In an attempt to shift this block of mine I thought I would share with you a few pictures from the “Real Classic” motorcycle show. To be honest this isn’t normally my bag but my Grandad was showing off his bike so I made an exception, jumped in the car and headed down.

It turns out that my skeptisim was mis-placed. The show had some real gems there and along with the help of some very knowledgable bike lovers there was enough to keep me interested all afternoon! Here are some of the highlights.

This 1961 Triumph/Matchless has been with it’s owner for 38 years.

1961 Triumph/Matchless Special 650hp

An Ariel Model A – Made in Selly Oak, Birmingham

1929 Ariel Model A 557cc

Perhaps the best named bike here. This “Flying Squirrel” was one of the fastest bikes in its day, the engine is a water cooled 2 stroke.

1947 Scott Flying Squirrel 596cc

They managed to pack quite a lot of classic bikes in to one place.

…and the punters squeezed even more outside…

A 1961 Motom Racer….with only 5bhp!

1961 Motom Racer 50cc/5bhp

It wasn’t all bike, there was something for the car enthusat… well sort of anyway!

Morgan

Morini Racer F3 with a Malanca Chassis, it raced in the Italian F3 Juniors

1971 Morini Racer F3 165cc/15bhp

This BMW brings to life the family stories of a bike and sidecar being the family car back in the day.

1961 BMW R60 600cc

Reading was an American company based in Pennsylvania USA who built (mainly) V-Twin machines from 1903 – 1922. This was one of many American bikes at the show.

1917 Reading Standard T 1100cc 8bhp

A beautiful example an Indian built in Springfield

1941 Indian 741 Scout 600cc

This 1961 Harley was imported from US in 1990

1961 Harley Davidson FLH Duo-Glide 1200cc

This 1956 Douglas Dragonfly is great example of the passion and dedication that goes into these machines. This bike was found in 1979, in bits … in a box … in a loft! It took 6 years to rebuild and a lot of hunting for replacement parts. It has since gone on to win multiple awards.

1956 Douglas Dragonfly 348cc

There were even some hidden gems in the car park.

With a top speed of 43mph this 1958 Motom “SS” has an average fuel comsumption of 226mpg!

1958 Motom 48 “SS” Super Sport 48cc 2.6bhp

A beautiful Norton JPS replica signed by Peter Williams himself!

1972 Norton JPS Commando 750cc

This bike has the best history there, the owner found it in a ditch on his way home from school in 1967 and he has tinkered with it ever since!

1942 Norton 16H WD 490cc

This 1932 New Imperial TT was the first 250cc machine to lap the mighty Brooklands at over 100mph

1932 New Imperial TT 260cc

This was my bike of the day, over 100 years old with the most amazingly complex controls!

1909 FN 2 1/2 Lightweight 250cc

1909 FN 2 1/2 Lightweight 250cc

1969 BSA Bantam – one of a couple of bantams there, this is for you Jo.

1969 BSA D14/4 Bantam 175cc

1940 BSA Bantam – Brought for £10 in 1940

1949 BSA Bantam D1 123cc

…and finally the star of the show, Grandad’s bike! The same model that he rode in his bachelor days, he got this bike on his retirement and 14 years later it finally made it out of his shed!

1958 BSA C10L 249cc

1958 BSA C10L 249cc

1958 BSA C10L 249cc

I hope you guys enjoyed this. I promise that motorsport is back on the agenda for my next post. Please don’t forget to share this if you like it and why not subscribe or ‘like’ Reuben likes Motorsport on Facebook.

For this post I went to see GT3 driver Julien Draper. Julien’s racing career started in Caterhams before moving to the G50 Cup and then on to GT racing in the G4 class and GT3. 2012 has seen Julien make the move to the Blancpain Endurance Series in one of the new McLaren MP4-12C GT3 cars prepared by Von Ryan Racing.

I started by asking Julien perhaps the hardest question, where do you start? His reply, “there are a number of factors that you have to plan out”, the car that you will be racing, the team to race with, which championship to run in, who will be your team mates and of course the big one – budget.

When deciding on which car Julien explained that “it all depends on your situation”. If you have a backer willing to buy a car then that decides the car. This person may be a collector of a certain marque, simply like the look and sound of a car, buys it to add value to their collection or simply be “looking for a winning car”. If you have the money to buy it yourself then you buy the quickest car out there, if you have to rent it you go with the fastest car you can afford. Other times a team may already own a car and this will act as an incentive to join that team.

However, another aspect to think about is the cars name. Julien explained that this may sound silly but a name like Ferrari or McLaren evoke strong mental images of racing, winning and glory both past and present and this emotional response is important when you are looking to get sponsors on board. Sponsors are much more likely to respond positively to a name like Ferrari, Aston Martin and McLaren then to less well known marques like Ginetta.

