Rain on a Bank Holiday Monday rarely comes as a surprise to British race fans and a drizzly start to the day’s racing meant that everyone would be happy to survive the first of two races at the fast but tricky parkland circuit, near Tarporley in Cheshire.

RACE ONE
After a fine qualifying run from Jack Mitchell on Saturday, the team’s new Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3 lined up in third spot on the grid for the first Round of the Championship, with Jack behind the wheel, eager for his GT3 debut. Unfortunately, as the field started to pull away on the warm-up lap, the no.24 Aston was dramatically engulfed in clouds of steam.

The car was pushed off the grid and back to the pits, where the Macmillan AMR crew set to work. A blown water hose meant the first race was a write-off but organisers gave permission for the team to take to the track late in the race, to ensure repairs had been properly made and the car would be ready for Race 2.

In GT4, the no.42 Aston Martin Vantage V8 started from 4th on the grid, with Will Phillips at the wheel.  A good getaway saw Will grab third place in the charge through the first few corners, before he was hit from behind at the second chicane and knocked into a long spin on the soaking grass, that dropped the Aston way down the order and cost Will’s assailant a penalty.

“The car was mega,” said Will, “it had a lot of grip in the wet and I was able to keep picking other cars off, to get back up to fourth place, by the time I handed over to Jan. Apart from being punted off, it was a really good race, I’m really pleased with that result.”
 
“My first-ever stint in GT racing was tough,” reckoned Jan Jønck, “everyone had rain tyres on and there was a definite dry line. That isn’t something we’d experienced in testing, so I was really having to learn fast! I’m pleased to have survived with no damage and a decent points haul.”
 
The GT4 team finished in 4th position, after their assailant on Lap 1 was excluded, claiming second in the Silver drivers’ points as well. A decent start to the season and – critically – the car was still in fine fettle for the second race.

RACE TWO
The afternoon’s second race saw the no.24 GT3 Aston line up in 6th position. James Littlejohn took the start, and in the drier conditions, kept his place in the top 6 all the way through his stint. It was not without drama, though, as the Aston was clattered at Lodge Corner by Seb Morris – despite James leaving the fast-approaching Bentley plenty of room to get by, as the Welshman recovered from a crash, a penalty and a spin!

“All we wanted to do was score points, after Race 1’s disappointment,” reckoned James, “so my plan was to stay out of trouble, especially as half the track was dry but the other half was still wet.

“I saw Bentleys off the track but when Seb Morris came up behind me, I didn’t know he’d had a penalty. He was closing at quite a rate, so at Lodge, I decided I’d let him go… I kept as far over to the left as I could and braked a little earlier. To my surprise, he side-swiped me and I had a big moment, gathering the car back up.

“Fortunately, the collision didn’t damage the car and after that, it was relatively calm. I was happy with the pace in the car, despite the extra weight we’re carrying. The effects of that are actually pretty clear, because tyre degredation was very noticeable, by the time I handed over to Jack.”
 
Jack Mitchell finally got his chance to complete some racing laps, exiting the pits in 6th, clear of a tight battle, further down the top 10.

“I was really looking forward to getting into the car,” said Jack. “Even though we’re carrying a lot of ballast – because we’re both Silver-rated drivers – the car has great balance and I felt sure we could make some progress.

“Not long into my stint, though, the Safety Car came out. When I came out of the first chicane, it looked like a plane crash at the top of the hill, with cars and debris everywhere. After a couple of laps, they brought out the chequered flag, bringing things to an end, which was a shame, as I’d just set the fastest lap and was really into the groove.

“Nevertheless, we ended up with a 6th-placed finish, earned some points and came away with no damage – which not everyone can say! Now. I’m looking forward to Rockingham and really kick-starting our season.”

Jan Jønck lined up in 8th place in GT4 for his first GT start and made a clean getaway.

“I managed to avoid the carnage at the start,” smiled Jan, “but then, I got held up by a GT3 car and lost a couple of places. It was really hard to overtake but when the other started pitting, I was able to really fly in clear air.”

Among the very last of the stoppers in the 10-minute pit window, Jan handed the car over to partner Will Phillips in third place in GT4, allowing his more experienced team-mate to try and grab a podium finish.

Shortly after Will had taken over the car a huge accident, between a pair of GT3 cars, forced the organisers to scramble the Safety Car.

Both drivers involved were OK but significant damage to the safety barriers led to the race being curtailed almost 15 minutes early.

Unfortunately, the no.42 was among a number of cars penalized for pit-stop infringements, handed a 30-second penalty that dropped them down to 8th spot in the final reckoning.

“The penalty was very unfortunate,” said Will, “but overall it was a great weekend. I’m really pleased with the way the team is performing and Jan is performing well too. The year should be interesting. We know we’ve got the pace, we know the car’s good, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

“We knew Oulton Park wasn’t going to be easy,” said Team Principal David Macmillan, “and when Monday dawned grey and wet, that just raised the stakes. I know we were not alone in prioritizing taking points and sustaining as little damage as possible, given the weather and the nature of the Oulton track.
 
“The races proved exactly what we thought during winter testing – that we’ve got two good cars and two very strong driver line-ups… that’s really promising for the rest of the season. The team is all-new this season and I know the boys and girls on the crew are mortified with the two slip-ups but they weren’t alone in making mistakes – we’re all human.
 
“With a brand-new GT3 car, three new drivers – two of whom are rookies – and an entirely new crew of engineers and mechanics, there was a lot to get right… and almost everything worked like clockwork. I’m immensely proud of the whole team. We’ll all get our heads down and work even harder for Rockingham.”
 
Round 3 of the British GT Championship is at Rockingham, Northamptonshire on Sunday 30th April.

The hour-long race ended behind the Safety Car after Ian Loggie and Richard Neary crashed heavily at Hilltop. Both drivers were uninjured but with debris littering the track and barriers damaged the decision was taken to end the race five minutes early.

GT3: KEEN AND MINSHAW MAINTAIN THEIR PERFECT START

The #33 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 was once again in a class of its own at Oulton. After dominating a wet opening contest the crew proved equally adept in the dry conditions before the race-ending Safety Car period reduced their winning margin to just 1.9s over TF Sport’s Derek Johnston and Jonny Adam who once again came from 11th to score a podium. Team-mates Mark Farmer and Jon Barnes completed the top-three.

Once more the #31 Team Parker Racing Bentley lined up on pole but, as in Race 1, it was the Barwell Lamborghini that rounded Old Hall first after Seb Morris’ sluggish start helped Keen and Callum Macleod move ahead.

Morris’ response was to attempt to re-pass his team-mate on lap two at Hislops, but the Welshman only succeeded in tipping Macleod into a spin for which he was subsequently hit with a drive-through penalty. That played into the hands of TF Sport who soon had Barnes running second after starting fifth and Adam up to fourth, which became third when Sam Tordoff’s Barwell Lamborghini pulled off and into retirement.

Adam continued to pressure Barnes thereafter but neither had the pace to trouble Keen who pitted at half-distance with a 14s lead, enough to cancel out the 10s success penalty he and Minshaw had to serve as a result of winning Race 1. Indeed, Farmer was still someway behind the Lamborghini after the stops played out, and then gifted Johnston second place after a brief trip across the grass.

Moments later Loggie made contact with Neary, triggering the race-ending Safety Car period. Fourth therefore went to Spirit of Race’s Duncan Cameron and Matt Griffin who avoided the travails of others to bring their Ferrari home fourth after starting 12th. Parfitt Jnr and Morris recovered from their drive-through penalty and the latter’s subsequent spin to salvage fifth on a weekend that promised so much more, while Jack Mitchell and James Littlejohn’s Macmillan AMR Aston Martin completed the top-six ahead of Lee Mowle and Ryan Ratcliffe’s Mercedes-AMG.

Macleod’s race might have been compromised by Morris but the Team Parker Racing driver rallied to set the Sunoco Fastest Race Lap of the Weekend and new British GT3 record to boot: 1m34.624s. Elsewhere, AMDTuning.com with Cobra Exhausts picked up the PMW Expo Team of the Weekend Award after completing repairs to their Mercedes-AMG moments before the start of Race 2.

GT4: REED AND PITTARD PROFIT FROM BLACK BULL GARAGE 59’S PENALTY

Lanan Racing and Alex Reed claimed their second British GT4 victories, and David Pittard his first on debut, following a frenetic second race at Oulton Park. The Ginetta pair finished runners-up on the road but inherited victory as a result of Black Bull Garage 59’s Ciaran Haggerty and Sandy Mitchell having 30s added to their overall race time after falling short of their minimum pitstop time.

It was a similar story for Macmillan AMR’s William Phillips and Jan Jonck whose added time post-race moved In2Racing’s Marcus Hoggarth and Matthew Graham, as well as PMW Expo Racing/Optimum Motorsport’s Graham Johnson and Mike Robinson, into the podium places after they originally finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

The race began with pole-sitter Mike Simpson making contact with Haggerty who was then tagged by Martin Plowman’s UltraTek Nissan and finally rear-ended by Joe Osborne. The latter collision resulted in the Tolman Motorsport McLaren losing its bonnet and Haggerty having to re-start his car after the force of the impact cut its transmission.

While Haggerty dropped back a fabulous seven-car battle developed at the front. Simpson’s battle-scarred Century Motorsport Ginetta retained the lead initially until Plowman forced his way past. That brought Scott Malvern’s Team Parker Racing Porsche into contention but he only succeeded in tagging the back of the Ginetta, which went spinning on the exit of Cascades.

Plowman used that tangle to make good his escape at the front, and when he pitted the UltraTek Nissan enjoyed a five second lead over nearest rival Adam Mackay whose track-club McLaren would have to serve a 10s success penalty for winning Race 1.

No-one at that stage was looking at the #100 Black Bull Garage 59 McLaren which, in Haggerty’s hands, had spent the opening stint making up lost ground. The Scot pitted early from ninth and changed on to fresh tyres that Mitchell then used to take chunks of time out of those ahead, as well as set the Sunoco Fastest Race Lap of the Weekend. He was up to second once the stops had shaken out and passed Reed on-track for the lead before Neary and Short’s race-ending incident.

The Safety Car prevented Mitchell from serving his team’s penalty, which translated into the 30s post-race penalty that promoted Reed and Pittard. They’d originally pitted from third after running behind Plowman and Mackay before the stops, but emerged with the lead before Mitchell closed in.

Hoggarth and Graham finished fourth on the road behind Phillips and Jonck after battling in the the lead group during the opening stint, but claimed second when both the Macmillan AMR Aston and race-winning McLaren were penalised. Reigning champions Mike Robinson and Graham Johnson inherited their second podium in as many races to maintain their record of never finishing lower than third at Oulton, while William Tregurtha and Stuart Middleton backed up their Race 1 rostrum with fourth for HHC Motorsport.

Black Bull Garage 59’s Dean Macdonald and Akhil Rabindra enjoyed a consistent run to fifth ahead of Race 1 winners Balon and Mackay, who pitted from second but lost time while serving their 10s success penalty. Haggerty and Mitchell’s additional 30s dropped them to seventh ahead of the similarly penalised Phillips and Jonck who finished ahead of UltraTek’s Plowman and Taffinder who faded after the stops. Malvern and co-driver Nick Jones recovered to complete the top-10.

DRIVER QUOTES

Phil Keen, #33 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3: “I guess Seb [Morris] had a problem at the start because the Bentley seemed to be coughing and spluttering. It didn’t look like he was going anywhere so I just waited for the lights to go out and nipped through before getting my head down. After that it was a simple case of avoiding the wet patches. I pushed hard to make up the 10s we knew we’d lose at the stop, and Jon brought it home from there. He’s driven brilliantly this weekend.”

Derek Johnson, #1 TF Sport Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3: “Two podiums from the back of the grid is phenomenal, isn’t it? The track was only dry on the racing line – get off of that and you’re in trouble round here. I’m over the moon after Jonny [Adam] couldn’t qualify and my incident in the Am session. It’s been tough but we’ve made a good start to the title defence.”

Jon Barnes, #11 TF Sport Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3: “That was an interesting one! I made a really good start and managed to get past Sam [Tordoff] who looked to be stuck behind Seb Morris’ Bentley, which didn’t get away too well. I then had a great view of the two Bentleys coming together – I could see what was going to happen all the way back at Brittens! That eventually gave me P2 and I had the measure of Jonny [Adam], so P3 at the end is a good start for us.”

Alex Reed, #51 Lanan Racing Ginetta G55 GT4: “I thought I’d thrown away the win by spinning when Sandy came past but then hoped the Safety Car might give us a second chance. Then my engineer said the McLaren had been penalised and I couldn’t believe it! I hope the TV caught my spin because it’s probably the highlight of my year – a proper 360 at Druids that I somehow gathered up. I got very, very lucky with that. Crazy day for everyone.”

Marcus Hoggarth, #29 In2Racing McLaren 570S GT4: “That was a mega GT4 race with a little bit of a mega GT3 race thrown in! I came out of the pits just ahead of Graham [Johnson] so I had to get on with it! The McLaren’s a great car but, importantly, it’s very easy to drive. It looks after you. Matty also did a great job in his stint by going from 12th to fourth. Mega effort.”

Graham Johnson, #501 PMW Expo Racing/Optimum Motorsport Ginetta G55 GT4: “We made a fundamental change to the car before the second race and it felt a lot closer to what we had last year. It’s not quite there but it was a lot better than pre-season and I had huge confidence in it. Without the Safety Car I think we had the pace to move forward anyway. The McLarens are very fast in a straight line and it’s tough to pass around here but I’m pleased with a double podium.”

