SRO GT4 is a class of grand tourer racing cars maintained by the SRO Motorsports Group that race in various auto racing series across the globe. It is an entry-level class aimed at amateur drivers. GT4 cars are production-based vehicles with a few modifications for racing. The cars are closer to their road legal counterparts than most other GT racing classes; they are also one of the least powerful GT categories. The class uses a balance of performance system to provide close competition between different race cars.
15-646: The GT4 category was founded by the SRO at the end of 2006, and first introduced in 2007, racing in the GT4 European Cup as a cheaper alternative for GT3 racing. The category was also added to the British GT Championship in 2008. The SRO also founded the Dutch GT Championship in 2009. The GT4 class was also adapted by several other small national championships. After an unsuccessful attempt to expand
30-442: A distinct class in each of the following series: Bold indicates an active series that currently uses SRO GT4 cars. Additionally, the following series allow SRO GT4 cars to participate alongside other competitors: GT4 European Series The GT4 European Series is a sports car championship created and organised by SRO Motorsports Group . It is a pro/am championship which utilizes SRO GT4 class cars, and runs alongside
45-530: A distinguishable career in a national or international GT championship. These drivers are known as Silver drivers. Drivers over the age of 30 who did not receive their racing licenses until after turning 30 and having no single-seater experience at all are also allowed in the series, under the term Bronze drivers. Just as in GT3, each event would consist of two races of equal distance, usually held on different days. Teams were not required to have two drivers and could use
60-805: A national championship called GTF in 2014 featuring GT4 regulated cars. The Super Taikyu Series in Japan also includes a GT4 class called ST-Z. The United States–based ACCUS offers the GT4 America Series promoted by SRO and sanctioned by the United States Auto Club for one-hour sprint races, and the Michelin Pilot Challenge sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association for longer races (2-4 hours). British GT Championship The British GT Championship
75-620: A true amateur championship was needed in order to complement GT3 which allowed a certain level of professional driver to compete. Many national series also adopted the GT4 regulations as a lower class, and the European Cup eventually lacked the competitors needed to continue. During the 2016 24 Hours of Spa , the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) announced that the European Cup would be divided in 2 different series for 2017. They are called
90-685: Is a sports car racing series based predominantly in the United Kingdom . The series was originally created by the British Racing Drivers' Club in 1993 and, for its first two seasons, was known as the National Sports GT Challenge. The series is currently run by the SRO Motorsports Group , while Pirelli began its first season as the championship's official sole tyre supplier in 2016. Two classes currently compete in
105-622: The GT World Challenge Europe as a support series. Following the successful introduction of the FIA GT3 European Championship in 2006, the formula was expanded to include usage by other nationally based professional championships such as the British GT Championship , Belcar , Australian GT Championship and German ADAC GT Masters . While the FIA GT3 European Championship continues, the SRO felt that
120-741: The GT4 European Series Northern Cup and the GT4 European Series Southern Cup . The Northern Cup will be the same as the European Cup, while the Southern Cup will collect forces with the FFSA GT Championship . Since Stéphane Ratel spoke out about his firm belief in this class, many championships and constructors have followed. In 2018 the Southern Cup was renamed FFSA GT - GT4 France, while the Northern Cup became
135-528: The GT4 European Series Southern Cup . The Northern Cup would turn back into the GT4 European series, while the Southern Cup would turn into the FFSA GT Championship . As of October 2024, over 40 vehicles have gone through the homologation project with the RACB. GT4 cars can either directly be built by the automotive manufacturer, or by race teams and tuning companies. SRO GT4 cars have been either exclusive to or in
150-608: The category in 2012, the SRO introduced the GT4 European Trophy , consisting of five rounds from existing European Championships. This replaced the GT4 European Cup. In 2014, this series merged with the Dutch GT4 Championship to form the GT4 European series. Due to a low number of entries, the SRO announced that the GT4 European series would be split into two championships, the GT4 European Series Northern Cup and
165-429: The championship: GT3 and GT4. A consolidation of GT regulations and significant manufacturer support saw British GT first introduce a GT3 class in 2005. The category later mirrored FIA Group GT3 and used near-identical regulations to the FIA GT3 European Championship from 2006 onwards. GT3 rules include extensive balance of performance and handicap weights to make cars artificially more equal. Cost-saving measures saw
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#1732898992273180-409: The same driver for each race. The championship used the standard FIA point scheme for the top ten finishers: 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1. If a team used different drivers for each race in a single event, both drivers would receive points. A driver and team championship were both held. If at least five cars of the same make participate in a race, then a manufacturer cup would also be awarded, similar to
195-488: The series' previous premier class, GT2, phased out at the end of 2006. The SRO GT4 class was adopted in 2008 intended as a development class towards GT3. Regulations governing GT4 ensure the cars more closely resemble their road-going counterparts than GT3 machines, to control cost. This replaced the previous unique-to-British GT GTC category. British GT has featured a number of other classes since its inception, including Group GT1 . The following drivers have previously won
210-434: The sole GT4 European Series again. Like GT3, GT4 drivers have a set of criteria which would automatically eliminate them from competition based on their level of experience. Since GT4 class drivers are meant to be true amateurs, these criteria are tighter than that seen in GT3. Drivers under the age of 30 are not allowed to have had a top-ten finish in any national or international single-seater championship, nor to have had
225-579: The style used in GT3. Since the introduction of the GT4 European Cup, the GT4 class of cars have been expanded to various national series. The British GT Championship and Belgian GT Championship allow GT4 and Super Sport class cars to compete alongside the GT3 class, while the stand-alone Dutch GT4 Championship ran its first season of competition 2009. The Spanish GT Cup Open Europe series also allows GT4 cars to compete with one-make cars. A GT4 championship plans to be run in Brazil in 2010. Norway introduced
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