The European Le Mans Series hits the iconic Spa Francorchamps circuit this weekend for the penultimate round of the season for the highly competitive GTE class with all six full season entries having a mathematical chance of listing the title.

TF Sport arrive at the home of Belgium motor racing with a reduced margin over the JMW Ferrari in second with thirteen points covering the top three. “We’ve got a busy weekend ahead,” said TF Sport Director Tom Ferrier. "We’ll be under pressure for a good result at Spa as we think the championship will almost certainly go down to the wire in Portimao. So as ever, the aim is secure a podium and if possible finish ahead of our main two rivals".

The Beechdean AMR will also be looking at Spa for no less than a class win to bolster any prospects that they have of retaining their 2016 title after a disappointing show last time out at Paul Ricard after technical issues.


We know that the #99 Beechdean car undertook a brief shakedown/test at a collective AMR/AML test day at the Snetterton circuit this week before progressing over to Spa so at least drivers Ross Gunn and (?) Darren Turner will be happy with the feel of the car after a quick bash around the Norfolk 300 circuit.

Going into the event, TF Sport lead with 77 points whilst Beechdean AMR lay fourth with 48 points but with a point for pole and 25 for a class win all is there to play for.


Photo credits - TF Sport / Beechdean AMR

Two weeks after being videoed testing at Rockingham, Aston Martin Racing's new for 2018 Vantage GTE has continued along its steep development curve this week with a two day private test at Snetterton.

Using a single process of driver elimination, it appeared that just Darren Turner tested the new AMG powered car at Rockingham with the four other GTE Pro drivers all either holidaying or at home somewhere in the Americas.

This week, and using the same simple process we believe that this weeks testing duties were undertaken by both Darren Turner and Marco Sorensen who visit to the Norfolk track must be his first since his early Formula Ford days?

Observing the test from a discreet distance (no spy photos attached here), all we can say is that the loss of the old throaty V8 block and been replaced with a note that will in no way be a disappointment to any AMR enthusiast and will be quite distinctive in its own way. Also, our crude lap timing and referencing back across other GT platform lap times show that the new car is no slouch either!!

The future's bright - the future's the New Vantage GTE!

Like most of the races since the flagship twenty four hour event earlier this year, just two Astons again fly the flag monist the 167 entries at this weekends seventh round of the VLN Series from the infamous Nordschleife this weekend.

Flying high since their SP10 class win last time out will be the #188 Mathol Racing prepared Avia racing V8 Vantage GT4 who's driver line will extend to three drivers of this race with the addition of Hendrik Still.


The #134 Aston martin Lagonda Vantage GT8 also makes a return after is DNF at the last round when early race damage sustained by a spinning car on the then wet track came back to roost and eliminate the car just before the end of the four hour race.

Again, the driver line changes within the car with Vincent Kolb being joined for this weekend by Alexander Kolb and David Thilenius.

Photo credits - VLN

CMRT by Eurasia return to the Blancpain GT Asia Series this weekend for the two races that will make up the penultimate round of the series from the the Shanghai International Circuit, China.

Competing in the GT3 Am Class with their beautifully liveried V12 Vantage GT3, drivers Kenneth Lim and James Cai currently lay in fourth place in that championship, nestled amongst four other driver line ups who are split by just 22 points with four races remaining.


Indeed, the facts are that had the team not have missed the Suzuka round of the championship in June they may have been leading the championship being just 14 points behind the Am leaders!

SHANGHAI SCHEDULE

Friday 22 September
13:00 - 13:45: Free Practice 1
15:45 - 16:30: Free Practice 2

Saturday 23 September
09:10 - 09:40: Official Practice
12:35 - 12:50: Qualifying 1
13:00 - 13:15: Qualifying 2
16:15 - 17:15: Race 1

Sunday 24 September
13:45 - 14:45: Race 2

The news from MacMillan Racing today sadly leaves the total Aston Martin entry for Sunday's two hour, championship deciding race down to just three cars from both TF Sport and Academy Motorsport.

