The GT4 European Series Northern Cup will introduce a designated class for Silver drivers at the third round of the season at the Red Bull Ring this weekend. With the agreement of all the teams entered on a full-season basis, the Silver Cup will be launched. The class is reserved for entries with Silver graded drivers only.
The decision means that after every race this season the top three in Pro-AM, Silver and AM will have a separate podium and that GT4 European Series Northern Cup titles will be awarded to the highest scoring driver and team in all three classes at the end of the season.
All six rounds of the 2017 GT4 European Series Northern Cup will count towards the titles, including the rounds at Misano and Brands Hatch that have already taken place. Revised championship standings mean Ekris Motorsport leads the Silver Cup, while Allied-Racing is first in Pro-AM. As there is no change in the AM class, Autorlando Sport heads into the third weekend in first place.
As a consequence of the amended regulations, Silver-Silver pairings are no longer allowed in Pro-AM. Pro-AM will now be open to Bronze-Silver line-ups, without additional ballast, and Bronze-Gold line-ups, with a ballast of 1,5% of the car ‘s homologated weight.
With the introduction of the Silver Cup, the GT4 European Series Northern Cup hopes to attract more young drivers looking to get into GT4 racing, while also allowing Pro-AM line-ups to fight for a podium finish and leave the circuit with a trophy.
Max Braams, Series Manager: “To change the regulations and introduce a Silver Cup during the season is something you only do on request and with the consent of all the teams. The introduction of several junior programmes, such as the Reiter Young Stars, makes it difficult having Silver pairings within the Pro-AM championship. We discussed this with the team and decided that splitting the class into Pro-AM and Silver would be the best option. However, this doesn’t automatically mean we allow every Silver-Silver pairing. We’ll accept young Silver pairings with drivers that have no significant racing experience and we’ll look into every Silver-Silver application. It is our intention to have the Silver Cup teams fighting with the Pro-AM teams.”