GT3: MINSHAW’S MASTERCLASS GIVES BARWELL VICTORY

Barwell Motorsport dominated the day’s first race thanks, largely, to the efforts of Jon Minshaw whose opening stint laid the foundations for a 37.2s victory over the sister Lamborghini Huracan GT3 driven by Liam Griffin and Sam Tordoff. Further back, reigning champions Derek Johnston and Jonny Adam came through from 11th on the grid to complete the podium finishers.

The morning’s heavy rain had relented in time for the start, but Minshaw made the most of the wet conditions to dive down the inside of Rick Parfitt Jnr’s pole-sitting Team Parker Racing Bentley into Old Hall. By the end of lap one the Lamborghini’s lead was already five seconds, which Minshaw extended to almost 20 before the pit window opened after 25 minutes.

The battle for second was much closer with Parfitt Jnr initially edging clear of Griffin before being reeled in once again. The Huracan’s mirrors were also full of Mark Farmer’s TF Sport Aston Martin, Harry Gottsacker’s Century Motorsport Ginetta and Lee Mowle’s Mercedes-AMG.

Meanwhile, a great opening lap initially helped Johnston pick up three places before inheriting two more when Ian Loggie spun and Mowle ended up in the Shell Oils tyre wall. Sixth then became fourth not long before the pit window opened after Farmer and Gottsacker were both delayed by Tim Eakin’s spinning Nissan 370Z GT4.

While Keen emerged from Minshaw’s pitstop with a healthy advantage, the battle for second was much closer. Seb Morris, who’d taken over the Team Parker Bentley from Parfitt Jnr, rejoined second but struggled initially and was soon passed by Tordoff who set off on an ultimately fruitless pursuit of his Barwell team-mate. The TF Sport Astons had also swapped places during the stops but after first re-passing team-mate Jon Barnes on-track Jonny Adam also forced his way past Morris, who had to settle for fourth at the flag despite a late charge as conditions improved.

Barnes was fifth ahead of Duncan Cameron and Matt Griffin, who passed Callum Macleod’s Bentley on the final lap. Nathan Freke and Gottsacker’s Century Ginetta completed the top-eight ahead of Team ABBA with Rollcentre Racing’s Richard Neary and Martin Short, and the battle-scarred AMDTuning.com Mercedes-AMG driven by Mowle and Ratcliffe.

GT4: DREAM START FOR TRACK-CLUB’S BALON AND MACKAY

Adam Balon and Adam Mackay enjoyed a winning start to their British GT4 careers at Oulton Park, although any one of three crews might have taken victory in the opener.

The Lotus Cup graduates headed a podium featuring HHC Motorsport’s Will Tregurtha and Stuart Middleton, and Academy Motorsport’s Will Moore and Matt Nicoll-Jones before the latter pairing was excluded post-race for a series of driver standards warnings.

Sandy Mitchell led away from pole and looked perfectly at home in the tough conditions by establishing a 10s lead before the pitstops. However, a seized wheel nut soon accounted for his and Black Bull Garage 59 co-driver Ciaran Haggerty’s chances, and gifted a number of teams their own opportunity to claim victory.

Academy looked best placed to do just that after a combative opening stint helped Will Moore overcome front row starter Tregurtha and Balon, who’d originally lined up eighth. While the trio was no match for Mitchell it did manage to pull 30s on the rest of their pursuers before the pit window opened.

Nicoll-Jones emerged with the lead but was soon heading back to the pits to serve an 18s penalty after the team failed to adhere to its minimum pitstop time. That promoted Mackay, but the McLaren had also been too quick through the stops and was subsequently called in for its own 1.5s penalty. However, such was his advantage that the track-club driver rejoined before second placed Middleton could assume the lead. The pair were covered by 8.8s at the finish.

Nicoll-Jones crossed the line third but was subsequently excluded as a result of Moore’s driving standards in the opening stint. That promoted PMW Expo Racing/Optimum Motorsport’s Graham Johnson and Mike Robinson who continued their record of scoring a podium in each of their five British GT4 races at Oulton.

Macmillan AMR’s William Phillips was in the thick of the fight for fifth before the pitstops, and rookie co-driver Jan Jonck ensured it was a battle the crew won after climbing aboard. Their Aston Martin finished just ahead of David Pittard and Alex Reed’s Lanan Racing Ginetta, which started last, and David Pattison and Joe Osborne’s Tolman Motorsport McLaren. Nick Jones and Scott Malvern completed the top-eight.

DRIVER QUOTES

Jon Minshaw, #33 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3: “I’m a bit annoyed because Keeny said I had to pit with a 20s lead and I only had 18…! It’s my home circuit and the car’s very good in the wet. Perhaps the Aston and Bentley aren’t quite as good in those conditions, but I think it’ll be a different story if the second race is dry.”

Liam Griffin, #6 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3: “I felt more comfortable as the stint went on and stuck with Rick [Parfitt Jnr] for pretty much all of it. I’m not exactly famous for my wet weather driving but that was one of my better efforts! I like this circuit and feel comfortable here. It was a good race and Sam did a great job to overtake the Bentley and then leave it behind. The car’s set up very well for the wet so I’d happily take another!”

Jonny Adam, #1 TF Sport Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3: “It was a question of damage limitation – we knew we needed to come through in this one. Derek drove a very sensible stint and a few went off in front of him, so he just picked his way through. But the car was a real handful at the end as the tyres went off. Seb was very strong so I focused on covering him. It’s nice to get a podium but the Lambos with their mid-engine layout look very quick in the mixed conditions.”

Adam Balon, #72 track-club McLaren 570S GT4: “The start was pretty hairy with a lot of spray – a lot more than I was expecting, actually. There was an element of just hoping to get through the first lap but I got through safely and managed to keep the pace going. I had a great scrap with the Aston and Ginetta so all in all a great start for us, even if we did get a little lucky with the penalty!”

Will Tregurtha, #55 HHC Motorsport Ginetta G55 GT4: “It’s not a bad start, is it?! HHC has done such an amazing job, especially as we haven’t had that much time in the car. So I’m so, so happy with second. Stuart drove well but we also got a bit lucky – the conditions were tough and my windscreen wiper stopped working so I couldn’t see a thing! We didn’t have any expectations so this is a great start.”

The day’s second hour-long British GT race takes place at 15:15. Watch it live on Front Runner TV, Motor Trend On Demand and British GT’s Facebook page.

“We made life a bit hard for ourselves in qualifying,” said TF Sport Director Tom Ferrier. “Starting down the field in P11 for the #1 car wasn’t ideal but to pull a double podium out of that for them was an excellent result.

“The other car (#11) also struggled a bit in qualifying but race day was good, with a fourth and a third. Next time at Rockingham we’ll be aiming a whole lot higher, but here turned out well after a difficult start.”

Qualifying proved to be mixed for the team with Jonny Adam on racing duties elsewhere and Derek Johnston suffered an on off, meant that no time was set. Lining up 11th for the first race after setting the pace in the wet morning warmup, Johnston put in a great first stint, moving seventh at the start and then progressing to a strong fourth position and withstanding pressure from the cars from behind.

Johnston pitted at mid-distance having survived a close moment with a spinning Porsche ahead and handed over to Adam who was immediately on the pace, moving third on lap 18 with an audacious pass around the outside into the second chicane. With the podium position secured, the #1 team took third position, just four seconds adrift of the car ahead.

Mark Farmer lined up in fifth position in the sister #11 Aston Martin Vantage GT3, avoided a water spillage from the car ahead on the grid that unexpectedly expired on the grid and ran fourth in the early stages of the race, fending off the advances of a Ginetta from behind. Farmer handed over to Jon Barnes who lost out to the #1 car in the second stint and held on for a strong fifth place finish.

For race two, Adam lined up again 11th position and with the rival Bentley team making life a bit easier than expected, ran fifth on lap two and then third at the end of another strong stint. Johnston took over shadowing teammate Mark Farmer who held station initially before running wide and losing the position.

Running second and third, TF Sport pressed on, only for a safety car period to be deployed and shortly after the race called due to Armco damage.

“It’s a great result for us, even if the (race winning) Lamborghini looks really quick,” said Adam. “We’re looking ahead now to Rockingham where last year we overcame a 20 second deficit, so we now starting thinking about that.”

For Barnes, third position in the second race was good, but losing out to a TF Sport teammate is always a little frustrating. “I’m happy with the result but Mark is going to have a little telling off for running wide. But really, once we qualified fifth, a podium was always the aim and that’s what we’ve achieved, so we can be pretty happy with that.”

TF Sport’s British GT programme continues at Rockingham 29-30 April.

Meanwhile, Sandy Mitchell’s Black Bull Garage 59 McLaren claimed GT4 pole for Monday’s opening race before Century Motorsport’s Mike Simpson pinched top spot for the start of the second.

GT3 AM: PARFITT PREVAILS IN TOPSY TURVEY SESSION

Parfitt Jnr’s stunning final lap might have sealed pole position by 0.430s, but up until that point the GT3 Am session appeared wide open with the Bentley trading fastest times with a number of rivals.

Macmillan AMR’s Jack Mitchell made the early running and held provisional pole at the halfway mark when a red flag period briefly halted proceedings. Parfitt Jnr was only fourth at that point but immediately set about changing things once the session resumed and initially jumped to the top of the standings.

Mitchell wasn’t done, though, and improved again to leapfrog the Bentley before Jon Minshaw – ever-present in the top-three – appeared to have settled matters in his and the Barwell Motorsport-run Lamborghini’s favour. But Parfitt Jnr had other ideas and somehow found half-a-second on his final lap to seal pole once and for all with a best of 1m34.932s.

Minshaw joined him on the front row ahead of Mitchell, who was a further two tenths back in third, and Liam Griffin in the second of Barwell’s Lamborghinis. Mark Farmer’s TF Sport Aston Martin and the Century Motorsport Ginetta G55 driven by Harry Gottsacker completed the top-six.

Missing from the sharp end were Lee Mowle and reigning champion Derek Johnston who made contact at the start of the session. While the AMDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts Mercedes-AMG soldiered on with damaged suspension and steering to finish ninth, the TF Sport Aston Martin was unable to set a time. That ensures Johnston and co-driver Jonny Adam – who skipped qualifying due to his FIA WEC commitments – will start both of Monday’s races from the tail of the GT3 field.

GT3 PRO: MORRIS ON POLE WITH NEW GT3 RECORD

The Pro session was far less dramatic but, after claiming pole, fastest lap and victory at Oulton Park last season, it was no surprise to see Morris’ name at the top of the timesheets once again.

The Welshman was nowhere on his first flying lap, but kept enough in reserve to post a 1m32.993s lap second time around. Not only was that good enough to topple Phil Keen’s Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini by 0.135s but it was also the fastest ever British GT3 lap around Oulton, beating his and the circuit’s previous best – set last season in qualifying – by six tenths.

British GT debutant Sam Tordoff left it very late to make it two Barwell Lamborghinis in the top-three. His best of 1m33.343s was two tenths shy of Keen’s time and 0.176s clear of Callum Macleod’s Team Parker Bentley.

A pair of Aston Martins share row three with TF Sport’s Jon Barnes heading Macmillan AMR’s James Littlejohn. Elsewhere, Ryan Ratcliffe still managed to qualify less than three seconds from pole in spite of the damage his Mercedes-AMG suffered in the earlier Am session.

GT4 AM: MITCHELL PIPS TREGURTHA TO POLE

Sandy Mitchell picked up where he left off at the end of 2016 by claiming pole for Monday’s opening race at Oulton. But his advantage was less than it might have been after Will Tregurtha’s second flying lap moved the HHC Motorsport driver to within 0.016s of top spot.

Mitchell, who claimed pole for two of 2016’s final three races, wasted no time by immediately setting the 1m43.103s lap that would prove good enough for pole. At that point the Black Bull Garage 59 McLaren was seven tenths clear of the rest, but Tregurtha – Mitchell’s closest challenger at that point – gathered himself to come within a whisker of beating the 570S.

In truth the top-two were in a league of their own, with Will Moore’s Academy Motorsport Aston Martin claiming third after lapping a second slower than the ultimate pace. The class’ second V8 Vantage, driven by Macmillan AMR’s William Phillips, completed the second row ahead of reigning champion Graham Johnson (PMW Expo Racing/Optimum Motorsport) and the second Black Bull Garage 59 McLaren driven by 16-year-old Dean Macdonald.

Two more McLarens – Marcus Hoggarth’s In2Racing example and the track-club-run 570S of Adam Balon – completed the top-eight.

GT4 PRO: SIMPSON GIVES CENTURY A TIMELY BOOST

Mike Simpson ensured Century Motorsport’s day ended much better than it started by claiming a new British GT4 qualifying lap record and class pole position for the second of Monday’s hour-long races.

Century’s other Ginetta sustained significant damage during a free practice accident, but Simpson proved the G55’s pace with a best time of 1m42.591s. Not only was that six tenths quicker than the previous qualifying best – also set by a Ginetta in the hands of Mike Robinson – but, crucially, it was also 0.072s faster than Ciaran Haggerty could manage aboard the same Black Bull Garage 59 McLaren with which Sandy Mitchell had claimed pole for Race 1.

A badly flat-spotted tyre might have consigned Lanan Racing to the back of Race 1’s grid but David Pittard underlined the team’s potential by setting the third fastest time in the second session. His 1m43.013s was 0.422s shy of Simpson’s time but, crucially, more than a tenth clear of Martin Plowman who moved from sixth to fourth late in the session aboard his UltraTek Nissan 370Z.

