The GT Cup Championship is an established and respected part of the UK motorsport scene, continuing to grow in both stature and grid quality. Founded in 2007 by Marc Haynes, the championship was created to provide premium GT racing in a competitive yet welcoming environment, and remains a popular choice for sporting and amateur drivers.

The paddock is widely recognised for its friendly and inclusive atmosphere, underpinned by a professional and well-organised structure. From organisers and officials to teams and drivers, the GT Cup community shares a collective passion for motorsport and a strong commitment to fair, respectful racing. Driver standards are actively monitored and enforced to protect the values of sporting integrity that sit at the heart of the championship.

The GT Cup’s performance-based Group structure is a defining feature of the series, enabling a wide variety of GT machinery to compete on equal terms within the same race. Cars are categorised into six Groups, each regulated to ensure close, competitive racing across the grid.

Championship Groups

GT3
Homologated GT cars running to manufacturer GT3 specifications. Cars are subject to Balance of Performance regulations, using either current FIA data or championship-specific figures published in advance of each event.

GTO
Open-specification GT cars, including GT2 and GTE machinery, cars from low-volume manufacturers (subject to Balance of Performance and power-to-weight limits), modified challenge cars, and cars not derived from recognised high-volume GT platforms.

GTC
Later-model Challenge and Cup specification cars, with performance balancing applied where required.

GTB
Earlier-generation Challenge and Cup cars with limited specification changes, together with modified saloon-based GT vehicles.

GTH
Homologated cars running to full manufacturer GT4 specification.

GTA
Lower-specification Cup, Challenge and one-make series cars, providing an accessible entry point into GT Cup competition.

Race Formats

A key attraction of the GT Cup is its flexible race format, designed to suit a wide range of drivers, budgets and experience levels. Championship weekends typically feature a mix of shorter sprint races and longer endurance-style races, offering varied challenges across the season.

Competitors may enter as solo drivers or as part of a two-driver team, depending on the race format, allowing drivers to tailor their involvement to their experience and objectives. Longer races place an emphasis on consistency, strategy and teamwork, while sprint races reward outright pace and precision.

This variety ensures that every round delivers competitive racing throughout the field, while providing drivers with the opportunity to develop skills across different race disciplines within a single championship.

The championship continues its long-standing partnership with Pirelli as official tyre supplier for the 2026 season. Pirelli supplies a comprehensive range of slick and wet tyres to support the diverse range of cars competing across all Groups.

Designed primarily with sporting and amateur drivers in mind, the GT Cup provides a competitive yet supportive environment in which drivers can develop their race craft. Professional driver coaches are permitted to compete alongside amateur drivers as part of two-driver line-ups where regulations allow, supporting driver development while maintaining the championship’s core sporting ethos.