Aston Martin Racing partner team Beechdean AMR won the seventh round of the 2013 Avon Tyres British GT Championship yesterday (11 August) as Andrew Howard (GB) and Jonny Adam (GB) stormed their V12 Vantage GT3 into the lead from second on the grid, eventually beating the rest of the field by nine seconds after two hours of racing.
The weekend started well for the pair, who also contest the Blancpain Endurance Series in the V12-powered Aston Martin, when Adam qualified the car in second position. Things only got better from there when team-owner Howard fought past the pole sitter on Graham Hill Bend before racing away to a healthy lead.
With pits stops complete and Adam behind the wheel, the Vantage GT3 performed faultlessly, allowing the 28-year old Scot to fend off challenges from the pursuing cars and build his lead. Adam maintained the emphatic margin until the chequered flag.
“It was great to get a win this year at Brands Hatch, as we lost the victory to the smallest margin in British GT Championship history here in 2012,” explains Adam. “It’s fantastic to show the pace and potential of the V12 Vantage GT3 and it was an incredible weekend. It sets us up nicely for the next round at Zandvoort, although it’s a bit of an unknown as we have not raced there yet.”
With three rounds of the championship remaining, the team sits in second place in the teams’ standings and the victory this weekend puts the Beechdean AMR pair at the top of the drivers’ championship.
“A good haul of points is crucial at this stage for Beechdean AMR’s championship assault,” Adam continues. “It’s a wonderful feeling for us both to be leading a very competitive series.”
Howard adds: “Yes, what a great result for the team, it was vital we scored points for the championship so to win was a massive bonus.”
The Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 of Barwell Motorsport also showed great promise with Mark Poole setting the fastest lap of the first half of the race despite having only raced the 2.44-mile Brands Hatch GP circuit a handful of times. However, team-mate Richard Abra took a trip into the gravel following contact with a GT4 car, which relegated the team to a final result of 20th overall.
In the PFG-Kinfaun V12 Vantage GT3, John Gaw (GB) and Phil Dryburgh (GB) finished in ninth overall after a very strong qualifying session which saw the pair start from fourth on the grid.
In the GT4 class, the V8 Vantage of Complete Racing finished fourth in class.
“This was a terrific result for Beechdean AMR who have stepped up to the next level recently,” John Gaw, team principal at Aston Martin Racing, adds. “With the extended works World Endurance Championship campaign we have this year, we have been able to raise the level of customer support and focus that AMR can provide.
“We have partner teams winning GT3 races and classes around the world, with our factory drivers regularly joining them to great effect. Here at Brands Hatch we had three competitive customer teams with full parts and technical support from our dedicated customer support truck.”
The next round of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship takes place at Zandvoort, Holland, on 6-8 September 2013, where races eight and nine of the ten-round championship will take place.
Source : Aston Martin Racing