Neither team have unfortunately anything more than personal pride to race for at Donington after previous results and non finishes have already ruled them out of contention for any of the GT3/GT4 class championships. All cars will however be keen to avoid any involvement on track that may affect the remaining championships that need to be resolved by the end of Sunday's race.


Academy Motorsport will see out their return to the British GT GT4 Championship on a high following   on from their best result of the season in the SRO's parallel European GT4 Northern Cup championship where Matt Nichol-Jones and Will Moore secured a brace of second placed finishes at that series finale at the Nurburgring last weekend.


For that team, both the British GT and European GT4 championships have been a somewhat disjointed affair after a series of mechanical and accident induced DNF's have left them mid table in the GT4 Team's Championship.


The pair of highly decorative V12 Vantage GT3's of TF Sport arrive at the circuit with just an inter-team battle to settle with the #1 car of Derek Johnston and Jonny Adam leading their sister #11 car of Jon Barnes and Mark Farmer by just 4.5 points in the GT3 Drivers Championship.

The #1 car will also see out the season with a revision to its livery, sporting a shiny red metallic look all in contrast to the #11 car's shiny blue metallic livery of old!!

The full timetable to this event can be found HERE

Photo credits - Andrew Lofthouse / Jacob Ebrey

The British GT Championship have this afternoon confirmed that MacMillan Racing have indeed withdrawn both of their cars from the two hour finale to the 2017 championship at Donington this weekend.

Previously fielding a very successful brace of a V12 Vantage GT3 and a V8 Vantage GT4, the final round at Donington would have sealed yet another successful season for the team in only its second year of racing with Jack Mitchel and James Littlejohn claiming the GT3 Silver Cup prize at their first time of asking amongst numerous podiums for both cars.


As yet we are not aware as the reasons behind this action.

On a small good news front however, is the confirmation that Will Philips shall still be racing at Donington, this time alongside ex. MacMillan racing driver Matthew Graham in one of the In2Racing McLaren 570s GT4's.

By the fact that Philips has had time to arrange such a deal signifies that the MacMillan withdrawal had been on the cards for some time before now.

Disappointing news indeed!

Photo credits - Jacob Ebrey

Aston Martin Racing has triumphed in Texas, as Paul Dalla Lana (C), Pedro Lamy (P) and Mathias Lauda (A) took GTE Am victory in the Six Hours of Circuit of The Americas.

After taking pole position yesterday, their second win of the 2017 season ensured the trio both maximised their points haul for the weekend and regained the lead in both the team and drivers GT Am championships.

After an early spin following contact from a rival cost Dalla Lana the lead early on, the trio fought valiantly to pursue victory. A safety car released for barrier repairs after an on-track incident at the half way mark offered the #98 V8 Vantage GTE an opportunity to close the deficit to the leaders and in the final hour, Lamy made a move up the inside of turn one to reclaim first place.

Just a couple of weeks after taking delivery of their latest Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4 acquisition, Australian based Miedecke Stone Motorsport scored their first racing podium in the car this weekend.

Having sourced this early iteration of Vantage GT4 from somewhere in Asia (they are not saying where) a couple of weeks ago, Andrew Miedecke tested the then multi-coloured car at the Queensland Raceway in readiness for Round 7 of their state New South Wales Motor Racing Championship event from their local Sydney Motorsport Park track.


Its the second time this year that Miedecke Snr has competed in the state championships, last time out was back in May when he shared a similar Vantage GT4 (which they had secured on behalf of a client) with tiptop racer Jeremy Gray.

Having elected to sit out the entire Australian Endurance Championship this year, recent events are being to show the beginnings of a ramping up from the team in readiness for next years Bathurst 12Hr event where the team hope to enter two V12 Vantage GT3's as well as their V8 Vantage GT4.

Photo credits - MSM