Once the car has been chosen a driver will then look for a team to run that car. The first thing a driver does is look for a team with a history of running that car. It will mean that they have the experience and knowledge of the car that can give you the competitive edge. Even though Julien is going to be racing in the the new McLaren MP4-12C this is still something to take in to account. His new team, Von Ryan Racing is run by ex-McLaren Team Manager and Sporting Director Dave Ryan. In 2011 he ran one of the development cars in three races. He now brings that experience to his new team and to Julien’s new car.

A teams history, however, is not the only factor. A driver will need to look at the team as a whole; what are the mechanics like? how does the management of the team work? what are their workshops like? and of course how much do they charge. As you would expect, the better the team the more expensive they are.

“So”, I asked, ” we now have a car and a team to run it, how do you decide which championship to run in?” Julien explained that you have a set out your “wish list”, you look at the pros and cons of each championship be it FIA GT3, Blancpain, British GT or something else. This list would include such things as what is the next best step for your career progression, what will best lead on to other (hopefully semi- or fully-funded) drives in the future, what championships are attractive to sponsors, where the racing is and what are its “blue ribbon” events such as the Spa 24 hours and the competitiveness of the championships. Julien told me, “If you want to prove that you are the best you have to race against the best and in 2012 Blancpain is where the best GT3 drivers are”, and of course ever on the horizon – budget.

You then take that list to your new potential team and see what they want to do. Some teams (and all the best ones) already know what they want to compete in and so you have to make sure that your plans are in agreement. If they are then great, it’s time to talk money.

But how does a driver come up with this money? Julien began this answer with a big sigh and saying, “finding sponsors is not easy, it takes a lot of work and can easily turn in to a full time job”. To get money to fund 2012 the whole process starts mid-season in 2011. You start by looking at your existing sponsors to make sure that they want to stay on board for 2012, “having continuity with sponsors means that both me as a driver and the sponsors themselves will get much more out of the relationship”. To get the additional funds a driver will have to rely on their personal networks and relationships with people built up over time. He explained that trying to approach companies who don’t know you will mean that you will be rejected “99 times out of 100”.

This is where a good manager is a great asset. He can help expand your networks, use his own, and use his experience of the industry to help open doors. A good manager will also play a supporting role for a driver, providing advise, a helping hand and even protection from an angry team! For this reason a manager has to be someone a driver trusts, a bad manager is worst then useless, they are detrimental to a successful season.

After explaining all this Julien then added a cautionary note about getting sponsors, “Because of the sums of money involved, even when a sponsor agrees to provide funding, it can take a very long time indeed for the money to come through.” This can create problems when deadlines loom.

Deadlines are ever present in motorsport, getting a car ready to go racing, out to qualifying, and getting it to the start of a race. However the deadlines start long before any car turns a wheel. To give an example, Blancpain was sold out in less then two months after the championship entry dates were announced. This means drivers have to be on the ball in getting everything organised, either that or take a leap of faith by booking their place, paying the entry fees and hoping that it all comes together. Julien said, “In an ideal world everything would be tied up by February in time for the entry forms and be ready to go testing, however reality is different”. The main reason for this is that many people are reluctant to commit, sponsors, teams and drivers are all included in this. “The motorsport world is full of bull-shitters, everyone is talking themselves up, trying to get their funding together or trying to ride off of other peoples success. However, people also forgive a lot. Everyone involved, from the person that cleans the wheels all the way to the head engineer, are all there because of one thing, a deep passion for motorsport”.

The final piece of the puzzle is a drivers team mates. In GT racing drivers share their car. This can be anything between one other driver to three others and getting the right team mate is just as important as getting the right car or team. It can also be as hard as finding sponsors and involves much of the same methods to find one. Julien explained that a good driver, at the same stage of his career (as Julien), with a budget, is a rare breed indeed. Added to this you also need to get on with him, he is your team mate after all, and ideally “you want someone of the same standard or better, so that you are continually working hard to better each other and improving all the time”. Failing that, if you partner up with a gentleman driver with money he has to be willing to work with you to improve his driving. After all you can only win if you have a good team mate.

“So once you have your car sorted, team arranged, sponsors lined up, entry forms submitted and team mates on board what’s next?” Personal preparation Julien replies.

This means making sure that your racing license is valid for the series you want to compete in, your medical is in date (these last for 2 years at a time), and your fitness is where it needs to be. To make sure he is both physically and mentally fit before the season he sees a personal trainer 3 times a week, trains by himself another 3 days, has a carefully controlled diet, no red meat, no dairy, and no wheat, “just good, clean, healthy living”. This includes no booze for at least a month before he even steps in to the car. Over the winter some drivers also go karting to keep them sharp.

However it’s not all bad, before a season begins a driver needs to go shopping for new kit, something every driver loves. New gloves, new overalls, new boots, new HANS and a new helmet. We finished by talking about his helmet design. Julien works with a friend of his to design his helmet, the aim is for it to be individual and unique with personal touches that reflect him and what is important to him. The most obvious of these is the three flags ofFrance, where his Mum is from,South Africa, where his dad is from, and Julien’s own national flag, the Union Jack.

