A NORTHWICH team will make history when they become the first outfit to race a Corvette in the country’s premier sports car series this season.

Speedworks Motorsport make their bow in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship’s flagship GT3 class with the 560bhp V8 machine.

Piers Johnson and Ron Johnson will share driver duties.

“We’ve loved the environment in British GT since we joined and it’s always been our goal to step up,” said team principal Christian Dick.

“The Corvette is one of the most durable cars out there and it’s cost effective without compromise too.”

The Corvette enjoyed success in the FIA GT3 European Championship in 2010, but it is an unknown quantity on these shores.

“It’s exciting to finally see a Corvette on the grid in Britain,” said championship manager Benjamin Franassovici.

“It was competitive in Europe and I’m sure it can be here too.

“There’s a great battle in prospect now between the new GT3 cars like the Ferarri 458 Italia and the Mercedes-Benz SLS and those with a proven track record in the series.”

Piers Johnson, a former Le Mans campaigner, believes his return to the sharp end of the field will be a successful one.

He said: “We did a couple of events with Speedworks last year and I asked Christian [Dick] what he would choose if he had the option to buy a GT3 car.

“His reply was a Corvette. We wanted to be different and the car fits our budget.”

Dick, who co-piloted a Ginetta G50 to victory in the series’ G4 class last year, has targeted a race win by the end of the campaign.

He added: “Piers and Ron can focus on bringing the car home and I think the longer races will be good for us.”

Speedworks expect the car to arrive in England next month, leaving the team enough time to test the machine before the season curtainraiser at Oulton Park on Easter Monday.