TEAMS from Northwich hope to make home advantage count when they launch their bid for glory in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship this weekend.

Speedworks Motorsport, who made their debut in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) earlier this month, will make history as the first team to race a Corvette Z06R in the UK’s premier sports car series.

The G4 class title winners from 2010, when team boss Christian Dick and Jamie Stanley piloted a Ginetta G50, will run the American V8 in the front-running GT3 category for unrelated Piers and Ron Johnson.

“When we first got involved in British GT we loved the environment and it was always the goal to step up,” said Dick.

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

“There’s no reason we can’t achieve a win by the end of the year.”

The 560bhp machine joins a 26-strong grid at Oulton Park on Bank Holiday Monday for two, hour-long races in the opening round.

Four other models appear on the start line for the first time this weekend too, including a Ferrari 458 which is the Italian marque’s latest GT3 offering.

MTECH pair Matt Griffin and Duncan Cameron, third in the championship last year after winning both races at the Little Budworth circuit, drive one of two expected in Cheshire.

Michael Lyons and ex-Porsche Carrera Cup racer Charles Bateman share the other.

Lining up against them will be a Mercedes AMG SLS driven by 2009 title winners David and Godfrey Jones as well as reigning champions David Ashburn in his Trackspeed Porsche 997 GT3.

He hopes his defence will be boosted by the presence of experienced Porsche driver Richard Westbrook.

The Aston Martin flag will be waved by Andrew Howard and his Beechdean Motorsport team, who have enlisted former BTCC racer, Jonathan Adam, to their cause.

Anglo-American team United Autosports race two its race-proven Audi R8 LMS cars, with promising young talent Matt Bell partnering American Mike Guasch in one.

A name well-remembered from the BTCC in the 1990s, John Bintcliffe, is in another with Jay Palmer.

Further down the grid the GT Cup class is expected to grow during the season, although for now there is a sole entry from Antrobus-based Chevron.

The Northwich marque has enlisted Anthony Reid for a full season after he scored an impressive seventh-place finish overall in last season’s final round at Donington Park.

He returns with Nantwich youngster Jordan Witt in the firm’s new GR8 machine.

Championship manager Benjamin Franassovici has been busy over the winter months putting together a large grid.

“I am delighted by the prospects for Oulton Park and the season ahead,” he said.

“We’ve made a commitment to evolving the British GT platform for several years now and this time around we’re really starting to see the fruit of our labour.

“I’m very excited that the championship is attracting so many high quality teams and top level drivers.”