After all of this a driver is now ready to do, by what comparison would seem the easy bit, go racing!

I hope you have enjoyed this post, I want to say a massive thank you to Julien Draper for giving me a very open and honest account in to how a driver puts a season together and wish him every success for this season.

As always if you have any comments, questions for me or Julien, or feedback then please do so in the comments box below, and don’t forget to check out the Reuben likes Motorsport pages on Facebook and Google+ and other social media platforms like reddit, stumble and twitter!

I have to admit that although I do watch rallying from time to time I am more of a circuit racing fanatic and my involvement in the sport is working with a team, in the pit lane, the paddock and the pit wall. Never as a marshal. So it was with a bit of trepidation that I pushed aside my fireproof racing shoes and reached over to put on a pair of sturdy walking boots for a day of motorsport.

This was the opening round of a six round championship, that sees 4 gravel rounds and 2 asphalt. This was one of the gravel rounds through the forests of Hampshire and Dorset and each stage is run by a local motor club, everyone working there was a volunteer. The stage that I would be working on was being run by the Central Sussex Motor Club. Sign on time was 10am, being unsure of where to go and unsure of the signing on process I thought I would get there early. It turned out to be a very easy process, just because it was organised by volunteers didn’t mean that it wasn’t professional.

Once I was signed on and given my offical accreditation (a high-viz jacket and badge saying ‘Marshal’) I had plenty of time to meet and greet my fellow marshals. Like anyone in a new situation I was slightly shy but was soon given a cup of tea and made to feel very welcome by the others.

Marshals signing on at our stage

People were briefed as they signed on and then sent to their various positions for the day. My position was to be right on the start line, my job was to give the co-driver his start time and fill out his start line paperwork. Fearful of getting it wrong I was a little unsure about this but everything was very patently and expertly explained to me and all my questions were answered without making me feel stupid!

Once everyone had signed on it was time to get the start-line ready. The timing men came a went leaving behind the official clocks, start lights and timing beam for the start-line. The official cars stopped to make sure that everyone was in place, the jump-start system was checked and that all the safety equipment was in place. It was then that the serious work of getting the log burner working and the kettle boiling started!

Wood burner...check...deck chair...check...brew on...check...

Before long the first competitors started to arrive. The rally was to have 4 different classes competing, Historic, Challenge, National and International.

The historics were the first to set off. A beautiful Audi Quattro was the first of the safety cars, it would set off to make sure the road was clear, that everyone was paying attention and to test the equipment. Under instruction from the stage safety officer I filled in the information that the co-driver needed, stood back and watched the lights count down. As the lights turned green the car launched itself off the start line in a furious explosion of pops and bangs showering everyone and everything in stones and gravel thrown up by all four of its wheels, then disappeared round the corner.

With a massive grin on my face I waited for the first competitor to take its place on the start-line. This time it was a rear wheel drive Ford Escort Mk2. Working as a team the timing officer, Lynton, the stage safety officer, Graham and I made sure the car was correctly lined up at the start line, the driver and the co-driver knew their starting time and gave them their 30 second warning. Again as the lights turned green the car leapt off the line. Being rear wheel drive the gravel shower wasn’t as bad as before but was no less dramatic with the car slipping and sliding to gain traction before changing gear and power-siding round the first corner. Seeing the silly grin on my face Graham turned to me and said, “Welcome to proper racing”.

An Historic Escort Mk2 2.0 pace car at the start line

We soon slipped in to a working routine and sent a car off every 60 seconds. Before I knew it all competitors had gone through the stage without a hitch. Unfortuantly the same could not be said the the stage after us. Word soon reached us that one of the competitors had managed to roll their car before it landed on its wheels then promptly set alight the surrounding bushes as well as itself. Thankfully both the driver and co-driver escaped unharmed and no one else was involved.

Callum Black's Suzuki Swift S1600 causing a bit of trouble

Thanks to the Daily Echo for this snap

After lunch we made sure everything was ready for our second stage to do it all over again.

Osian Pryce and Lestyn Williams in their Citroen DS3 R3T

Thanks to Tim White for this photo

It was a great day and I really enjoyed my first outing as a marshal. The rally had a massive range of cars from old Escorts, Metros and Evos to the new breed of two wheel  drive rally cars, Renault Twingos, Fiestas, and Swifts. There was even the armed forces rally team in their Land Rover Defenders thundering through the woods. Marshalling is the perfect way to get up close to the action and everyone made me feel very welcome and part of the team, the only downside was that because of the speed we had to work at I didn’t have time to take any photos of the cars.

I want to say a big thank you to Graham for helping me through the day, the Central Sussex Motor Club for inviting me along and most importantly a big thank you to all the marshals involved, without the efforts of these volunteers this rally and indeed any motorsport event would not be able to happen, they really are the unsung heroes of our sport and deserve much more then then they get.

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This blog post is the first of what I hope will be a series of posts looking at how a motorsport team puts a season together, how they prep for a race, what a motorsport teams workshop looks like and a look at the racing world from a mechanics point of view. My aim with these posts is to cast light on an area of motorsport that most fans don’t even think about let alone see.