Scott Malvern made it four different manufacturers in the top-five with his Team Parker Racing-run Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR, while Joe Osborne, reigning champion Mike Robinson and Jan Jonck completed the top-eight.

DRIVER QUOTES

Rick Parfitt Jnr, #31 Team Parker Racing Bentley Continental GT3: “I sat down with Seb after practice and he told me a few things that I needed to do better, like taking a higher gear through a couple of corners. I didn’t feel confident enough initially but then, on the final lap, threw caution to the wind. I knew my previous best wouldn’t be good enough so had to give it a go. The tyres were still in good shape because of the red flag and it also took a while to get heat into them. It’s the fastest I’ve ever been around here.”

Seb Morris, #31 Team Parker Racing Bentley Continental GT3: “We’re taking a different approach this season and clearly it’s already paying off. We’ve also worked hard on the car, which has reacted well to Pirelli’s slightly wider front tyres. The car’s always had a weak front end but they’ve sorted that out. A tenth isn’t very much, though, so clearly the BoP is reasonably spot on here. The car seems to suit the circuit, plus it’s one of mine and Rick’s favourites. So we’re in a good place for Monday.”

Sandy Mitchell, #100 Black Bull Garage 59 McLaren 570S GT4: “I felt reasonably hooked up and managed to get the job done on my first lap when the tyre was at its peak. The second was also good but the tyres weren’t quite up to it. Ciaran also did a great job so we’re really happy with pole and second for the two races. We’ve both improved a lot since the start of last season and obviously the car has come a long way, especially compared to when we raced here. We started to hit our stride at the end of 2016 and haven’t changed too much since then. Everything’s falling into place, although we’re not sure if our one-lap pace will translate into a consistent race stint. The car’s heavier than the Ginetta, which might have an impact on Monday.”

An accident in one of the support championships and subsequent rescheduling of BRDC British F3’s first race means Monday’s schedule differs to that previously advertised. While British GT’s warm-up and first race both take place as planned at 09:30 and 11:10 respectively, its second race has moved forwards by 15 minutes to 15:15.

The 2.692-mile, 17-turn parkland venue in Cheshire is one of the nine-race schedule’s most popular amongst drivers and fans alike, and once again gets set to welcome a bumper crowd for the championship’s two hour-long races on Easter Monday (April 17). Entertaining them will be a 64-driver, 32-car entry featuring 12 GT3s and 20 GT4s comprising a total of 11 manufacturers.

Oulton’s opening race will be the only one all season not to feature pit-stop success penalties, before the top-three finishers in both classes are required to remain stationary for an additional 10, seven and five seconds respectively during race two’s pitstops.

But with so many fresh faces, new teams and manufacturers taking on the established order, who will stamp their authority on 2017’s curtain raiser and, potentially, the year ahead?

GT3: QUALITY IN ABUNDANCE

Everywhere you look there’s a potential race winner on this year’s British GT3 grid, which – pound for pound – is one of the most competitive ever assembled. Aston Martin, Bentley, Ginetta and Lamborghini all return, while new-generation models from Mercedes-AMG and Ferrari are also entered on a full-season basis for the first time.

But that’s not all. Last year’s top-four crews have all returned unchanged, four squads each running two cars should ensure a ding-dong battle for the Teams’ crown, and there’s also the small matter of a BTCC star swapping disciplines…

So who’s got the tools to get the job done?

We start with reigning Drivers’ and Teams’ champions TF Sport, whose two Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3s are bound to be somewhere near the sharp end. That said 2016 title winners Derek Johnston and Jonny Adam saw their perfect start to last season end at Oulton where they didn’t feature on the podium in either race.

Team-mates Mark Farmer and Jon Barnes grew in confidence and speed as last season progressed, peaking with a first win together at Spa, and the pairing could be dark horses for another around northern England’s answer to the Ardennes.

Barwell Motorsport missed out on both titles at Donington’s 2016 decider so expect the Surrey-based squad to be more motivated than ever. Its two Lamborghini Huracan GT3s locked out Oulton’s front row in qualifying last season and there’s no reason to expect anything less one year on.

Phil Keen’s undoubted but often overlooked talent has finally caught the attention of the FIA, who have upgraded the 33-year-old to Gold status for 2017. His long-standing partnership with Jon Minshaw continues into a fifth season, which both drivers will be hoping finally delivers that elusive first British GT3 title.

Barwell’s second Huracan is another potential title contender in the hands of 2015 and ‘16 Oulton race winner Liam Griffin and 2016 BTCC runner-up Sam Tordoff, whose switching of codes over the winter attracted plenty of attention. How the 27-year-old settles into his new career will have a large bearing on this crew’s chances. In Griffin it undoubtedly boasts one of the grid’s fastest Am drivers.

Another of last year’s triumphant Oulton pairings leads the line for Team Parker Racing and Bentley, with Rick Parfitt Jnr and Seb Morris eager to go a couple better this time around after finishing third overall in 2016’s standings. The latter also claimed Pro pole at the Continental GT3’s home circuit last May, suggesting this could be one to watch throughout the weekend.

Joining Team Parker for a full-season assault are Ian Loggie and Callum Macleod, who made two British GT appearances last term in addition to their Blancpain GT Series programme. Both know the Bentley inside out and, in Macleod, have another driver who’s tasted success in single-seaters.

British GT’s fourth two-car team is Century Motorsport, a name synonymous with Ginetta’s domestic GT4 programme but who now make the step into the championship’s top tier as the Yorkshire firm’s de facto works outfit. The team know all about long-time driver Nathan Freke’s turn of pace, and he’s joined in the #19 G55 by 17-year-old Pirelli World Challenge graduate Harry Gottsacker.

Century’s second American youngster, Parker Chase, finished fourth in PWC’s GT4 category last season at the wheel of a Ginetta. He partners the manufacturer’s go-to factory driver, Charlie Robertson, who despite winning with Ginettas in ELMS, GT4 and Juniors will be making his GT3 debut at Oulton this weekend.

But there’s also plenty of talking points amongst the single-car entrants, not least AF Corse and Ferrari’s full-time return with serial British GT race winners and championship challengers Duncan Cameron and Matt Griffin. The new-generation 488 GT3 made a one-off appearance in the hands of FF Corse at Silverstone last year but is back hoping to claim a first British GT3 title for the Prancing Horse since 2011.

Two new-generation Mercedes-AMG GT3s add further variety and a thunderous 6.3-litre V8 soundtrack to proceedings. AmDTuning.com has swapped its popular and venerable BMW Z4 for a model that claimed two Blancpain GT Series titles in 2016, while Team ABBA with Rollcentre Racing is aiming to trouble the top-six with its all-Am duo of Richard Neary and Martin Short.

GT3’s final entry is perhaps its least assuming but one that could nevertheless infiltrate the established order. After making their British GT4 debut in 2016, Macmillan AMR graduate to the top class with an Aston Martin V12 Vantage for Silver Cup crew Jack Mitchell and James Littlejohn. The former knows the team well having raced with them throughout 2016, while the latter has shown speed in machinery as diverse as classics and sports-prototypes. Those in the know think this one could prove a quick combination.

Any other business?

Jonny Adam remains one victory shy of tying British GT’s all-time GT3 wins record with David Ashburn and Hector Lester. The Scot has been stuck on 10 since Rockingham last season.

If two British GT races weren’t enough Adam and Matt Griffin are also competing at Silverstone’s six-hour FIA World Endurance Championship round on Sunday.

Victory for Parker Chase in either of Monday’s races would make him the youngest overall and class winner in British GT history. The American will be aged 16 years and 54 days, 115 days fewer than Sandy Mitchell was when he won the GT4 class at Snetterton last season, and more than a year Jonny Cocker’s junior when he claimed outright victory at Mondello Park in 2004.

GT4: BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER

British GT’s ‘junior’ category takes another step forward in 2017 with its largest ever entry. 20 cars comprising 14 teams and seven different manufacturers travel to Cheshire where a host of new faces will be eager to topple the established order.

And they don’t come much more established than reigning Drivers’ champions Graham Johnson and Mike Robinson who are aiming to make a winning start to their title defence. The PMW Expo Racing/Optimum Motorsport Ginetta crew certainly boast a proud record at Oulton after adding last season’s back-to-back victories to their first and second places from 2015.

Their competition has undoubtedly gone up a notch this year, though, thanks to three former GT3 drivers joining the GT4 ranks. 2012 overall champion Michael Caine is a high-profile championship returnee, and he partners Mike Newbould in the first of two Ginettas entered by the class’ reigning Teams’ champions Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing.

Joe Osborne was another big name convert over the winter. But while the 2009 European GT4 Cup champion is certainly no stranger to the category, he will be racing a Tolman Motorsport-run McLaren 570S for the first time alongside David Pattison, who remains with the team for a third season. And Osborne’s former GT3 sparring partner Mike Simpson adds further depth to an already talented entry as co-driver to Anna Walewska aboard one of two Century Motorsport-run G55s.

Ginetta’s seven full-season entries might be the most in class but there’s also no doubting the credentials of McLaren’s six 570Ss, which are available to customers for the first time this season. And no crew begins the season in better shape to mount a title challenge than the one that developed the car throughout 2016, Sandy Mitchell and Ciaran Haggerty, who return as part of Black Bull Garage 59’s two-car line-up. Two victories in the final three races helped the Scottish pair finish third in the standings and few would bet against them going a couple better this time round.

There was a time when Aston Martin dominated the class but only two V8 Vantages make this season’s entry list, both in the hands of outfits already familiar with British GT. 2015 Teams’ champions Academy Motorsport field a strong line-up in the form of Will Moore and Matt Nicoll-Jones, while Macmillan AMR has paired British F3 convert Jan Jonck with William Phillips who last season helped Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing replace Academy as Teams’ champions.

UltraTek Racing surprised many when announcing their plans to field a pair of Nissan 370Zs, but in Martin Plowman and Team RJN have two of the best in the business and, crucially, finally a stable platform from which to develop its long-time Am drivers, Richard Taffinder and Tim Eakin, as well as Emmerdale actor-turned racing driver Kelvin Fletcher.

Elsewhere, In2Racing and track-club are already established names in UK motorsport but both make their respective British GT debuts with McLarens. While former BTCC front-runner Gareth Howell returns to competitive action for the first time in five years alongside Richard Marsh, Adams Mackay and Balon will be eager to transfer their MSA Lotus Cup Supersport skills – they finished first and third respectively in 2016 – to the GT4 arena.

Like Century and Macmillan AMR, Team Parker Racing are another fielding entries in both classes this season. However, with a year of that scenario already under their belts, plenty of pre-season testing and the full Clubsport MR package finally added to their Porsche Cayman GT4 you can expect Nick Jones and the impressive Scott Malvern to be much nearer the sharp end.

More variety comes in the shape of Ebor GT’s ever popular Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4, which now features the talents of British GT4 podium finisher Matthew Graham and 2015 Gientta GT5 Challenge champion James Kellett. Plus GPRM’s fast but fragile Toyota GT86 is also set to return at Oulton.

Of the other entries, expect Lanan Racing’s David Pittard and last year’s Spa winner Alex Reed to be firmly in the mix, and British GT debutants HHC Motorsport to be quickly up to speed with 2016 Ginetta Junior champion Will Tregurtha and runner-up Stuart Middleton.

Any other business?

Ginetta’s seven GT4s and two GT3s make them the most numerous manufacturer on Oulton’s grid. McLaren are next up with six.

Dean Macdonald, who shares Black Bull Garage 59’s second McLaren with Akhil Rabindra, could lower his team-mate Sandy Mitchell’s youngest race winner record of 16 years and 169 days at Oulton. The Scot will be 16 years and 132 days old on race day.

Can’t make it to Oulton this weekend? Well, fear not British GT fans! Front Runner has live coverage of both races on Monday. Race one’s transmission begins at 10:45 before the second starts at 15:00.

OULTON PARK SCHEDULE

Saturday 15 April
09:30 – 10:30: Free Practice 1
12:15 – 13:15: Free Practice 2
16:20 – 16:30: Qualifying – GT3 Am
16:34 – 16:44: Qualifying – GT3 Pro
16:48 – 16:58: Qualifying – GT4 Am
17:03 – 17:13: Qualifying – GT4 Pro

Monday 17 April
09:30 – 09:40: Warm-up
11:10 – 12:10: Race 1
15:30 – 16:30: Race 2

Having recently announced their plans to enter British GT3 with a Factory supported Ginetta G55 GT3 for Nathan Freke and Harry Gottsacker, adding a second car to the programme confirms the team’s commitment to one of Europe’s biggest GT Championships and aspirations for the future.

Coming from a successful season aboard a GT4 specification Ginetta G55 in the Pirelli World Challenge, Parker Chase was a regular visitor to the podium, with eight visits during the 2016 season. Having also taken part in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill racing a Ginetta G57 Prototype to second overall, Chase feels he is more than ready to take on the challenge of GT3 in 2017. Despite having no prior knowledge of some of the UK’s best circuits that feature on the comprehensive British GT calendar, Parker will be hoping to maximise the knowledge of his experienced teammates.

Teaming up with Chase will the impressive Charlie Robertson. The young Scot is no stranger to Ginetta G55 machinery as a former Ginetta GT4 Supercup Champion. Having spent 2015 racing in and winning the inaugural LMP3 championship in the European Le Mans Series, most of Charlie’s success’s have since come from behind the wheel of the Ginetta LMP3 and Ginetta G57-P2 Prototypes. Over the winter, the 20 year old has been heavily involved in the re-development of the marque’s flagship GT3 car and is hoping this valuable experience will aid his bid to challenge for GT3 honours this season.

