Confirmation this evening that Bute Motorsport’s Prototype Cup will be renamed the LMP3 Cup Championship having received official endorsement and UK licensing rights from the ACO to use the name and technical regulations of the LMP3 class.

Championship organiser Bute Motorsport has reached agreement on a three-year deal with the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) to be the exclusive LMP3 Championship in the UK.

The new Championship will run alongside Bute’s already popular and highly successful GT Cup Championship, run under organising club MSVR.

“It is very gratifying to see that our LMP3 formula, develop so fast,” said Vincent Beaumesnil, ACO Sporting Director. “It now has a global footprint and working with Bute Motorsport Ltd as our official partner in the UK will only help it spread wider. We have been very impressed with Bute’s long term view and professional attitude and we are delighted to work together to develop the championship to its full potential.”

In addition, Bute Motorsport has confirmed that the Driver’s Champion of the 2017 LMP3 Cup Championship will receive a complimentary entry into the 2018 Michelin Le Mans Cup, with a value of over €45,000. The prize includes six rounds across Europe, including the prestigious Road to Le Mans race taking place hours before the famous 24-hour race and provides the ultimate showcase for aspiring endurance drivers.

“This is a fantastic development for the championship,” said Bute Motorsport’s Director and Race Manager, Hannah Wilson. “We have received an excellent level of interest from team and drivers alike so it is shaping up nicely. We now have the support of the ACO which is a fantastic endorsement for Bute and the way we do business. This announcement cements the LMP3 Cup Championship as the ‘go to’ series in the UK for prototype racers and we are very excited to get racing.”

The 2017 UK championship will be organised under MSA Championship regulations and use the ACO’s technical regulations, with each LMP3 car subject to a technical passport issued by the ACO. Cars from the six designated constructors: Riley Technologies (USA), Onroak Automotive (France), Adess AG (Germany), Dome (Japan), Ginetta (UK) and Norma (France), will be eligible for the championship which will start at Donington Park over the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd April 2017.