This post is going to look at how a team puts a season together and to do that I called in at Barwell Motorsport in Surrey to have a chat with Chris Needell, the commerical director at Barwell.

Chris Needell hard at work

Barwell has a long and proud history in motorsport and has raced in the British Touring Cars Championship, GT3, GT2 in ALMS and have run GT1 cars so they have quite a bit of experience with putting a season together.

Team Boss Mark Lemmer

The first question I asked is where do you start …

The first thing a team needs to do is work out who it is they want to target. Chris described it as “picking the market you want to set your stall at”. The world of motorsport is big. There are a lot of different categories to choose from. Do you want to run in touring cars, GT racing, single seaters or one of the many other catagories. In making this desion a team needs to assess each market, such as number of drivers that are looking for a team to run them, location of the races and whether the team is able to actually run a car in that catagory.

This is something a team will look at every 5-10 years depending on the market. In 2006 Barwell made the move from touring cars to GT3. The reasons behind this was that they viewed the brand new GT3 category as a market that would grow, would have more drivers and have a wider choice of championships. All solid commercial reasons to ensure the long-term health of a team.

In 2006 Barwell moved to GT racing

Once a team has made the decision as to which category to target they then have a few different things to look at simultaneously. There are four main areas: which car is the team going to run; who will be their drivers; what championship will they compete in and what is their budget.

Chris explained how each area has a knock on effect with the other and one decision in one area will affect change in another, “it’s all very organic”.

The type of car is one of the big decisions a team makes. It makes this decision due to a number of factors such as the purchase price of the car, the cost of running it, the level of manufacturer support and what cars are available. A team also has to look at the number of drivers who want to drive that car. Some drivers want to only drive a Ferrari, others an Aston Martin and others don’t care as long as it’s quick! This leads on to another factor to bare in mind; the type of car that you are running will influence who approaches you for a race seat.

Drivers Briefing at 24 hours of Spa 2011

For the last 6 years Barwell have run Aston Martins which has meant that those interested in racing an Aston Martin would approach Barwell to run their car. However, this year they have made the move to running a BMW Z4. This has meant other means have had to come in to play. These are using recommendations from previous drivers, using the press to generate enquires, using the teams network to find people looking for a drive and actively seeking out people who want to race in GT3 and then “woo them”.

Barwells new BMW Z4 GT3

So once you have the car and the drivers penciled in, attention must then shift to working out what championship you are going to compete in and what your teams budget is.

Chris explained that every team has a wish list of championships they want to compete in but this is tempered by what the customers, i.e. the drivers, want or can do. Another factor to take into account is how the team is set up and what is actually possible. A team needs to look at things such as staffing levels, workshop facilities and the ability to transport the team across Europe, over to China via South America and back again.

Another aspect to look at when picking a championship is what the customers can afford to do. Some budgets may be restricted to British GT others to European GT3, racing is an expensive game and some championships are more expensive then others.

Fortunately for Barwell, both the team and drivers were on the same page when it came to their wish list of championships for 2012.

Once the team have decided on the car they are going to run, who will be driving it and in what championships, the fourth area to look at when putting a season together is working out the budget for the year. This will encompass everything from the cost of the car, maintenance of the car, new equipment for the new car, tyres and fuel for the season, staffing levels, whether extra race weekend staff are needed, levels of consumables needed (oil, cleaning products, nut and bolts etc), travel costs, accommodation while away, team kit and much more. This is all calculated before the start of the season and then the team will negotiate with the drivers on how much they will pay.

Barwell Team Shot after 24 hours of Spa

In a perfect world everyone will agree, however sometimes once a driver is faced with the costs they may want to look again at the planned car and the planned championship in order to bring the costs down. This will then mean looking at everything again!

As you can see it is not easy for a team to put a race season together, it takes time (which is usually not there, hence the reason you will hear about a lot of teams submitting their entry forms late), experience and the ability to spin a lot of plates at once. Only when it is all sorted and the dust has settled can the team then prepare to start racing. How this is done will be the next installment of this series of blog posts.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this rather long post and I would like to say a massive thank you to the guys at Barwell Motorsport, especially Chris Needell who took the time out to give me his insight into how a race team puts a season together.

If you have any questions, comments or feedback then please get in touch! Leave a comment below, share this post, sign up for email notification on new posts or just click a couple of the like, +1 or redditt buttons below, and if you haven’t already done check out the Reuben likes Motorsport page on Facebook and Google+

Getting there is easy, located 20 minutes drive off junction 3 on the M25, when you come off this junction just follow the brown signs for Brand Hatch. Just be careful of the speed limit, its 50mph and as tempting as it is to put your foot down, don’t. Police regularly patrol this area and near the top of the hill there is a speed camera just where you don’t want it!