Parker Chase – Century Motorsport Ginetta G55 GT3:
“I am very excited to extend my arrangement with Ginetta. 2016 was an incredibly successful year in the G55 GT4. I can’t wait to be part of the 2017 season with Ginetta in the GT3 car. This will be another exciting year. I really appreciate all of Ginetta’s support.”

Charlie Robertson – Century Motorsport Ginetta G55 GT3:
“I’m very excited to be racing with Century Motorsport, partnering Parker Chase this season in British GT. It will be a new challenge for both of us, and my first full season in GT3. Parker has had some good GT experience over the last year in the States, so this is the perfect step up for him. It will be awesome to race on home soil once again, after two seasons elsewhere so I’m hoping my experience pays off. I believe we will be a formidable force, with the various improvements to the Ginetta G55. So I am buzzing to see what this season holds.”

Clive Freke – Team Principal, Century Motorsport:
“2017 is set to be a very significant year for Century Motorsport where we hope to try and stick to what we know best, but push the boundaries by investing in British GT, but this time entering two cars into GT3 for the first time. Our link with Ginetta is very important and we are very happy to have America represented on the grid through Parker Chase and Harry Gottsacker. We’ve known Charlie Robertson for a while now having raced against him in the past so we know how fast he can be and I have no doubt he will be impressive in our Ginetta G55 GT3.”

Fronted by team manager Bas Leinders, Black Bull Garage 59 is looking to build on the third place in last year’s GT4 championship. Returning duo of Mitchell (17) and Haggerty (20) amassed a wealth of awards during the 2016 season including; third place overall in the championship, second place in Silver/Silver Cup, British GT Rookies of the Year, two race victories including the season finale at Donington Park, a new lap record at Spa-Francorchamps, and three pole positions. Both drivers carry the prestigious Scottish Motor Racing Club (SMRC) Rising Star status and extensive experience with both the car and the tracks following the McLaren GT development testing programme they were both instrumental in last season.

Fellow McLaren GT Academy Drivers form the driver pairing for the #59 570S GT4 with SMRC Rising Star Dean Macdonald (16) and British F3 convert Akhil Rabindra (20) at the wheel. Macdonald makes the step to GT racing following a triumphant career in go-karting including becoming the youngest ever winner of the Scottish Championship in Comer Cadets at eight years old. Alongside the young Scot, Rabindra has competed in the top level of national single-seater racing over the last few years, bringing experience of the circuits on the British GT Championship calendar. Rabindra competed in the BRDC Formula 4 championship during 2015, and in 2016 made the step up to the British Formula 3 Championship. With a busy testing plan scheduled ahead of the season commencing, both drivers are hopeful of solid results throughout their debut season.
Starting the 2016 season at just 15 years old, Mitchell was the youngest driver ever to compete in British GT and, at just 16 years and 169 days, he went on to become the championship’s youngest race winner – a title which will be challenged this year by new teammate Dean Macdonald.

Production Glassfibre returns for 2017 in support of Haggerty, whilst Advance Construction’s sponsorship deal is extended to support Haggerty and now Macdonald, with both companies featuring across the #100 and #59 cars’ liveries. Mitchell welcomes new sponsors Christie Digital and Stampede Global onboard alongside continued support from Thornton’s, Close Brothers, Stirfresh and SGM. Black Bull Garage 59 is also proud to confirm McLaren Glasgow as a sponsor of all drivers for the 2017 season, supporting the nurture of young, upcoming talent through the sport.

Bas Leinders, Team Manager, Black Bull Garage 59 commented: “We are delighted to have Sandy and Ciaran back for 2017 and looking to hit the ground running and build upon the successes they had last year. The experience of the car, the circuits and the championship will help them support the development and transition in to GT racing of their new teammates – as we saw with them supported by Factory Driver Rob Bell last season. It’s also an exciting chapter for the team with Black Bull coming on board as title sponsor and seeing Advance Construction return to support Ciaran and Dean.” He added: “With the experience running with the McLaren 570S GT4 last year, we are in a strong position going into the new season, and hope to be challenging for podiums and race wins again in 2017.”

Euan Shand, Chairman of sponsors Black Bull Scotch Whisky commented: “Last year proved to be an outstanding season for these young drivers and we’re thrilled to be partnering with Garage 59 and these young drivers again. Sandy, Ciaran, Dean and Akhil are the future and we have high hopes for what 2017 will bring.”

Running an all new, distinctive livery for the new season, the team is set to complete an extensive testing programme prior to the season commencing in April where all four drivers will work closely together. The opening round of the British GT Championship returns to Oulton Park for 2017, over Easter bank holiday weekend 15 – 17 April.

“I’m delighted to welcome Jan to the family,” said Team Principal David Macmillan. “He has proved his speed in karts and single-seaters and slotted into the team perfectly, during our recent test at Portimao.”

“Britain has always been a mecca for motorsport and I’m very excited to be developing my career in the UK,” smiled Jan Jønck. “It’s a great place to race.

“The British GT Championship is one of the most competitive series in Europe, with lots of international-standard drivers and teams. The circuits are great, too. Well-run, exciting and challenging – some of the best anywhere – and the mix of classes, with GT3 and GT4 together, makes for very competitive and very exciting racing.

“I felt very comfortable with the team and the car, right away. The atmosphere in the team is great and there’s a really good work ethic, and I hope that we’ll be able to target podium finishes, right from the start of the season.

‘The car is clearly fast, it feels very good to drive and I’ve really started to fall in love with GT racing over the test days we’ve had together. I’m looking forward to the endurance aspect of the Championship, which is completely new to me, coming from much shorter sprints, in karts and single-seaters. I can’t wait to get into the two- and three-hour races. That’s going to be a new and unique experience for me and that’s probably what I’m looking forward to the most!

Jønck began his career in karts, winning both Danish and Nordic Rotax Max Junior titles, before moving up to single-seaters. He cut his teeth in the Italian Formula 4 Winter series, then entered Danish Formula Ford in 2014, taking 7 wins and finishing as runner-up in the Championship.

After a season in ADAC Formel 4 in Germany, Jan turned his attentions to the UK and the BRDC’s revived British Formula 3 Championship. While learning the British tracks, he posted a number of top-10 finishes in the competitive series and claimed a pole position on his first visit to Silverstone in June.

“The combination of Jan and Will is hugely exciting,” reckons David Macmillan. “We’re heading into our second season in GT4, with two young chargers, a good grounding in British GT and a year of learning under our belts.

“We’ve been looking for someone that’s a good fit with the entire team and I’m convinced that, in Jan, we’ve found the final piece of our jigsaw puzzle. Macmillan Racing is a close-knit family and the way that Jan blended in seamlessly, on both occasions that he’s been with us in testing, has given us all the confidence that’s vital for the tough battle in GT4.

“Last season was all about learning the ropes. This year, we will be targeting podium finishes and, hopefully, race wins. We believe we have put all the pieces in place and – with the support of Aston Martin Racing – we can’t wait to get to Oulton Park and get the season underway.”

Macmillan Racing’s completed 2017 line-up comprises James Littlejohn and Jack Mitchell in the GT3 Aston Martin, with Will Phillips and Jan Jønck driving the team’s GT4 Vantage V8.

Ian Loggie and Callum Macleod will join forces aboard one of two Team Parker Racing-run Bentley Continental GT3s to be entered in this season’s British GT Championship.

The news brings the total number of confirmed full-season GT3 entries to 12, with Bentley the sixth different manufacturer to be represented in the senior class alongside Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG and Ginetta.

Both Team Parker Racing and Bentley returned to the championship full time last season and made an immediate impression by claiming pole position first time out at Brands Hatch. Three more poles and a victory for Seb Morris and Rick Parfitt Jnr at Oulton Park helped the crew to finish third in the drivers’ standings, while Team Parker were the best placed of the single-car entries in the teams’ championship.

Loggie and Macleod are no strangers to Team Parker’s Continental having raced it throughout 2016 in the Blancpain GT Series and also made two British GT appearances, at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. Now the Pro/Am crew are back for a full-season attack on the GT3 class.

Former F3 Open and British Formula Ford champion Macleod has been a regular alongside Loggie since 2015 when the duo claimed Am Cup class victory together at the Total 24 Hours of Spa before going on to seal that year’s Blancpain GT Series Am class title.

The 29-year-old from Gloucester cited British GT’s amateur-friendly format as a key reason behind their decision to focus on the domestic series this season.

“We’ve run different programmes in the past but will only be competing in British GT this year,” he said. “The tracks are closer and more accessible for testing, but the format is also better from an amateur’s perspective. Blancpain is geared more towards the Pros, whereas in British GT the Ams play an equal role in qualifying, spend more time in the car and also start most of the races. It’s a great fit.

“We’ve had a very productive winter and completed plenty of testing. It’s a top quality GT3 entry list but, given what the team achieved last season, we’re fairly optimistic of running at the front.” 

This will be Loggie’s sixth season with Team Parker Racing after first competed together (and winning) in the 2013 MSA British Endurance Championship.

“I am really excited to be racing again on home soil and again driving such a fantastic car as well as being associated with such an iconic brand such as Bentley,” he said.

 Team Parker Racing’s second driver pairing will be announced in due course.

The pair will share driving duties in the West Thurrock-based team’s all-new Mercedes AMG GT3, which will make its debut in the championship when the new season gets underway at Oulton Park over the Easter weekend.

Lee will be entering his second season with the team, having been part of the driver line-up that took sixth in the standings last year with an older-spec BMW Z4.

Armed with the new Mercedes, Lee will hope to add to the three podium finishes he secured last year as part of a busy programme that will also see him compete in the Mercedes in the Michelin Le Mans Cup alongside Phil Keen.

“Although it wasn’t part of my original plans, I’m really excited about the prospect of racing the Mercedes in British GT this year,” he said. “When the opportunity came along to race in the series, it was one that made perfect sense and I’m pleased to be returning for another season.
 
“As a Silver/Bronze driver pairing, we know that it will be difficult to challenge for the title but there is no reason why Ryan and I can’t surprise a few people as the year goes on; particularly as the Mercedes is a car that will be well suited to the British circuits.
 
“Personally I think I’m going into the season in good shape and I feel Ryan is a young driver who continues to improve and get quicker, so I think we are in for a good year together.”

Ryan joins AmDTuning.com having already shown his talent in the British series, which included winning the GT4 class title back in 2013.

The Welshman may be new to the team, but is no stranger to his new team-mate having competed alongside Lee on a number of occasions in the past – most recently when the pair were partnered together in British GT and the Blancpain Endurance Series whilst with Triple Eight.

“I had a few things lined up for this year but no full season programme, so when I got the call from Lee to see if I was interested in racing the Mercedes, I almost bit his hand off!” he said. “It’s something that was really unexpected but I can’t wait to get started, and having already driven a new generation GT3 car, I’m keen to see how the Mercedes compares.
 
“Hopefully the experience I gained last season will help us get up to speed quickly with the new car and will ensure we are right on the pace when we get to Oulton Park.
 
“On a personal level, 2016 was a difficult year on track, but I think me and Lee will be a good pairing who can run towards the front end of the grid. I think we’ll have good pace when it comes to the races where strategy will also play a role, and I’d like to think to think we can challenge for the podium positions.”

With the British GT pairing completing AmDTuning’s driver line-up for what promises to be a busy 2017 season, team boss Shaun Hollamby said he was confident that a strong year lies ahead.

“We’re pleased to have sorted a deal for Lee and Ryan to join forces in the British GT Championship this season, and are confident that they will be a strong pairing,” he said. “They know each other well from their time together at Triple Eight, and we saw first hand on track last year what Ryan can do when he was up against us.
 
“In the Mercedes, we have a car that should be a competitive package on track, and when it comes to the drivers, Ryan knows how put a championship bid together – having won the British GT4 title previously – and Lee is keen on improving on his most competitive season yet in 2016.
 
“With that in mind, I’m keen to get started with what promises to be an exciting season.”

Whilst Lee has already sampled the Mercedes during a shakedown at Silverstone earlier in the month, Ryan will get his first run in the car during a two day test at Snetterton this week.

Today (3/2/2017), Multiple British GT champions Beechdean Aston Martin Racing have announced that they will be taking a sabbatical from the championship in 2017.

Beechdean AMR have competed in Britain’s premier sports car championship since 2006 and have established themselves as prominent front runners. The team have secured 20 class victories and 4 drivers championships over a period of 10 years.

The outfit will put full focus towards the Le Mans 24 Hour race, European Le Mans Series and several SRO events in 2017.

2 times British GT Champion and Team Boss Andrew Howard commented “British GT is one of the best Pro-am championships in Europe, and we look forward to returning in the near future.”

As the championship continues to flourish, Beechdean AMR will look to return to the British GT Championship very soon.

Birmingham-based UltraTek Racing will start their third season in the British GT Championship with a virtually unchanged driver line-up from the end of the 2016 season. Richard Taffinder will again be joined by former Le Mans LMP2 Winner and FIA WEC Champion Martin Plowman. Tim Eakin will be joined by newcomer to the team and the British GT Championship, Kelvin Fletcher. Former BTCC driver and Emmerdale actor, Fletcher is no stranger to rear wheel drive from his days in the Porsche Carrera Cup.

Richard Taffinder, UltraTek Racing Managing Director, reflected, “It was a tough decision to switch teams and brands, but we feel it is the right time. Having given this an enormous amount of thought, the brand fit with Nissan will deliver both the reliability we need and the longevity to support our programme as it has a range of cars that will help us progress on our road to Le Mans.”

Taffinder continues, “I have been very impressed with the team at RJN, they are a highly professional outfit, and the links they have to Nissan are a bonus. It is important to mention Martin Plowman, who has been instrumental in bringing the deal with RJN to fruition. We are in perfect shape for the start of the 2017 season.”

