Following four years of success and growth, the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain will become a support series to the British GT Championship in 2014, positioning the Challenge as a feeder category to the UK’s top sports car racing championship. The series also welcomes Michelin on-board as technical partner and exclusive tyre provider at each of the seven rounds.

The GT4 Challenge of Great Britain sees drivers competing head-to-head in identical V8-powered Aston Martin Vantage GT4s. The series will now run alongside four rounds of the British GT Championship, which Aston Martin Racing partner team Beechdean AMR won this year.

John Gaw, Team Principal at Aston Martin Racing, comments: “The British GT Championship is the highest level of GT racing in the UK and one of the top national championships in the world, so having the GT4 Challenge of Great Britain as a support race shows the level of professionalism of our one-make series.”

“Aston Martin Racing started with the GT4 and it continues to be at the heart of everything we do. Its excellent reliability, driveability and competitive running costs make it ideal for gentlemen drivers looking to start a racing career or just to have some fun. The recent improvements to the aero have put it right at the front of the GT4 pack and this was demonstrated at the last round of the British GT Championship when Richie Stanaway and Harry Whale finished second in their first race together.”

The GT4 Challenge of Great Britain takes pride in offering a highly-competitive race for more experienced drivers as well as accommodating novice and less experienced drivers and helping to develop race craft on and off the track.

The format of the races vary from 60 to 100 minutes with two drivers per car and a mandatory pit stop at every race. The schedule is compact and ‘arrive and drive’ packages are now available.

Andrew Williamson, Customer Programmes Manager at Aston Martin Racing, explains: “There are a couple of ways to get involved in the GT4 Challenge of Great Britain. You can buy a Vantage GT4 and enter, with or without the support of Aston Martin Racing, or you can pay for the very successful ‘arrive and drive’ service, which suits many drivers.

“The Aston Martin Racing Driver Training Programme will take a total novice from the first time on the track to a fully fledged racing driver in the GT4 Challenge of Great Britain.“

The Programme involves an initial assessment and training in a specially developed GT race car simulator. Once the basic skills have been mastered, drivers will take an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 onto a UK race circuit with expert tuition from an Aston Martin Racing instructor, who will coach them to pass the ARDS test and gain a National B race licence. Finally, entrants take part in an Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain test day and race.

As well as taking in the Oulton Park, Rockingham, Silverstone GP and Donington Park rounds of the 2014 British GT Championship, the series will once again visit the Aston Martin Festival of Brands Hatch, which will be repeated next year thanks to its success this July.

New for 2014 is an exclusive tyre partnership between the GT4 Challenge of Great Britain and Michelin, which builds upon the relationship that the Aston Martin Racing works team has with the brand in the FIA World Endurance Championship. As well as providing racing tyres, Michelin technicians will be on hand throughout the season to offer technical support on race and test days.

Malcolm Scovell, Commercial Director at Michelin Tyres plc, said: “Michelin’s mission has always been to develop tyres that deliver exceptional performance across a wide range of criteria – we call it Michelin Total Performance.

“A vital part of that process is using motor sport as a laboratory and making sure that innovations move from track to street.

“We’re extremely excited about this partnership with Aston Martin Racing, and we’re looking forward to working with the race teams to show how exceptional tyres can transform driving performance and driving pleasure.”

The GT4 Challenge of Great Britain offers competitors a full hospitality package and gives guests fantastic entertainment opportunities such as passenger rides and garage tours.