Parking for big events is clearly sign posted and marshals will be there to show you were to go, once parked just follow the crowds, noise and signs. For the smaller events, turn in to the main entrance and follow the road, once in the circuit there will be plenty of places to park.

Once in the circuit you will find yourself walking down Brabham Straight. Next to the straight  are grandstands and the main shops. It’s worth spending some time having a look in these merchandising stores to see some rare motorsport books, models, old and new team kit and some signed memorabilia such as Senna’s helmet.

Brands Hatch Circuit Guide

At the end of this row of structures, just before the paddock and opposite the Kentigon, is the best place to sit in the whole circuit, Paddock Hill Grandstand. Tickets for this are in high demand so if you want to get a seat here you need to be quick. The best seat within the grandstand is as near to the top right (as you look at the grandstand) as you can get.

View from Paddock Hill Bend Grandstand

From here you can see all of the Indie Circuit and have a great view of one of the best corners in the world, Paddock Hill Bend. Other seats in this grandstand have great views but the pit buildings in the middle of the track block some of the views of the Cooper Straight and the entrance of Surtees.

View from Paddock Hill Bend Grandstand

The other grandstands provide good views of sections of the track and into the pits which is great if an endurance race is on.

If you continue your walk make sure you head in to the paddock area. This is just past the Kentagon and extends down the hill. This is where a lot of the teams set up for a weekend of racing and is a great place to get up close and personal with the crew and cars. Feel free to ask the race team mechanics questions, they know everything about the cars and can give a real insight in to the cars performance, reliability and what goes in to getting a car ready to race. If you have kids with you some teams will let the kids right up to the car and even sit inside. The best way to wangle this is to show interest, ask some questions and then ask if its ok for the kids to get closer. Not all will say yes but many will.

G50 Ginetta in the Paddock

Rather then head back up the hill walk down to the Paddock Hill Bar and walk though the building (stopping for a refreshing beer if needed) and re-enter track side at the foot of Paddock Hill Bend. This is another great viewing point but it’s popular. If you are going without grandstand tickets this can be a great spot to get to early and set up shop with your fold out chairs and cool boxes.

Turn left and follow the track up towards Druids. Near the top of this hill is a bridge that will take you to the middle of the track which again provides another great viewing point (this is why I love Brands so much!). From here you will see, and hear, the cars steam up to Druids, jump on the brakes, maybe overtake, get squweerly and then head back down the hill towards Graham Hill Bend.

If the GP circuit (or the “noisy circuit”) is in use then go to the top of the hill and cross the bridge directly in front of you. This will take you over Prilgrims Drop. Sadly there is no viewing point here but there is just beyond the bridge. This part of the track is quick, really quick.

At this point you will head in to the woods. The paths are clear but are muddy and not sign posted. Just keep going in a straight line and you will end up at Dingle Dell Corner, again another great spot. If you back track and take the other obvious path through the woods you will come to Westfield Bend. This part is the track sorts the men from the boys and is another fast part of the track.

To get back to the main part of the circuit just head back the way you came.

If you are going to a less popular race then you may be able to head over to the pits without having any special pass. To get there head to the far right of the main buildings along the Brabham Straight (the end nearer the main entrance). Head round to the front of the building and you will see some stairs heading down and under the straight. This will take you out at the bottom of the pits. Once there simply tack a stroll up the back of the garages if there is a race on or if there is no racing head round the front and walk up the pit lane. If in doubt just ask a marshal.

Brands Hatch pit lane

When leaving the circuit I would recommend either leaving before the last race if it is a busy event like BTCC or hanging around for a drink or two (coke if you are driving). If you try to go straight after the last race you will just be sitting in traffic. If it is a quiter event then it’s not such a hassle. Just remember that pesky speed camera as you head back to the motorway!

I hope this helps, I really love this track as there are so many places to watch the racing from and as a rule the racing here is great! If you have any other tips that you thing will help then please share them in the comments below.

Also don’t forget to check out the Reuben likes Motorsport facebook and Google+ pages!

World Championships

World GT1

08/04/12 – Nogaro, France

22/04/12 – Zolder, Belgium

27/05/12 – Navarra, Spain

08/07/12 – Algarve, Poutugal

26/08/12 – Beijing Goldenport, China

02/09/12 – Ordos, China

16/09/12 – Moscow Raceway, Russia

07/10/12 – Zandvoort, Netherlands

04/11/12 – Potrero de los Funes, Argentina

02/12/12 – New Delhi, India

TV viewing – For the last couple of years this has been on Bloomberg but there are no details yet as to this year.