Bob Neville, RJN Managing Director, commented, “We’re delighted to be working with Richard and the team at UltraTek Racing, they have been very thorough in their preparations and are taking this year’s campaign very seriously.” 

Neville continues, “We have always held the British GT Championship in high regard, we have many good memories of the championship and are very much looking forward to making some new ones.”  

Kelvin Fletcher commented, “I’m excited to be racing with UltraTek in British GT, I have long admired the championship and know the UltraTek Racing Nissan’s will be immaculately prepared by RJN.” 

Fletcher continues, “Since passing my ARDS 4 years ago, I have wanted to try as many types of motorsport as possible so I jumped at the opportunity to race in British GT. Plus, Martin Plowman was a huge support to me last year and I’m over the moon to be racing alongside him, especially as we are supporting Tim and Richard as they develop en-route to Le Mans.”

The team have been busy during the off-season having completed an extensive simulator program at Base Performance in addition to a tailored fitness program. They have also been preparing in a Group N Nissan 370Z ahead of their formal British GT4 testing program that commences later this month.

“I couldn’t be more pleased,” beamed Team Principal David Macmillan. “James has a wealth of experience to bring to Macmillan Racing and being able to add him to our GT3 line-up is certain to bring massive benefits, as we make our debut in the class.”
 
“The British GT Championship is arguably the country’s most competitive racing series,” said James Littlejohn, “and one I’ve been eager to have a crack at. Macmillan Racing may be a new team but they’ve already proved they have what it takes and with the full back-up of Aston Martin Racing for 2017, I know we have the potential to spring a few surprises on the regular front-runners. The team was really welcoming when we tested together and it immediately felt like home. I can’t wait!”
 
Littlejohn started off in single-seaters, racing Formula Ford, Formula Renault and Asian Formula 3, before discovering Radicals. In the lightweight sports-racers, he’s claimed both the UK Cup and European Masters titles (in 2012 and 2016 respectively.) He has also previously dipped his toes in the British GT waters – racing a Brookspeed Viper in 2007 – and has a wide and varied portfolio.

James has carved out a burgeoning Historic racing career for himself, in a mouthwatering selection of machinery: BMW CSL “Batmobile’, LEC-Cosworth Formula 1, Lola T70 and Ford GT40, to name but a few.

James’ connections also led to him being hired as one of the stunt drivers in ‘Rush’, the Hollywood re-telling of the 1976 Formula 1 battle, between James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

In addition, James has raced current LMP2 machinery, for both Greaves Motorsport and Murphy Prototypes, in the European Le Mans Series, adding yet another layer to his experience.

“It’s James’s speed over such a variety of different equipment,” reckons David Macmillan, “that’s the key benefit for us. If you can win the Spa 6Hrs in a GT40, handle a ‘70s Cosworth F1 car and lead an ELMS race in an LMP2 car, you clearly have a lot going for you and his experience as a driver coach is also going to be of massive benefit, as he partners Jack.
 
“It’s great to be heading into the Christmas break with our GT3 line-up cemented in place. With James and Jack, I believe we have a great partnership, which will help Macmillan Racing go from strength to strength.
 
“We’re not deluding ourselves… we know GT3 is going to be hugely competitive in 2017, with more new cars coming and different line-ups to be announced. But with the help of Aston Martin Racing and what we already have in place, I firmly believe we have what it takes to be right amongst the front-runners.”
 
Macmillan Racing’s 2017 line-up now comprises James Littlejohn and Jack Mitchell in the GT3 Aston Martin, with Will Phillips already signed to drive the team’s GT4 Vantage V8. The squad’s fourth and final driver will be announced soon.

2016 BTCC runner-up Sam Tordoff will switch his attention to sportscars next season after being announced alongside Liam Griffin in the second of Barwell Motorsport’s British GT-entered Lamborghini Huracan GT3s.

The news comes just one week after Barwell confirmed this year’s British GT runners-up, Jon Minshaw and Phil Keen, would be returning for a third year with the team.

Tordoff’s future has been the subject of much speculation since the end of this year’s tin-top campaign after the 27-year-old confirmed he would not be returning to the BTCC in 2017. That decision has led him to the British GT Championship where he will make his GT3 debut under the GardX racing with Barwell Motorsport banner.

The Yorkshireman won races at every level of the TOCA package, including Porsche Carrera Cup GB and the Renault Clio Cup. He also made selected sportscar appearances in 2015, albeit in the European Le Mans Series aboard Ferrari GTE machinery.

Tordoff confirmed that a full-time sportscar switch had been on his radar for some time and that the opportunity to partner Griffin at Barwell was just too good to miss.

“I am really excited about 2017 as I embark on a new career in GT racing,” he said. “It is something we have looked at pursuing for a while, and when this opportunity presented itself with Liam and Barwell Motorsport it was the perfect time to jump ship. 

“I’ve known Liam for a long time and I think together in the Lamborghini we have all the tools in place to mount a serious title challenge. The British GT Championship is going from strength to strength and I am very aware of the expectations of the team to be at the sharp end of it – I cannot wait to get started!”

Fellow ex-BTCC racer Griffin has earned a reputation as one of British GT’s fastest Am drivers since moving from touring cars to GTs in 2014. A race winner in each of his last two seasons, most recently alongside Adam Carroll at Oulton Park, he’s hoping a second year in the Huracan allied to Tordoff’s talents will tip the title balance in his favour.

“I’m really pleased to be back in British GT for 2017 and with a new team-mate that might raise a few eyebrows!” he said. “Sam had a great year in BTCC being both quick and consistent, attributes that are well suited to GT racing and ones that I hope rub off on me, to allow us to compete at the sharp end of the championship. 

“I think that BGT is going to be incredibly competitive this year with any one of the current entries capable of winning a race. Consequently every second will count and I am hoping that another year with the Lamborghini, for both me and the team, will give us that extra bit of pace to finally topple those pesky Astons!”

Barwell chief Mark Lemmer echoed Griffin’s sentiments, but also highlighted that the stability of a full-season pairing would prove invaluable after Griffin was joined by Carroll, Alexander Sims and Fabio Babini at various points during 2016.

“Sam has emerged as one of the UK’s most talented and successful star drivers; he has all of the ingredients that we would look for to make a top quality GT driver,” he said. “It is an absolute pleasure to welcome him to the ‘Barwell family’ for his first full season in GTs to partner Liam. 

“It’s great to welcome Liam back; I’ve got a really positive feeling about this pairing. We know that Liam is naturally super quick and can beat anyone on his day. I am sure he will benefit from Sam’s meticulous preparation and from it being his second season in the Lamborghini Huracan GT3.

“I think sharing with three different Pros last season wasn’t, in hindsight, the best situation for Liam, but having Sam as a full season team-mate should take Liam’s performance to another level.”

Tordoff will sample his first taste of Barwell’s Lamborghini Huracan GT3 at Barcelona next March before further testing takes place in the UK. The 2017 season – British GT’s 25th – gets underway at Oulton Park on April 15 & 17.

More used to hosting heads of state, it was actually British GT’s 2016 title winners that were crowned at the Historic Royal Palace on an occasion that brought together teams, drivers, manufacturers, sponsors and media from across all categories promoted by SRO Motorsports Group.

TF Sport’s Derek Johnston and, for a second time in as many years, Jonny Adam were presented with their GT3 championship-winning trophies, while PMW Expo Racing/Optimum Motorsport’s Graham Johnson and Mike Robinson were on hand to receive their GT4 equivalents.

Johnston, who also picked up the GT3 Pro/Am gong, was awarded a personalised limited edition Blancpain 8885S timepiece as his prize for winning the Blancpain Gentleman Trophy.

“We’ve had a great season; it’s been tough and it’s been difficult but that’s part of the reason we do it. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself,” he said. “I’ve won many championships but claiming the British GT title has been spectacular. The car’s been everywhere since Donington! The trophies are great and the Blancpain watch is phenomenal – I’m over the moon with it! – but this venue at the Tower of London really is something special.”

KEEN NAMED ALLAN SIMONSEN AWARD WINNER

Only retirement at the final round denied Phil Keen a first British GT title, but the Barwell Motorsport driver’s efforts throughout the year were still recognised with the coveted Allan Simonsen Award. Three victories, including a memorable double at Snetterton – the first time that feat had been achieved since 2010 – set Keen apart from his fellow Pros this season.

“I feel very honoured to have been awarded this trophy in Allan’s memory,” said Keen. “I had the pleasure of sharing the grid with him and witnessing his talent on a number of occasions. It is an absolute privilege to have my name on the trophy, and especially so given the quality of my peers. It’s been a great year for us and I would like to thank everyone who has supported and helped achieve what we have.”

HAGGERTY AND MITCHELL SHARE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR SPOILS

A standout year for British GT debutants made it almost impossible to pick 2016’s winner. Indeed, the judging panel ultimately settled on two given their contributions throughout the season. Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse duo Ciaran Haggerty and Sandy Mitchell had never driven a GT car before this season but performed beyond their teenage years to not only score victories, pole positions and fastest laps but also spearhead the all-new McLaren 570S GT4’s development.

Both were fast and consistent, but also produced some standout moments of their own. Haggerty performed heroics by overcoming intense pain to win at Donington after injuring his right hand pre-event, while Mitchell became the youngest driver in British GT history to claim a pole position, fastest race lap and victory. Third in the final class standings was some achievement.

“It was nice to snatch third at the final round, especially as after Spa we didn’t think there would be any trophies at the end of the year,” said Mitchell. “But to come back the way we did was very impressive. I’d like to thank [McLaren GT Managing Director] Andrew Kirkaldy for giving Ciaran and I the opportunity to race the new 570S GT4 – I’ve enjoyed every minute of racing and helping to develop it. The same goes for Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse; together we put in a lot of hard work to get to where we were by the end of the season.”

“What a fantastic trophy haul tonight!” added Haggerty. “I knew we’d be picking up third overall in the class and second in Silver Cup but I wasn’t expecting to receive Rookie of the Year – I thought one or two others might pip us to that. It’s fantastic to win it. I knew before the year that the car would be fast and that I could do the job. The only question mark, with such a new car, was reliability. But once we sorted that everything else started falling into place. It’s been an awesome season.”

Team principal Tom Ferrier accepted the GT3 teams’ championship trophy on behalf of TF Sport, while RCIB Insurance Racing’s Tony Gilham picked up the GT4 teams’ prize.

Team Parker Racing chief Stuart Parker was another to go on stage after his outfit was named the inaugural PMW Expo Team of the Year. The Bentley squad was twice tasked with major rebuilds during race weekends this season, the first coming at Rockingham and second at Silverstone.

The Sunoco Fastest Drivers of the Year were also crowned, with Jonny Adam (again, for the second year running) and Sandy Mitchell recognised for their respective outright speed in GT3 and GT4 throughout 2016.

Meanwhile, Seb Morris received a cheque from Anglo American Oil Company managing director Anders Hildebrand as part of his prize for winning this year’s Sunoco Whelen Challenge. The Welshman will be in the US this January to prepare for 2017’s Daytona 24 Hours after scoring heavily throughout his maiden British GT campaign with Team Parker Racing.

2017’s nine-round British GT Championship campaign begins at Oulton Park on April 15 & 17.

2016 BRITISH GT CHAMPIONSHIP AND AWARD WINNERS

British GT3 Drivers’ Championship
1st Derek Johnston and Jonny Adam, TF Sport
2nd Jon Minshaw and Phil Keen, Barwell Motorsport
3rd Rick Parfitt Jnr and Seb Morris, Team Parker Racing

British GT3 Pro/Am Drivers’ Championship
1st Derek Johnston and Jonny Adam, TF Sport
2nd Jon Minshaw and Phil Keen, Barwell Motorsport
3rd Rick Parfitt Jnr and Seb Morris, Team Parker Racing

British GT3 Silver Cup Drivers’ Championship
1st Ryan Ratcliffe and Will Moore, Optimum Motorsport
2nd Miguel Toril and Abdulaziz Al Faisal, Black Falcon Racing

British GT4 Drivers’ Championship
1st Graham Johnson and Mike Robinson, PMW Expo Racing/Optimum Motorsport
2nd Jack Bartholomew, Beechdean AMR
3rd Ciaran Haggerty and Sandy Mitchell, Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse

British GT4 Pro/Am Drivers’ Championship
1st Graham Johnson and Mike Robinson, PMW Expo Racing/Optimum Motorsport
2nd Marcus Hoggarth and Abbie Eaton, Ebor GT
3rd Anna Walewska and Nathan Freke, Century Motorsport

British GT4 Silver Cup Drivers’ Championship
1st Jack Bartholomew, Beechdean AMR
2nd Ciaran Haggerty and Sandy Mitchell, Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse
3rd William Phillips and Jordan Stilp, RCIB Insurance Racing

British GT3 Teams’ Championship
1st TF Sport
2nd Barwell Motorsport
3rd Team Parker Racing

British GT4 Teams’ Championship
1st RCIB Insurance Racing
2nd PMW Expo Racing/Optimum Motorsport
3rd Beechdean AMR

Awards
Allan Simonsen Award Winner: Phil Keen
Rookie of the Year Winners: Ciaran Haggerty and Sandy Mitchell
Blancpain Gentleman Trophy Winner: Derek Johnston
Sunoco GT3 Fastest Driver of the Year Winner: Jonny Adam
Sunoco GT4 Fastest Driver of the Year Winner: Sandy Mitchell
PMW Expo Team of the Year Winner: Team Parker Racing

Tolman Motorsport has become the first team to enter a customer McLaren 570S GT4 in next season’s British GT Championship after recruiting Joe Osborne to partner David Pattison.

