looks lke they want someone else's pie, as well...

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

McLaren in GTCup? Hmm, I remember when Bute ran this as a low cost series, for older GT3s, plus any other Cup classes who cares to join in.
Now it seems it's another way to dilute the market.

Why cannot folk accept what they have, and stick with it? Between Britcar and British GT, they had a tidy little niche, but it looks lke they want someone else's pie, as well...

Grids were already twindling last year before the new GT3s came in, so I guess they had to do *something*...

[Andy 308GTB]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Grids were already twindling last year before the new GT3s came in, so I guess they had to do *something*...

That was my assumption. I guess there are a lot of race cars sitting around in garages awaiting an upturn in the economy.

[Tim the Grey]

So open the races to £500,000 road cars??? Hmmm, some 'economy' class that. It just means any other potential quick cars stay locked up, when folk CAN afford to race them, as they cannot compete with a current GT3.

Make it SLOWER, to pull in the cheaper/older cars. After all, does the spectator care if it's a 1.20 lap, or a 1.15 lap, if it means 4 or 5 or 6 cars battling at the front?

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

So open the races to £500,000 road cars??? Hmmm, some 'economy' class that. It just means any other potential quick cars stay locked up, when folk CAN afford to race them, as they cannot compete with a current GT3.

Make it SLOWER, to pull in the cheaper/older cars. After all, does the spectator care if it's a 1.20 lap, or a 1.15 lap, if it means 4 or 5 or 6 cars battling at the front?

What spectators?

And I could see them hoping to become a kind of 'Interserie' to BGT where BGT teams go to give their drivers additional track time or test young talent. That worked out pretty well for DMV-TCC over here, with them getting regular guest appearances from ADAC GT-Masters teams.

[Andy 308GTB]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

So open the races to £500,000 road cars??? Hmmm, some 'economy' class that. It just means any other potential quick cars stay locked up, when folk CAN afford to race them, as they cannot compete with a current GT3.

Make it SLOWER, to pull in the cheaper/older cars. After all, does the spectator care if it's a 1.20 lap, or a 1.15 lap, if it means 4 or 5 or 6 cars battling at the front?

Exactly.

Who is going to drag their 5 year old race car out of the garage, if someone of the calibre of Martin Short is competing in a current Mosler.

In essence the 4 classes of car should sort this out but everyone wants some hope of glory.

[kipper]

Originally Posted by tux

Is the Mclaren out yet? Sure i read the Geddies have one.

Is Derek Johnstons Ferrari a proper GT3 car or a challenge with an aero kit?

The Geddies do have a McLaren; however, despite it being entered for some GT Cup and British GT races, it is yet to appear. My understanding is that Johnston's Ferrari is an uprated Challenge machine as opposed to a GT3 one.

[yesnomaybe]

so where have all the entrys gone for this championship? Britcar? British GT? International GT Open?

when it first started it was doing better than British GTs for the amount of entrys, one of todays 'races' at snetterton had only five cars! and now the British GT Championship is doing much better

[tux]

I cant say for sure where all of the entrys have gone but id imagine a few of the Porsche have gone here. http://www.porsche.com/uk/motorsport...great-britain/

Aaron Scott & Craig Wilkins ran some races with their Viper and they've now moved to the Blancpain Series.

I don't know what the answer is to boost grid levels but im certain there are plenty of early 997 cup cars, Old GT2 cars, Ferrari 360+430 challenges, BMW e46s, Marcos etc that could be used but for some reason no one wants to or dont have the budget to race them.

[kipper]

Originally Posted by tux

I cant say for sure where all of the entrys have gone but id imagine a few of the Porsche have gone here.

I'm not sure whether there has been many Porsche drivers move from the GT Cup to the GT3 comptition as the series has been aroun for a couple of seasons (albeit organised by the PCGB as opposed to BARC) and secondly the grids within the Porsche competition are comparable to GT Cup.

I suspect that the reason for the GT Cup having poor grids is a combination of the economy, the resurgence of British GT, the availability of Britcar as well as more 'glamorous' options in the form of the Blancpain series.

Whilst attracting older cars is probably the key to gaining bigger grids, I'd question whether this is possible given the current rule book, which permits contemporary cars.

[Andy 308GTB]

Originally Posted by kipper

I suspect that the reason for the GT Cup having poor grids is a combination of the economy, the resurgence of British GT, the availability of Britcar as well as more 'glamorous' options in the form of the Blancpain series.

In my eyes both the GT Cup & Britcar are finding it tough going.
But as you say there has been a resurgence in the British GT series - and a number of British entries crossing over to the Blancpain series.

I guess the people who could originally afford the more expensive series' had the budgets to weather the economic storm. But any individual stretching themselves may have opted to park their car up for a season or two.

It's a real shame as the GT Cup, as mentioned by numerous posters, started with huge grids. There were a few upsets along the way but it looked to be in good shape.

[ClarkyPics]

Hi Everyone ,

Certainly Britcar & GT Cup finding it tough going at the moment. A few pics
from the weekend here : http://flic.kr/s/aHsjAjKxCb

[GT3 RSR]

Originally Posted by ClarkyPics

Hi Everyone ,

Certainly Britcar & GT Cup finding it tough going at the moment. A few pics
from the weekend here : http://flic.kr/s/aHsjAjKxCb

Nice pic of my car No.95 997 GT3 cup car

[tux]

The Mclaren had its first GT Cup race at Oulton park, was joined by an Audi R8.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/viewAr...7CF167B4C54230

[ger80]

Get a British " Dutch supercar". That even has British drivers in it ...