FIA World Endurance Championship

17/03/12 – 12 Hours of Sebring

05/05/12 – 6 Hours of Spa

16/06/12 – 24 Hours of Le Mans

26/08/12 – 6 Hours of Silverstone

15/09/12 – 6 Hours of San Paulo

29/09/12 – 6 Hours of Bahrain

14/10/12 – 6 Hours of Fuji

27/10/12 – 6 Hours of Shangihai

European GT Championships

European Le Mans Series

01/04/12 – Paul Ricard, France

20/05/12 – Zolder, Belgium

15/07/12 – Donnington Park, UK

09/09/12 – Brno, Czech Republic

04/11/12 – Algarve Portimao, Portugal

FIA GT3 Championship

08/04/12 – Nogaro, France

22/04/12 – Zolder, Belgium

27/05/12 – Navarra, Spain

08/07/12 – Algarve, Poutugal

16/09/12 – Moscow Raceway, Russia

07/10/12 – Zandvoort, Netherlands

Blancpain Endurance Series

15/04/12 – Monza, Italy

03/06/12 – Silverstone, UK

01/07/12 – Paul Ricard, France

28/07/12 – Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium (24 hours)

23/09/12 – Nurburgring, Germany

TBC/10/12 – Motorland Aragon, Spain

TV Coverage – in the UK Motors TV will be covering this series over the year. The times are still TBC

International GT Open

29/04/12 – Algarve Portimao, Portugal

27/05/12 – Nurburgring, Germany

24/06/12 – Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

15/07/12 – Brands Hatch, UK

22/07/12 – Paul Ricard, France

09/09/12 – Hungaroring, Hungery

30/09/12 – Monza, Italy

11/11/12 – Catalunya, Spain

TV Coverage – in the UK Motors TV will be covering this series over the year. The times are still TBC

National GT Championships

American Le Mans Series

17/03/12 – 12 Hours of Sebring

14/04/12 – Long Beach

12/05/12 – Laguna Seca

07/07/12 – Lime Rock Park

22/07/12 – Bowmanville, Canada

04/08/12 – Lexington

18/08/12 – Elkhart Lake

01/09/12 – Baltimore

15/09/12 – Virginia International Raceway

20/12/12 – Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta

TV Coverage – US viewers will be able to watch this on ESPN and ABC, the timings are on the right on this page.

British GT Championship

09/04/12 – Oulton Park, UK

19/05/12 – Nurburgring, Germany

10/06/12 – Rockingham, UK

24/06/12 – Brandshatch, UK

05/08/12 – Snetterton, UK

09/09/12 – Silverstone, UK

30/09/12 – Donnington Park, UK

TV Coverage – in the UK Motors TV will be covering this series over the year. The times are still TBC.

For details of all other forms of racing such as single seaters, touring cars and DTM then have a look at this motorsport calender.

For more infomation regarding other FIA championships such as GT Asia Series, Super GT, and others click here.

If you have any other information such as TV listings, entry lists or anything else that you thing will be helpful to those looking to watch some GT racing this year then please get in touch or leave a comment below!

Over the last couple of years there have been some great additions to the stable of GT3 cars competing in championships such as Blancpain, British GT and Belcar, and this year we get to see some hotly anticipated cars racing a full season for the first time.

Ferrari 458 Italia

New to the scene last year this car has already become a firm favorite, and with its sleek curves and fluid styling it’s easy to see why.

Ferrari 458 Italia

Image from http://www.autoblog.com

Ferrari 430

This old workhorse is still racing and is still winning races. Although now it’s at the end of its development life this car will slowly be phased out of GT3 racing.

Ferrari 430 GT3

Aston Martin DBRS9

This car is now old and is really starting to show her age, at the last Belcar race of the season at Spa Barwell had one the best races they have ever had; the car had never been quicker around the circuit, record breaking pit stops and no trouble at all and yet this championship winning team only came seventh. No wonder they are changing cars next year! However in its day this car was quick and to this day with a V12 engine and a straight though exhaust the car is still the best sounding car out there.

Aston Martin DBRS9

Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3

Aston Martin’s new GT3 challenger is promising to be a classic GT car. Keeping the powerful V12 this new car will be lighter and, hopefully, easier to conduct pit stops on then the old DBRS9. It has yet to be raced in anger so I would expect a few teething problems to begin with but once those are ironed out it will be great to see an Aston at the front again.

Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3

McLaren MP4-12C GT3

Unlike Aston Martin, McLaren were able to test their new car at last years Spa 24 hours so I would except this car to be quick out the box. There are a number of teams looking to run the car this year and if you look at McLaren’s racing history and the support package it is offering it is easy to see why. However speaking to a couple of engineers at teams that have taken delivery of their new cars it would seem that the build quality hasn’t been fantastic and the teams have had to do some serious work on the car to rectify build errors. It would seem that McLaren are struggling to supply all their new teams.

McLaren mp4-12c

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

New last year this car was immediately popular with owners, with its love it or hate it looks (I have to admit that I’m not a fan) and monstrous noise no GT grid would be complete without one of these. I like how Mercedes have managed to keep the gull-wing doors on the GT car and with the combination of a massive 6.3 liter AMG engine and side exhausts the result is that you only hear half the engine which give it  unique sound as it thunders past.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

BMW Z4 GT3

This car can only be described as a weapon. Due to its V8 engine and lightweight chassis it is fast. Last year it was the car to have, the question remains if it is going to continue to hold that title in 2012 after this years performance levelling?