The Warwickshire-based squad has run GT3 and GT4-spec Ginettas during its two seasons in the series, but will now switch to the McLaren – which won twice during its maiden campaign in the hands of Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse – for Tolman’s return to GT4.

Best known for his GT3 exploits over the past five full seasons, Osborne’s British GT career actually began in the GT4 class back in 2008 when he won twice en route to third in the standings, before claiming the European GT4 Series crown 12 months later.

He began working as Pattison’s driver coach four years ago but this will be the first time they have teamed up in British GT.

Pattison finished third in GT4’s Pro/Am standings during his maiden 2015 campaign with Tolman and Luke Davenport, before stepping up to the GT3 ranks with the same combination this year. He believes now is the right time for a change of approach.

“I’m delighted to be finally racing with ‘coach’ Joe,” said Pattison, who won at Brands Hatch in 2015. “I came to racing very late, fulfilling a lifetime ambition. Joe has been instrumental in my progress, and I am hungry to learn more. Having driven the McLaren I feel confident that we have a very good car.

“Joe has coached me over the last four years, but to race with him and be supported by Tolman in the first McLaren 570S GT4 for a customer team is fantastic. It feels like a very good team. It’s my third year in British GT and I really like the format. Benjamin, Lauren and the rest of the SRO team do a brilliant job. I can’t wait.”

Osborne, meanwhile, is looking forward to a change of scenery after spending the past five seasons driving Porsche and BMW GT3 machinery.

“It’s been seven years since I raced in GT4, but in 2017 it will be more competitive than this season, with more manufacturer variety,” he said. “Arguably it’ll be better to watch than GT3. The road-version of the McLaren is a car I know well from work I do with the brand outside of racing, so its performance shouldn’t be a big surprise to me.

“I would say that it’ll be different being lapped again after racing in GT3, but after trying to compete with the new generation cars in the Z4 this season, it probably won’t be much different!

“Working with Tolman and David will be great. He’s another one of my pupils that I’ve worked with since they first began racing. My partner in GT3, Lee [Mowle], was the same. All of the gent drivers do this as a hobby, so my job is to make them consistent and perform well – David has shown he’s capable of more already and we should be in for a good year.”

Team principal Chris Tolman added that switching to McLaren opened up more options for the future.

“We’re very pleased to have secured about the best combination of drivers and car that you could assemble for our 2017 British GT campaign,” he said.

“We had a great run with Ginetta who have been very good to us, and motorsport, over the years, culminating in us running their GT3 project this season. Tolman Motorsport wants to get to Le Mans in the next two-to-three years and we felt McLaren are the brand to do that with. We’ve already got a good rapport with the team at McLaren and we’re proud to be associated with that name. It’s also a huge honour to be the first customer McLaren GT4 team.

“We want to be in a position to get good results in 2017 British GT4. I think we have the package to do that. In Joe, we have someone who has helped Tolman Motorsport get to where it is. Alongside him is David who is a fantastic driver and quick learner; it feels like we’re in for a good year.”

Tolman Motorsport’s definitive livery will be unveiled at the 2017 media day next March, ahead of the championship’s opening round of the season at Oulton Park on April 15 & 17.

Minshaw and Keen were the winningest British GT pairing this season, having taken a superb victory in the Silverstone 3-Hours and then an historic double win in Snetterton’s two 1-Hour encounters. They backed this up with other podium finishes at both Rockingham and Oulton Park.

They will be looking to mount another very strong challenge for the title in 2017, and will start their preparations with a pre-season test in Barcelona next March before moving on to the UK circuits.

Barwell is set to announce the details of its second Lamborghini Huracan GT3 British GT entry in the coming weeks.

Jon Minshaw: “I’m very happy to have re-signed with Barwell, and I’m sure that in our second year with the Huracan we will be even stronger. It’s great to have Keeny back with me, he did a brilliant job this season and keeps getting better and better. Hopefully we’ll be able to go one step further in 2017 and win the title!”

Mark Lemmer, Barwell Motorsport Team Principal: “It’s great to welcome Jon & Phil back, this will be their third season with Barwell, and their fantastic results in 2016 show how valuable continuity within the team is. We have all of the ingredients in place once again to challenge for the title.”

“This is such an exciting announcement,” said Team Principal David Macmillan. “Racing at the very highest level in the UK, with just one season of racing behind us may seem like a big step but we are ready for the challenge.

“We said, right from the beginning, that we wanted to create a GT racing ladder, to give drivers and engineers a chance to progress, as they learn their trade. Getting our feet wet in the GT4 class obviously made sense for the first season but now it’s time to step up to mix it with the big boys.

“Adding the GT3 car to our attack shows that we’re serious in our intention to progress all the way in GT racing. Our plan is to learn more in the British GT Championship, then expand further to the GTE class, with the eventual goal of racing at Le Mans and at World Championship level.”

Testing has already begun, with both cars in full 2017 spec and the team will be assessing drivers, over the next few weeks, prior to announcing the line-up for both GT3 and GT4.

“I was very pleasantly surprised at how much positive reaction we had from rival teams and drivers during the season,” said David Macmillan. “The British GT Championship may be super-competitive but it’s also a big family, with a very positive and inclusive paddock. I’m certain that will continue to be the case, as we graduate to GT3.

“We’re not turning our back on the GT4 class – far from it; with the experience of our debut season under our belts, we’re starting the season with one target – to win the title.

“We have a strong testing schedule planned for the next few weeks. Quite a number of drivers have expressed interest in running in both the GT3 and the GT4 cars, so I think we’ll probably head into Christmas with a good idea of our driving line-up for 2017.

“The test sessions also give our engineering team the chance to gather data and gain experience with the new GT3 car… they say it’s much more of a beast than the GT4!

“We’re all eager to get underway with our 2017 campaign. We’re waiting for the season-opener like kids waiting for Christmas. The difference is, we know what our presents are, because we’ve already started playing with them!”

The Pershore-based outfit, which won the British GT Championship GT4 class teams’ title in 2015, took a sabbatical from full-time competition in ’16, but now plans to compete on both domestic and European fronts next season, subject to official entry confirmation.

With its target of winning back the British GT4 class teams’ title, as well as scoring regular race victories, Academy team principal Matt Nicoll-Jones said the team is refreshed and raring to go after its 12-month hiatus.

“Taking a break away from competition was tough to do but it has made the team even hungrier for success and with a clear vision of what we want to do and how we’re going to go about it next season,” Nicoll-Jones said.

“We plan to run two cars in both the British GT Championship and European GT4 Series and have already had a high degree of interest from both professional and gentleman drivers.

“There is a great deal of interest in British GT next year, and the demand is so high that the GT4 grid is expected to be over-subscribed. All entries are therefore subject to confirmation and we are looking to wrap up deals with drivers as soon as possible.

“We’d welcome further interest and look forward to putting together a driver line-up which is going to enable both cars to actively challenge for the two respective titles in 2017.”

The British GT Championship calendar has been devised to avoid clashes with the Blancpain GT Series and Blancpain GT Series – Asian Cup, thus allowing teams to compete in several championships.

The domestic campaign will begin at its traditional opening slot at Oulton Park on Easter Bank Holiday Weekend of April 15-17.

It will then be followed by events at Rockingham (April 29-30) and Snetterton (May 27-28) before taking on its blue riband event at the three-hour Silverstone 500 round on June 10-11.

The following month, the championship will once again make its cross-Channel excursion to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on July 7-8, before taking on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit on August 5-6.

The season will come to its conclusion at Donington Park on September 23-24.

Academy was provided a taste of the European GT4 field on two occasions this season when it combined with the British GT grid at the Silverstone 500, and at the final round of the season at Zandvoort in the Netherlands.

The European GT4 Series will expand in 2017 with the introduction of separate Northern and Southern Cups. Academy has targeted success in the Northern Cup edition.

The GT4 European Series Northern Cup will kick off at Misano during the first weekend of April, followed by the second round at Brands Hatch in early May.

Instead of hosting the season finale, Zandvoort will host round three at a yet to be confirmed date. The teams will then travel to Spa-Francorchamps, at an event to be announced.

After Spa a race in Austria or Hungary is planned for August, while the season finale will take place at the Nürburgring in September.

Matt Nicoll-Jones, team principal:

“The team is refreshed and looking forward to having some fun, battling for race wins and podiums, and winning championships once again. We cannot wait for what 2017 will bring.”

The pair’s new-generation 488 GT3, which they campaigned together in this year’s Blancpain GT Series (pictured), will be the first to race in British GT full-time after FF Corse made a one-off appearance with the same model at Silverstone last season.

34-year-old Ferrari factory ace Griffin’s enviable GT racing CV includes Blancpain GT Series and  ELMS titles, as well as victories in prestigious standalone endurance events. Six of his 14 British GT wins have come in the GT3 ranks, all of which were alongside Cameron, but neither driver has ever finished higher than third in the final standings, a feat they achieved together in 2010.

And that’s a statistic Griffin, a veteran of 97 British GT starts since his 2003 debut, is eager to address in 2017.

“Duncan was keen on a return to British GT next year; we both have unfinished business and are targeting the title together,” said the Irishman, whose last domestic appearance came at Brands Hatch in 2014. “British GT is where my sportscar career began. I’ve raced all over the world since then but it’s something I’m really excited about returning to.

“It’s still one of the world’s most competitive GT championships and we’re not taking it lightly. Fortunately teams don’t come much better than AF Corse, who also know the car inside out. The 488 has a lot more potential than the 458. It’s a ground-up racing car that has greater downforce, which will be a big plus around the UK circuits. Duncan and I know them well from our previous days in British GT but we’re planning to do a lot of pre-season testing because the car has had so little mileage in Britain since it was launched last year.”

AF Corse has enjoyed great success around the world as one of Ferrari’s official factory teams, but it will need to improve its British GT record if Cameron and Griffin are to mount a serious title challenge next season. The Italian outfit’s two previous campaigns in 2013 and ‘14 netted a best race result of second, while Pasin Lathouras finished seventh in the 2014 drivers’ standings.

The 25th British GT Championship season gets underway at Oulton Park on April 15 & 17.

DID YOU KNOW?

Matt Griffin’s 14 British GT victories across three classes ranks him second on the series’ all-time winners list. He’ll need just one more in 2017 to equal the record jointly held by John Greasley, Thorkild Thyrring and Tim Mullen.

Griffin was also responsible for Vauxhall/Holden’s only British GT victory. The Emotional Engineering Monaro he shared with Ryan Hooker won the G2 class at Magny-Cours in 2005, although there were only two starters!

Very much the team to beat, consistency is very much the key as they aim for a repeat in 2017 with the tried and trusted Ginetta GT4 package. For Johnson, the decision to sign up for another season was an easy decision to make.

“Optimum is the best team on the grid without question: why would we go elsewhere,” he said. “We’ve had one minor issue with the car in two seasons of racing. That’s testament to the thorough pre-race vehicle preparation carried out by the team.
 
“We head into the 2017 season better prepared and more experienced than any other team on the grid,” he continued. “Of course we want to win the title again and it will be unquestionably tougher still, with more talent and more manufacturers, but we know how to win – and we have the pace to do just that.”

The winning package and racing ethos is what competing with Optimum Motorsport is all about for Robinson.

“This year Graham and I have had an amazing season and 2016 will be hard to beat,” he explained. “We’re coming back in 2017 with the intention of starting the first race in the same way we have done in the past two seasons. We know the Ginetta inside out and so do the team.
 
“Everyone working with us at Optimum Motorsport know exactly how to win championships in the GT4 category and Graham and I will be working hard on and off the track during the winter to help each other lift our performance even further in 2017.’

For Optimum Motorsport Team Principal Shaun Goff, consistency played a big role in the 2016 championship success, with Johnson and Robinson proving to be a fantastic pairing combined with the know-how of the Ginetta GT4.

“For sure we want to repeat the same again in 2017,” Goff began. “I’m sure it’ll be a little tougher as we are the champions and the team to beat.
 
“As this year was the second season with the same team same car, it was clear that given most, if not all GT4 pairings, were new we therefore had an advantage. We were quick straight away from day one whilst others had to get to what worked and what didn’t!
 
“What we had learned in our first year was the foundation laid for this year and now beyond,” he concluded.

The British GT Championship gets underway at Oulton Park 15-15 April 2017, with a further five rounds in the UK and the one ‘fly-away’ round at Spa Francorchamps.

While its 2016 edition concluded at Donington Park just 10 days ago, series organiser, SRO, has been consulting with its GT3 teams for several months over developments aimed at attracting fresh talent to the class. Both parties are confident the plans announced today will achieve that.

Together, they have analysed all aspects of British GT’s format and devised the following:

1. Race weekends will feature an additional 10 minutes of free practice time. The second session therefore now lasts one hour, the same as FP1. The 2x 10-minute qualifying format remains the same, thus maintaining the Am driver’s key role.

2. Each Am’s mandatory race stint length has been increased in two-hour races from 50 to 60 minutes. Pit-stops will therefore take place between the 60 and 70-minute mark. Minimum Bronze-graded drive-time will also increase at the championship’s blue riband, three-hour Silverstone 500 round.

3. To reaffirm the event’s significance, a special standalone trophy will be designed and presented to the victorious Silverstone 500 crew. Their names, along with the winners from 2011 onwards, will be engraved on the base.

Important changes have also been made to British GT’s class structure.

