Nathan Kinch and Andrew Kirkaldy, in one of the two Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari 360 GTC racers present, were fastest during yesterday’s three hour testing session at Silverstone on the occasion of the SRO's 'Media Day' for the 2005 British GT Championship.

The highly-rated Scuderia Ecosse driver pairing topped the time sheets ahead of their team-mates Tim Mullen and Chris Niarchos. The closest anyone could get to the Ferrari driver's were Mike Jordan and Michael Caine in the Porsche RS of Team Eurotech.

With a strong attendance from the motorsport press, invited sponsors and guests, the day was judged by SRO to have been a highly successful event, and built a first stepping-stone ahead of what promises to be a great season this year. SRO, who also organise the FIA GT Championship and the FFSA, are once again promoting the UK's premier sportscar racing series, which will as usual be part of a bill that includes the British Formula 3 series.

There will be numerous Ferrari 360 GTC racers in evidence this year, the car starting as one of the favourites in the GT2 Class, while the 360 Modena will also be represented in GT3. In the top class, as well as the pair of title-chasing Scuderia Ecosse examples, Team Damax will run similar cars, with Marco Attard and Nick Adams will be sharing one car, while Jamie Smyth will be racing alongside the youngest ever British GT driver, Miles Hulford, who will be just 16 years of age when the first round takes place at next month.

The eight-round 2005 British GT Championship kicks off at Donington Park in just fifteen days, before the GT2 class teams move on to Magny-Cours on 1st May, to take part in the FIA GT round, while the GT3 runners will turn up at the Croft circuit a week later to go centre stage. From then on the classes will all run together, the teams trekking up to Knockhill on 22nd May before heading to Thruxton a week later. Castle Combe (26th June), Silverstone (14th Aug), Mondello Park in Ireland (18th Sep) and a final round back at Silverstone on 9th October complete the 2005 series schedule.

As well as in the F3 series now being known as the British F3 International Series, the category names in the British GT Championship have also changed, in line with international FIA reclassifications. N-GT now becomes GT2, and the 'Cup' Class becomes GT3.

Other changes include the GT2 class taking part in the French round of the FIA GT Championship at Magny Cours, while when the championship moves on Croft only the GT3 entrant's will be competing. An additional season-closing race to be held as part of the Bahrain GT Festival has also been mooted.