> Reigning GT4 Pro/Am champ joins commentators McEwan, Addison and Osborne
> All nine races to be streamed live, free and without geo restrictions on British GT’s platforms
> SRO Motorsports Group’s Twitch channel to show British GT for the first time
> Motorsport media outlet The Race joins livestreaming roster
> MotorTrend to carry live coverage and highlights in North America; TV highlights on CBS Sports Network, Eurosport and Motorvision TV
Kelvin Fletcher will present live coverage of this year’s Intelligent Money British GT Championship after joining the series’ broadcast team.
The reigning GT4 Pro/Am champion and Strictly Come Dancing winner was set to join British GT’s senior GT3 ranks with JRM Racing, Bentley and long-time co-driver Martin Plowman before deciding against racing this season. Instead, the 36-year-old will step back in front of the camera – a familiar sight during his 20-year stint on Emmerdale – to host live coverage of all nine races.
Starting this weekend at Oulton Park, Fletcher will present the championship’s pre-race build-up live from the grid before turning pitlane reporter and post-race interviewer.
He joins an existing TV team featuring lead commentators Andy McEwan and David Addison, as well as expert summariser and McLaren GT3 Factory Driver Joe Osborne. The latter’s British GT race commitments at three of this year’s six events will see full-season commentator McEwan joined by Addison at Donington Park in mid-August and Snetterton at the start of October. 2016 British GT4 champion Graham Johnson is also set to appear during the campaign, which features races of one, two and three-hour durations.
“It was a tough decision not to race this year but the opportunity to remain in British GT’s paddock by presenting their live coverage was one I just couldn’t resist!” said Fletcher. “I’ve spent most of my life in front of a TV camera and am used to performing under the pressure of a live broadcast. Throw motorsport into the equation and, well, it doesn’t get any better than that for me! I also know exactly what it’s like sitting on the grid, concentrating on what’s about to happen and being asked questions by the TV guys, so hopefully I can bring some of my racing experience to the role in that respect, too.
“I’d also like to thank British GT’s long-standing presenter, Andy Jaye, for suggesting me as his replacement while he’s busy fulfilling other commitments this year.”
Elsewhere, British GT’s own free and unrestricted live global race coverage will be shown on SRO Motorsports Group’s Twitch channel for the first time this year. Fans can also watch all nine races on the championship’s website, Twitter and Facebook accounts, plus SRO’s GT World Youtube channel.
British GT’s livestreaming is supplemented by that of motorsport media outlet, The Race, whose Youtube channel will also broadcast all of this season’s races.
Live and highlights coverage from every round is also available on MotorTrend in North America, while CBS Sports Network (North America), Eurosport (Europe) and Motorvision TV (Europe) will show a 60-minute highlights package one week after each event.
Live build-up to British GT’s first one-hour race at Oulton Park begins this Sunday at 13:00 (race start 13:15), while Race 2’s stream also starts 15 minutes before the action gets underway at 16:45.
Sunday’s BRDC British F3, Ginetta G40 and Ginetta GT5 support races are also live on britishgt.com/live from 12:25.
BRITISH GT LIVESTREAM PLATFORMS
britishgt.com/live
facebook.com/britishgt
twitter.com/britishgt
youtube.com/gtworld
twitch.tv/sromotorsports
OULTON PARK TIMETABLE
Saturday 1 August
09:30 – 10:30: Free Practice 1
12:10 – 13:10: Free Practice 2
16:10 – 16:20: Qualifying – GT3 Q1
16:24 – 16:34: Qualifying – GT3 Q2
16:38 – 16:48: Qualifying – GT4 Q1
16:53 – 17:03: Qualifying – GT4 Q2
Sunday 2 August
12:00 – 12:15: Warm-up
13:15 – 14:15: Race 1 - LIVE
16:45 – 17:45: Race 2 - LIVE