The championship enjoys a rich history of pairing fully professional drivers with their amateur counterparts, known as Pro/Am. However, ever-increasing numbers of talented semi-pros with budget but little experience – who perhaps fall between these two traditional classifications – also now see GT racing as a viable career option.

A new GT3 Silver/Am classification aims to give this group greater recognition by offering crews an opportunity to fight for silverware and appear on the British GT podium each weekend in a more cost-effective way. These typically less experienced Silver drivers will likely contribute around 25% of the season’s budget when paired with a Bronze, which – along with previous experience and SRO’s discretion – will help define Silver/Am eligibility.

It’s a similar story for Am/Am partnerships. They’ll receive 1.5x championship points for finishing inside the overall top-10, while each weekend’s class-winning partnership will also receive a trophy on the podium.

As it is now, Pro/Am will be reserved for one fully professional and amateur driver, while the Silver/Silver class has also been retained. Meanwhile, cars featuring Platinum-graded drivers no longer have to carry an additional 15kg, which should encourage even more factories to run them at the front of British GT.

British GT Championship Manager Benjamin Franassovici:
“Next season’s changes are a great way of maintaining the GT3 class’ current high level while also allowing less experienced Am and Pro drivers a chance to shine both overall and in a category of their own. It’s actually testament to the strength of our current GT3 teams and drivers that we’ve had to look again at the classifications.

“Clearly British GT3 has become incredibly competitive. That’s proven by less than three tenths covering our top-seven amateur drivers and four different manufacturers in qualifying at Donington Park. The Pro class is also operating at an incredibly high level thanks to several factory drivers plying their trade with us. But while this is something we’re proud of and have no intention of restricting, it’s also an area that SRO and our teams have identified as a potential stumbling block for new drivers. We’ve worked very hard on rectifying this and, in terms of co-operation and understanding, I don’t think the organiser and teams have ever enjoyed a better relationship. All are committed to a thriving GT3 class.

“Ultimately, these changes give amateurs and young professionals a chance to measure themselves against their gradings’ benchmark drivers, learn their craft and also have something to show for their efforts at the end of the season. I’m confident this will have a positive impact on next season’s GT3 numbers; domestically, the class looks to be in good shape.”

Beechdean AMR Team Owner and 2x British GT3 Champion Andrew Howard:
“SRO has always been prepared to work with and listen to its British GT teams, so I’m delighted with the changes being made for 2017. Silver/Am is a fantastic concept and exactly what’s required. I’ve often said that amateurs probably need two or three years of GT3 racing to be truly competitive, and that’s increasingly true for young professionals, too. It took time for Jonny Adam to become the series’ GT3 benchmark, which is what the new Silver/Am class provides. Crews can come in, learn together, share the budget and build a partnership. It’s the right decision at the right time.”

2017’s nine-round British GT Championship campaign begins at Oulton Park on April 15 & 17.

The pair comfortably overturned their 11.5-point deficit in the drivers’ standings by finishing second after erstwhile leaders Jon Minshaw and Phil Keen crashed out with just 35 minutes gone. Team Parker Racing’s Rick Parfitt Jnr and Seb Morris completed the podium to seal third in the final standings.

While Johnston claimed the crown at the same venue as he secured his maiden GT3 victory 12 months ago, Adam made British GT history by becoming the first driver to successfully defend his crown in the series’ 24-year history.

Elsewhere, this was Bell’s first British GT victory since he and brother Matt won the GT4 class at Silverstone in 2010, while McCaig picked up his second British GT3 triumph after winning alongside Oliver Bryant at Oulton Park in 2012. It was also the McLaren 650S’s second British GT3 victory – its only previous win coming at Silverstone last season – and Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse returned to the top of the overall podium for the first time since winning at Brands Hatch in 2015.

Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse and McLaren’s final weekend was doubly good after their GT4 entry driven by Sandy Mitchell and Ciaran Haggerty also won its class.

How it unfolded:

The race began with one of TF Sport’s Aston Martins in the barriers when Mark Farmer and Liam Griffin came together through the first corner. While the latter was able to continue, albeit with a punctured right rear tyre, Farmer’s afternoon was over almost before it had begun.

The subsequent Safety Car period lasted just two laps before the battle at the front continued. Pole-sitter Johnston initially came under pressure from McCaig, who’d lined up alongside, while Minshaw and Parfitt Jnr made it a four-way battle for the lead. But with a 15-second pit-stop success penalty to serve Johnston had no intention of hanging around and soon started to gap his pursuers.

Meanwhile, Minshaw was soon clear of Parfitt Jnr and, with just 15 minutes of his stint remaining, had McCaig in his sights. But, as the pair approached a GT4 car through the Craner Curves, the championship leader moved too far right, planted two wheels on the grass, speared back across the track into the Old Hairpin gravel and out of the race.

That changed the championship complexion completely, for although the Barwell Motorsport duo still led the points they were now relying on Johnston and Adam to finish no higher than seventh in order to win the crown.

In truth, that never looked like happening. Johnston completed his exemplary opening stint 17 seconds ahead of McCaig, but the McLaren emerged from its stop – now in the hands of Bell – several seconds ahead. Not that Adam was especially concerned: a new GT3 lap record aside, the Scot was content to stroke his Aston Martin home and eventually finish 8.1s seconds behind the 650S.

Morris, who along with Parfitt Jnr had to win to preserve his slim title hopes, was another 2.5s further back in third, while Beechdean AMR’s Rory Butcher and Andrew Howard – whose comeback drive from 11th on the grid earned him the Blancpain Gentleman Driver of the Weekend Award – finished fourth.

Barwell’s chances of retaining the GT3 teams’ title suffered a blow after Minshaw’s accident, and Griffin’s clash at the start meant they were never likely to recover. Co-driver Alexander Sims eventually brought the #6 Huracan home fifth after passing top Am class driver Martin Short late on. However, the Team ABBA by Rollcentre Racing driver, who shared his BMW Z4 with Richard Neary, still finished an excellent sixth despite also serving a penalty for a pit-stop infringement. The pair can also be proud to have won this season’s Am class – reserved for two gentleman drivers per crew – following Rollcentre’s decision to re-join the British GT fold at the start of 2016 following a long absence.

Ian Stinton and Mike Simpson ran fifth in the early stages before suffering a puncture as a result of Phil Dryburgh bumping into the back of their Ginetta. While the Motorbase Performance Aston Martin retired with front-end damage, Tolman Motorsport’s #32 G55 survived to finish seventh, one place ahead of the team’s sister machine driven by Luke Davenport and David Pattison, who also suffered a puncture during his opening stint.

2016 British GT champions:
GT3 drivers’ champions: Derek Johnston and Jonny Adam
GT3 teams’ champions: TF Sport
GT3 Pro-Am champions: Derek Johnston and Jonny Adam
GT3 Silver Cup champions: Will Moore and Ryan Ratcliffe
GT3 Am champions: Richard Neary and Martin Short
Blancpain Gentleman Driver Trophy winner: Derek Johnston

Alasdair McCaig, #79 Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse McLaren 650S GT3: “I was right up with Derek at the start but my rear tyre grip dropped off quite quickly so he got away. Then it was a case of managing the gap because we knew they’d have a time penalty to serve. I brought it home for Rob who did an excellent job getting it to the end. This is a great way to finish the season. We were hoping to have a few more podiums this year but it hasn’t worked out that way. I hadn’t raced here since 2012 and we didn’t do any testing either, so this just proves what we can do when things go our way and also sets us up for next year.”

Rob Bell, #79 Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse McLaren 650S GT3: “It’s a great way to finish the year, but also a relief that we’ve put it all together here. The car was good and Alasdair did a great job, too. We like the circuit but felt a little bit anxious before the weekend for various reasons. But it panned out in the end. I was able to build a decent gap after the stops, but then I didn’t have a championship to worry about and could get my head down. I really enjoyed it.”

Derek Johnston, #17 TF Sport Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3: “I had Jonny in my ear every single lap saying ‘gap, gap, gap’! It wasn’t about position because I knew I was out front. Even when I saw Jon [Minshaw] had gone off I was still pushing hard. I do love Donington; it’s always been good to me, whether I’ve been racing bikes or cars. But we did it again, and it feels fantastic!”

Jonny Adam, #17 TF Sport Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3: “I had never been so disappointed to finish fourth and second as we did at Snetterton, but we knew what we had to do this weekend and have attacked from the word go. People can crumble in these situations, and we saw that today. Derek did the hard work to be fair, but it still felt like the longest stint of my life: 63 minutes of listening to every noise the car was making and just hoping for the best! It’s tough on brakes here so I concentrated on monitoring the gaps and generally looking after the car.”

Rick Parfitt Jnr, #31 Team Parker Racing Bentley Continental GT3: “When all is said and done we’ve had a good season. I think there were a few factors that cost us dear, but that’s racing. We were a new pairing with a new car at the start of the year, so we can still be proud to have been in the championship fight at the final round. I think I said at the start I’d have been happy with a top-five, so third is amazing. I’m happy with that.”

GT3: Unstoppable TF Sport dominate Am and Pro sessions

The day’s earlier inclement weather had cleared in time for qualifying, which was run in fully dry conditions. And that was good news for TF Sport who’d opted to limit their wet weather practice track time in an effort to preserve their Aston Martin.

That would prove a shrewd decision come mid-afternoon when Johnston topped the initial Am session by a meagre 0.011s from Andrew Howard whose late lap aboard the Beechdean AMR V12 Vantage pushed championship leader Jon Minshaw down to third at the end of a frenetic 10 minutes.

And, with his nose fractionally ahead, Adam had no intention of relinquishing top-spot. The Scot, who along with Johnston trails Barwell Motorsport’s Minshaw and Phil Keen by 11.5 points, banged in consecutive fastest laps to claim pole by a combined 0.414s, a tenth more than had covered an incredibly close top-seven after the initial Am session.

Adam’s best of 1m27.602s was almost two tenths faster than Rob Bell could manage in the Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse McLaren. Nevertheless, his last gasp effort moved the 650S he shares with Alasdair McCaig up to second after starting the Pro session sixth.

Keen was visibly disappointed with his effort after an early off compromised his Lamborghini’s subsequent performance. Nevertheless, he and Minshaw remain firmly in the hunt for their maiden British GT crown starting from third, one place ahead of the sister Huracan driven by Liam Griffin and Alexander Sims who are well set to help Barwell overturn their 14.5-point deficit to TF Sport in the teams’ championship.

Rick Parfitt Jnr was just 0.164s shy of Johnston’s benchmark Am time but slipped to fifth and almost a second off the combined pace after co-driver Seb Morris was unable to unlock the Team Parker Racing Bentley’s potential. Both now face an uphill challenge to secure the victory that would keep them in title contention.

TF Sport’s second Aston Martin driven by Mark Farmer and Jon Barnes was next up ahead of Ian Stinton and Mike Simpson’s Tolman Motorsport Ginetta that had led both wet free practice sessions, while Phil Dryburgh and Ross Wylie’s Motorbase Performance Aston Martin completed the top-eight.

But there was disappointment for Howard and Rory Butcher who were denied a chance to challenge for pole after a mechanical issue prevented the latter from completing a competitive lap.

Jonny Adam, #17 TF Sport Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3: “We had a conversation at the start of the day about what to do if it rained, which it did, and the plan was to preserve the car for when it dried out. Derek’s lap was good but I actually think there was a bit more in him. He was quicker when we tested here a few weeks ago, which bodes well for tomorrow. However, Minshaw also looked good and I’m sure Phil [Keen] will be up to speed in the race, so the ball’s still in their court. If they were fifth or sixth then it’s a bit more mixed up at the start. Consistency will be key for all of the Ams; we’ll see where we are after the opening stint.”

Rob Bell, #79 Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse McLaren 650S GT3: “It’s been a difficult day after it rained this morning but I actually enjoy those tricky situations when you’re chucked in at the deep end. Some of the corner profiles have changed now they’ve added sausage curbs; I’m an experienced driver but still learning, so just built up to it and fortunately the last lap came together nicely, so I was pretty happy with it. We’ve got nothing to lose tomorrow, unlike a few of the other guys, so who knows. Hopefully we can go out on a high.”

Phil Keen, #33 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3: “Third doesn’t reflect the car’s potential but at least we’re in the mix for tomorrow. I guess the biggest issue is I didn’t test here so those were my first laps in the dry around Donington in the Lambo. Maybe I tried a bit too hard a bit too early and ran a bit wide. But at least Jon’s on fire this weekend and driving really well.”

GT4: AdVantage Bartholomew as Gunn shows his class

Jack Bartholomew begins his quest to overturn a 2.5-point championship deficit from the perfect position tomorrow after he and Beechdean AMR co-driver Ross Gunn claimed GT4 class pole by a combined 0.147s.

Sandy Mitchell gave Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse the advantage at half-time after narrowly claiming provisional pole by 0.018s from Generation AMR Macmillan Racing’s Matthew Graham.

But that was without reckoning on Gunn who subsequently paced the Pro session to move his and Bartholomew’s #407 V8 Vantage from third to first. The reigning class champion’s 1m36.030s wasn’t just the fastest lap of the day but also half-a-second faster than Ciaran Haggerty could muster in the McLaren, which slipped to second in the final classification as a result.

Points leader Mike Robinson had some work to do after PMW Expo Racing/Optimum Motorsport co-driver Graham Johnson ended the Am session sixth. And he didn’t disappoint en route to the third fastest time of the day, and quickest of the Ginetta continent, to line up directly behind his main championship rivals tomorrow.

The McLaren and Ginetta’s pace relegated Graham and Jack Mitchell to fourth in the combined classification, one place ahead of Lanan Racing’s Alex Reed and Joey Foster who begin their quest to retain third in the class standings from fifth place tomorrow.