BMW Z4 GT3

Image taken from http://www.topgearrules.org/ (thank you)

Porsche 997 GT3 R

What can I say about this car that has not already been said. Fast, reliable, cheep, the perfect GT car.

Porsche 911 GT3

Image taken from http://britishgt.wordpress.com (Thank you)

Audi R8 LMS

Not only has this been a quick car over the last couple of seasons but it has also been reliable, winning the Spa 24 hours was prove enough of that. However with United Autosports changing cars and moving to McLaren is this a sign that maybe it is not going to be as competitive this year?

Audi R8 LMS

Nissan GTR GT3

Keen to build on their GT1 success Nissan have brought out a GT3 version of their GTR car. Developed by JRM this car should be good but will it be popular? So far their orders numbers would suggest not.

Nissan GTR GT3

Image from http://www.motorauthority.com (thank you)

Ginetta G55 GT3

This car has been in development for a while now. Now that the car has more power, more areo and new suppliers hopefully 2012 will be the year when everything comes together for this small British outfit.

Ginetta G55 GT3

Lamborghini Gallardo LP600

Keen to transfer the success of this car in sprint races to endurance racing Reiter Engineering (the people who develop this car) have added a whole host of upgrade packages from better aero, better springs and brakes and perhaps most importantly a brand new gear box. If all these upgrades work the car could well be one to look out for in 2012.

Below are some cars from the last few years of GT racing and although we may see them again in 2012 they will not be the norm.

Dodge Viper

Dodge Viper GT3

Image taken from http://britishgt.files.wordpress.com (thank you)

Corvette Z06 R

Corvette Z06R GT3

Image taken from http://www.z06-corvette.com (thank you)

Ascari KZ1R GT

Ascari KZ1R GT

Image taken from http://www.caradisiac.com (merci)

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope you enjoyed it and if you have any photos of your own that you want to share please do in the comments box!

10.  Formula 1 Tribute

This 4 minute video has some great footage from Fangio to Schumacher, with great overtakes, some crashes and brilliant shots of those on the side line. It may have got higher up this list of top ten motorsport videos but the upload quality isn’t as good as others on this list.

9.  Fallen Drivers

Out great sport is built on the shoulders of giants and this film is a fitting tribute to the drivers who gave everything they had for their passion.

8.  WRC – Final Stage

With no TV deal, only 2 full time manufacturers and with one driver dominating, this video makes you remember why the WRC is great, with stunning views, brilliant sounds and crazy driving you just have to love the WRC!

7.  Senna’s onboard lap of Monaco

If you haven’t seen this then where have you been for the last 20 years? This is a masterclass on how to drive Monaco, and in many places one-handed!

6.  The Killer Years

This documentary follows the story of Formula 1 through the 1960s and 70s and takes a look at the safety, or lack of, this amazing sport. It is an eye opening story and a must watch film. It has interviews from all the greats of those days, well the ones that survived, and shows some truly shocking footage.

5.  Motorsport – Life in High Gear

This film made by Antti Kalhola in which he again does his thing, Brilliant footage, great sound track and plenty of emotion, the perfect encapsulation of what motorsport is about.

4.  When Playboys ruled the World

This documentary was created by ITV and follows the story of close friends and champions F1 driver James Hunt and Superbikes Barry Sheen. It looks at the world in which they existed in the 1970s and what the world expected of them. With interviews from Sheen’s wife and sister, Hunts brother, Sir Stirling Moss, the great Murray Walker and some very surprising stories from Max Mosley. It was an easy pick to put this brutally honest film in the top 10 of motorsport videos.

3.  Ecurie Eccosie 24 hours of Spa 2011

I love this video, it gives a really good idea of what it is like to race in a 24 hour race for both the driver and the team all in 6 minutes. This race was a landmark for Ecurie Eccosie as it was the first time the team had raced for over 10 years. Added to that because Spa has no noise restrictions this car was fitted with a straight through exhaust which meant that the 6 liter V12 engine could sing!

2.  Truth in 24 hours

This award-winning film is in 13 parts (the link is the for the first one). It follows the Audi team through the build up and preparations for their 2008 victory at Le Mans, including the 12 hours of Sebring and 1000km of Monza. It tells the story through captivating narration, brilliant interviews of the key players and, of course, great footage.

1.  Every Second counts

This is another film from Antti Kalhola and is a compilation of great quotes from supurb drivers, beautiful footage of cars from F1, WRC, Le Mans, DTM and much more all put together with stirring music. It makes you remember why you love motorsport so much. Thanks Antti.

Tell me what you think, leave you comments below and share any videos that you love, and as always life is about sharing so click a couple of the social media buttons below to spread the love!

One option is to follow the example of others before him and join the world of sports car racing.

To give Rubens some encouragement here are the F1 bridesmaids, flops and no hopers that have gone on to win the greatest race of them all, the 24 hours of Le Mans.