British GT debutant Sam Webster and Jamie Stanley start sixth in their Fox Motorsport-run G55 after the latter picked up two places during the Pro session, while Stefan Hodgetts and James Fletcher’s GPRM Toyota GT86 made it four different manufacturers inside the top-seven.

RCIB Insurance Racing’s William Phillips and Jordan Stilp slipped from fourth to eighth in the final reckoning but start tomorrow’s two-hour race ahead of Marcus Hoggarth and Abbie Eaton’s Ebor GT Maserati, as well as the UltraTek Lotus Evora driven by Tim Eakin and Gavan Kershaw.

Matthew George recorded the second fastest time in the Pro session but lines up only 17th due to the combined qualifying times. That’s still one place ahead of Aaron Mason whose accident at the end of the Am session prevented RCIB Insurance Racing’s Rob Barrable from setting a time.

Jack Bartholomew, #407 Beechdean AMR Aston Martin V8 Vantage: “Ross has given me the best opportunity possible of bringing the championship back to Beechdean AMR for a third time. Obviously we’ve got our main competitors right behind us so it won’t be easy, especially as we also have to try and pull five seconds on them to make up for the pit-stop success penalty. So it’s going to be a challenge but we’ll see what we can do. I feel like there was definitely more in me during my session but I’ll take pole any day of the week.”

Ciaran Haggerty, Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse McLaren 570S GT4: “The car was good; just a bit of oversteer, which is why I spun! Still, the time was good enough for the front row and I’m happy with how the session went. Sandy also did a good job. We’ve done a lot of testing since Snetterton and are now really on the pace. That bodes well for the race; speed-wise I think we can challenge the Aston, especially as their time penalty will help us out.”

Graham Johnson, PMW Expo Racing/Optimum Motorsport Ginetta G55 GT4: “The car felt the best it has done all year, but I’m worried we won’t be quick enough to challenge the Aston tomorrow. I still had a couple of tenths in me but Mike’s lap was mega. He was three tenths quicker than the rest of the Ginettas but unfortunately we’re not fighting them for the title. It’s going to be difficult for us but we’ll give it our best shot.”

The series’ 25th campaign begins with Oulton Park returning to its traditional Easter Bank Holiday Weekend on April 15 and 17 after the Cheshire venue – for so long home to British GT’s curtain raiser – was switched to late May for 2016. However, the event’s typical format of two 60-minute races on the Monday remains unchanged.

Rockingham again plays host to the first two-hour round of the season a fortnight later before a signifiant break with tradition sees Snetterton welcome British GT in late May. Indeed, the Norfolk circuit hasn’t appeared so early in the season since 2011, while its switch from penultimate to fourth and fifth rounds also means all four of the schedule’s 60-minute contests take place within the first five races.

The championship’s blue riband, three-hour Silverstone 500 round retains its mid-June slot, one month before British GT makes its annual cross-Channel excursion to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. Brands Hatch, which staged this season’s opening weekend, switches back to its early August date before Donington Park once again hosts the final round, albeit two weeks later than in 2016.

British GT’s calendar has been devised to avoid clashes with SRO’s Blancpain GT Series and Blancpain GT Series – Asian Cup, thus allowing teams to compete in several championships. Elsewhere, and unlike 2016, the newly-revised GT4 European Series will not form part of British GT’s Silverstone and Spa grids, although individual entries will still be welcome on a one-off basis.

Once again British GT will share all of its rounds with the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship, as well as several other support series including the recently announced Mini Challenge JCW class.

Further important developments concerning British GT’s 2017 campaign will be made in the coming weeks.

Stephane Ratel, SRO Motorsports Group Founder and CEO: “British GT’s 2017 schedule builds on a tried and tested formula, starting with Oulton Park returning to its traditional Easter weekend. The championship always receives interest from other venues but the combination of Britain’s six best circuits plus Spa – a driver favourite and one of the world’s most challenging – is always difficult to overlook. It will be interesting to see what impact, if any, loading the first half of the season with two one-hour races per weekend has on the championship.”

2017 British GT Championship Calendar

Rd 1/2

Oulton Park    April 15 & 17    2x 1hr races
Rd 3     Rockingham    April 29/30    1x 2hr race
Rd 4/5    Snetterton    May 27/28    2x 1hr races
Rd 6    Silverstone 500    June 10/11    1x 3hr race
Rd 7    Spa-Francorchamps    July 7/8    1x 2hr race
Rd 8    Brands Hatch    August 5/6    1x 2hr race
Rd 9    Donington Park    September 23/24    1x 2hr race

The young driver pairing of Sandy Mitchell and Ciaran Haggerty combined to complete a stunning drive after a strong qualifying saw them qualify P3 in the first race of the weekend. The charge to the front of the pack was aided by a rapid stop from the Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse pitcrew, which vaulted the car into the lead when Haggerty climbed aboard. From there, the young Scot ran a solid stint, defending from the car behind in the class until the end of the race, eventually taking the win by just over three tenths of a second. The win comes with one round of the season to go as the development programme continues.

In the second race of the weekend, the car would face a set back, but once again show off its durability and pace, finishing P4. Haggerty drove the car for the opening stint, and sustained damage in the opening laps while running P2 and challenging for the lead. A quick trip to the pits for repairs meant the car was fall to the back of the 17-car strong GT4 field, but both drivers refused to call it a day. Throughout the rest of the hour the car lapped faster than the majority of the field, and with 16-year old Mitchell at the wheel finished just shy of the podium, capping off the best ever competitive weekend for the 570S GT4.

In the GT3 class, the Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse McLaren 650S GT3 with McLaren GT Factory Driver Rob Bell sharing with Alisdair McCaig had a challenging meeting in Norfolk. The car was forced to retire from both races due to damage sustained in an incident on the first lap of the first race.

Meanwhile, Alex Reed secured his and Lanan Racing’s maiden GT4 pole positions for the opening one-hour race before Ross Gunn put Beechdean AMR top of the pile for the start of race two.

GT3 Am: Dogged Farmer denies Minshaw

A month on from clinching his first series victory at Spa Farmer’s name was once again at the top of the timesheets after overcoming Jon Minshaw by just 0.075s in a titanic scrap to determine who would start tomorrow’s first one-hour race on pole.

The #33 Barwell Lamborghini, which goes into tomorrow’s two races just 8.5 points behind championship leaders Derek Johnston and Jonny Adam, twice set the fastest time only to be pegged back by Farmer. Indeed, TF Sport’s #11 Aston Martin V12 Vantage was only third fastest after its first run before claiming second and then finally top spot deep into the 10 minute session.

Minshaw therefore lines up one place ahead of his main rival Johnston who was another to improve his position late on, although the second of the TF Sport Astons was over four tenths shy of its pole-winning sister machine. He shares the second row with AmDTuning.com’s Lee Mowle, who remained a threat throughout, while Alasdair McCaig’s Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse McLaren 650S starts fifth.

Another of the championship contenders, Rick Parfitt Jnr, was sixth in the Team Parker Racing Bentley after a late effort moved him above Liam Griffin’s Barwell Huracan by just 0.016s. Ian Stinton’s Tolman Motorsport Ginetta G55 completed the top-eight.

Mark Farmer, #11 TF Sport Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3: “I’m absolutely delighted, especially coming off the back of our first win at Spa last time out. We had a test here so knew the car was good but, to be honest, I was hopeless in today’s first practice session! Jon pulled me in, told me off and from then on we were fine! The quali simulation went okay but, importantly, I didn’t make any mistakes when it counted in qualifying. We’ve always had the pace this year but it’s just been a case of stringing everything together.”

GT3 Pro: Keen resists Adam and Sims to seal race two pole

The Pro session began with all eyes on practice pace-setters Jonny Adam and Alexander Sims but ended with Keen making amends for co-driver Minshaw’s last gasp defeat by Farmer.

Keen had been there or thereabouts in practice and was immediately on the pace in qualifying by setting what would end up being the pole time on his first flying run. The Lamborghini’s 1m47.167s wasn’t just good enough to see off Adam by a meagre 0.051s but also eclipsed Sims’ 2015 British GT qualifying benchmark by 0.242s.

Adam likened a mistake on his second flying lap to that of a golfer missing a three-foot putt to win a Major, but will be content to at least start alongside his main championship rival after out-pacing Sims – whose Barwell co-driver Griffin also remains a title contender – by almost four tenths.

Jon Barnes starts fourth in the second TF Sport Aston after failing to replicate co-driver Farmer’s heroics. He was just 0.086s shy of Sims but two tenths clear of Joe Osborne who made it two fifth places for AmDTuning.com’s BMW. Rob Bell’s Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse McLaren ended up just three hundredths slower in sixth while Mike Simpson’s encouraging run put the Tolman Motorsport Ginetta within a second of the frontrunners.

PFL Motorsport’s Jody Fannin, who was also less than a second shy of pole, completed the top-eight.

Phil Keen, #33 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3: “I didn’t run a new set of tyres in practice, which maybe explains why we didn’t look as quick ahead of qualifying. But we had the data from Alex’s practice laps and it was a case of seeing where the grip was and applying it to our session. Barwell have also done a great job with the car; I feel like we’ve progressed quite a lot this year.”

 GT4 Am: Reed in a class of his own

Like Farmer in GT3, Alex Reed claimed his and Lanan Racing’s maiden British GT pole position just four weeks after winning for the first time at Spa.

The Ginetta driver recorded two times quick enough to secure top spot, first deposing Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse’s Sandy Mitchell before making sure on the following lap. Ultimately his 1m57.809s was fast enough to beat championship leader Graham Johnson by 0.305s after the PMW Expo Racing/Optimum Motorsport G55 also leapfrogged the 570S.

Mitchell, who was aiming to make it three consecutive poles this weekend, eventually wound up just 0.032s further back in third. However, he was also the thick end of a second faster than namesake (but no relation) Jack Mitchell in the Generation AMR Macmillan Racing Aston Martin.

Title contender Jack Bartholomew, joined for the first time this weekend by reigning class champion Ross Gunn, will need to move forward from fifth if he’s to make inroads into Johnson’s points lead, while RCIB Insurance Racing pairing William Phillips and Aaron Mason line up sixth and seventh.

Marcus Hoggarth’s Maserati made it four manufacturers inside the top-eight ahead of Sean Byrne’s Century Motorsport Ginetta, which missed FP1 thanks to an engine change. Team-mate Anna Walewska was 10th, one place and less than three tenths clear of Paul Hollywood.

Alex Reed, #51 Lanan Racing Ginetta G55 GT4: “That wasn’t at all expected! Since Spa we’ve made one tiny change and the car feels perfect right now. That’s the long and the short of it. Joey being P3 in the Pro session proves it was no fluke and we were also the best Ginetta in both qualifying groups. That’s important for us. We’re not really looking at the championship but if we can get third that would be a great first season.”

GT4 Pro: Gunn shows his class

Matthew George’s searing practice pace suggested he and the Generation AMR SuperRacing Aston Martin would be the combination to beat in GT4 Pro qualifying, but in the end it was reigning champion Ross Gunn who stole the show.

George made the early running but was soon usurped by Gunn who initially lapped 0.378s faster. However, a concern over whether that lap would be deleted for a track limits violation stirred the Beechdean AMR ace into further action and the subsequent 1m56.710s effort that would ultimately secure him pole by 0.505s.

Any hope George had of closing that gap ended early, along with the session, in the barriers but the SuperRacing driver can be happy with a place on the first row following his and the team’s best showing of the season so far.

Joey Foster backed up co-driver Reed’s earlier pace by netting third for Lanan Racing, but only by 0.025s over Bradley Ellis who, like Gunn, is back in the category this weekend for the first time since last season. Mike Robinson completed the Ginetta train in fifth, while Ciaran Haggerty’s McLaren lines up sixth.

Matthew Graham and Jamie Chadwick completed the top-eight.

Ross Gunn, #407 Beechdean AMR Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4: “I was quite surprised when they told me the gap because I didn’t feel like my first lap was that quick. But then I was told about the track limits violation so knew I’d need to go again and do a better job. The car was absolutely on rails – the complete opposite to practice when we were fighting a few gremlins. The GT4’s like a comfy pair of slippers really so coming back to the class this weekend isn’t a big change for me. I shake down the cars a lot for Beechdean so everything felt very familiar straight away.”

The first of tomorrow’s one-hour British GT races at Snetterton gets underway at 11:50.

The consequences of the collision mean that the Beechdean Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3 car will not be taking part in the race at Snetterton. Beechdean AMR who are the current champions, have a long history in British GT and have not missed a race in the last five years. The decision to miss Snetterton has not been taken lightly and is devastating for a team who have been committed to British GT for many years.

“I am hugely disappointed that the car will be unable to take part in the upcoming race at Snetterton.” commented a frustrated Andrew Howard, “We always knew that this was going to be a development year for us, and sometime you have to take the rough with the smooth. British GT is an important series to us and we will continue to take part in the championship, despite this set back. I hope the championship continues to be the proving ground for the amateur driver.”

The current champions have made it clear from the start of the season that this year was a development year for the team, which saw Gunn stepping up to from GT4 to GT3. Gunn, who is also clearly disappointed by the news stated “It is a devastating blow for the team and I am disappointed that we will have to sit out Snetterton but it is all part of the risk when racing, crashes happen. The team have always done a great job and focused on the most important programs.”

The team plan to have the GT3 repaired and ready for the final race of the season at Donington. However, the race at Snetterton will still see two Beechdean AMR cars on the track, with Jamie Chadwick and Paul Hollywood competing in what will be their second race of the season together, at the penultimate meeting of the British GT championship.