But before I unleash this rather long list on you I should explain that all drivers have won Le Mans at least once unless otherwise stated, I have only looked at the post-war results (after 1949 when Le Mans got back up and running) and I have not included any F1 champions as they were never bridesmaids!

The Bridesmaids

Jacky Inkx – Perhaps this man of all should give Rubens his greatest encouragement. After coming 2nd in the F1 World Championship twice he then went on to win Le Mans 6 times.

Lorenzo Bandini – 42 races, 1 win, 8 podium, 58 points

Ludovico Scarfiotti – 10 races, 1 win, 1 podium, 17 points

Bruce McLaren – 100 races, 4 wins, 188.5 points

Pedro Rodríguez – 54 races, 2 wins, 7 podiums 71 points

Didier Pironi – 70 races, 3 wins, 13 podiums, 101 points

Jochen Mass – 105 races, 1 win, 8 podiums, 71 points

Michele Alboreto – 194 races, 5 wins, 23 podiums, 18.5 points

Olivier Gendebien – 14 races, 18 points, 2 podiums, 4 Le Mans Wins

Maurice Trintignant – 84 races, 10 podiums, 2 wins, 72 points

José Froilán González – 26 races, 15 podiums, 2 wins, 72 points

Johnny Herbert – 161 races, 3 wins, 7 podiums, 98 points

The Flops

Paul Frère – 11 races, 11 points, 1 podium

Olivier Gendebien – 14 races, 2 podiums, 18 points

Masten Gregory – 37 races, 3 podiums, 21 points

Chris Amon – 96 races, 11 podiums, 83 points

Dan Gurney – 86 races, 4 wins, 19 podiums, 133 points (first driver to spray champagne after a race win, invented the much used, even today, Gurney-flap, and first river to use a full face helmet in F1)

Lucien Bianchi – 17 races, 1 podium, 6 points

Jackie Oliver – 50 races, 2 podiums, 13 points

Richard Attwood – 16 starts, 1 podium, 11 points

Hans Herrmann – 17 races, 1 podium, 10 points

Gijs van Lennep – 8 races, 2 points, 2 Le Mans Wins

Henri Pescarolo – 57 races, 1 podium, 12 points, 4 Le Mans Wins (as team owner second in 2006, third in 2007, both years first in un-official petrol class)

Hans-Joachim Stuck – 74 races, 29 points, 2 Le Mans Wins

John Crichton-Stuart – 15 races, 3 points

Martin Brundle – 158 races, 9 podiums, 98 points

Bertrand Gachot – 47 races, 5 points

Mark Blundell – 61 races, 32 points

Stefan Johansson – 79 races, 12 podiums, 88 points

Emanuele Pirro – 37 races, 3 points, 5 Le Mans Wins

Alexander Wurz – 69 races, 3 podiums, 45 points, 2 Le Mans Wins

The No Hopers

Peter Walker – 4 race, 0 points

Fritz Riess – 1 race, 0 points

Hermann Lang – 2 races, 2 points

Duncan Hamilton – 5 races, 0 points

Tony Rolt – 3 races, 0 points

Ivor Bueb – 5 races, 0 points, 2 Le Mans Wins

Ron Flockhart – 13 races 5 points, 2 Le Mans Wins

Roy Salvadori – 47 races, 2 podiums, 19 points

Carroll Shelby – 8 races, 0 points

Louis Rosier – 38 races, 2 podiums, 19 points

Peter Whitehead – 10 races, 1 podium, 4 points

Marc Gené – 36 races, 5 points

David Brabham – 24 races, 0 points

Allan McNish – 16 races, 0 points, 2 Le Mans Wins

Joachim Winkelhock – 7 DNQ, 0 races, 0 points

Yannick Dalmas – 24 races, 0 points, 4 Le Mans Wins

Pierluigi Martini – 119 races, 18 points

Yannick Dalmas – 24 races, 0 points, 4 Le Mans Wins

Derek Warwick – 147 races, 4 podiums, 71 points

Mauro Baldi – 36 races, 5 points

JJ Lehto – 62 starts, 1 podium, 10 points, 2 Le Mans Wins

Volker Weidler – 10 DNQ, 0 races, 0 points

Nino Vaccarella – 4 races, 0 points

Helmut Marko – 9 points, 0 points (now a key string-puller at Red Bull)

Gérard Larrousse – 1 race, 0 points, 2 Le Mans Wins

Derek Bell – 9 starts, 1 point, 5 Le Mans Wins

Gijs van Lennep – 8 races, 2 points, 2 Le Mans Wins

Vern Schuppan – 9 starts, 0 points

Paolo Barilla – 9 races, 0 points

Jan Lammers – 23 races, 0 points

In the interest of balance here are some real F1 heros that have done the double (and in the case of Graham Hill, the triple. F1 Champ, Le Mans and Indy 500 winner):

Mike Hawthorne

Graham Hill

Phil Hill

Jochen Rindt

As always if you want to throw in your pennys worth leave a comment, and feel free to click a few of the buttons below and share this with the world.

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