Blancpain Endurance Cup Pro-Am Championship leaders Ahmad Al Harthy and Jonny Adam head into the third round of the season at Paul Ricard in southern France this weekend determined to continue their fantastic momentum, as the category reaches its halfway point.

After taking victory during the season-opener at Monza in Italy in April and then the Pro-Am runner up spot at Silverstone in the UK last month, the Oman Racing duo go into the Paul Ricard race on Saturday, 24th June, hoping to keep their 2017 podium finishing record intact.

At six hours in duration, the contest at the Le Castellet track will be the longest of the season so far and will also provide the added challenge of night-time racing with the encounter starting at 18.00 local time and concluding at midnight. In keeping with the longer format, the Oman Racing driver line-up expands to include Salih Yoluc who races with TF Sport in the European Le Mans Series.

Muscat racer Al Harthy, of course, brings a huge amount of additional confidence to Paul Ricard having taken two sensational GT3 class wins in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, with British driver Tom Jackson, as part of the support package to last weekend’s prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours race.

Entering the history books as the first Omani to climb to the top step of a podium at Le Mans, the tremendous results at the wheel of the same Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 he shares with Adam in Blancpain confirmed the tremendous competitiveness of Oman Racing as a whole.

Notably, Adam also heads to Paul Ricard on the crest of a wave after winning himself at Le Mans in the actual 24 Hour race itself in the GTE class. As part of the factory Aston Martin entry, the Scottish driver claimed a memorable – and very dramatic – success alongside Darren Turner and Daniel Serra.

“I really am looking forward to Paul Ricard, especially straight off the back of such an amazing weekend at Le Mans”, said Oman Ministry of Sports Affairs, Oman Air, National Bank of Oman, Omantel, Barr Al Jissah and Amouage supported racer Al Harthy, “To win GT3 in both Le Mans Cup races was such an incredible achievement, everyone is still buzzing about it to be honest!

“Now, though, we need to focus on the six-hour which is going to be a huge challenge for everyone and especially with such a huge grid of around 60 cars. Blancpain is never easy at all, but so far we’ve had a fantastic season and we plan to keep that momentum going.”

He added: “Jonny had an unbelievable result in the 24 Hour at Le Mans with Aston Martin too so everyone is feeling confident, and we’re all looking forward to working with Salih. Hopefully it’ll be another strong weekend for Oman Racing.”

While the chief aim at the weekend is to claim as many points as possible to try and increase their championship lead in Pro-Am, Al Harthy and Adam are currently 17 points clear at the top of the standings, the event will also provide some key experience ahead of next month’s fourth round.

The annual Total 24 Hours of Spa in July is the blue riband event on the Blancpain Endurance Cup calendar and the opportunity to gain some fresh experience of night driving at Paul Ricard, as well as more seat-time in a racing environment, will all count towards preparation for Spa too.

Testing at Paul Ricard begins at 10.00 (local time) on Friday, 23rd June, with the second session getting underway at 13.30 (local time) and Pre-Qualifying commencing at 16.25 (local time). Final Qualifying will take place at 10.00 (local time) on Saturday, 24th June, with the 1,000-kilometre race following at 18.00 (local time).

Live online streaming will be available here: http://www.blancpain-gt-series.com/live

Blancpain Endurance Cup Pro-Am Driver Standings (after Rd2):
1st Ahmad Al Harthy/Jonny Adam, 44pts
2nd Adrian Amstutz/Martin Kodric/Patrick Kujala, 27pts
3rd Jules Gounon/Jean-Luc Beaubelique/Nico Bastian, 26pts

Blancpain Endurance Cup Pro-Am Team Standings (after Rd2):
1st Oman Racing, 44pts
2nd Barwell Motorsport, 27pts
3rd AKKA ASP, 26pts


Source material - Ahmad Al Harthy PR

TF Sport returned to the Road to Le Mans this week (15-17 June, 2017) at Circuit de la Sarthe and secured a memorable and dramatic double victory with the new driver pairing of Ahmad Al Harthy and Tom Jackson.

Competing with the #97 Aston Martin Vantage V12, qualifying proved to be a mixed affair for the two drivers. Jackson was left disappointed after snap oversteer and a general lack of mileage in the new racing environment left him tenth on the grid for Road to Le Mans race one. This proved to be the only issue in what was a flawless performance from team and drivers.

The start of the first race on Thursday proved pivotal, with Jackson completing a sensational first lap – despite losing one position at the start – to run sixth at the end of the lap. “I didn’t make the best of turn one and lost a place, but I more than made up for it on the run to the first chicane where I got three in one move,” the British driver explained.

Jackson continued to make progress, running as high as fourth before pitting fifth and handing over to TF Sport regular Al Harthy. Once the stops had cycled through Al Harthy found himself in a strong second position and a string of quick laps brought him right onto the tail of the leading #95 Ferrari.

Poised to pounce for the lead on the last lap, news came though that the race leader had gained an unfair advantage in the pit stop, leaving the pits eight seconds earlier than the mandated two-minute stop, and the race was therefore complete for TF Sport with a commanding victory.

Having secured a sensational double Road to Le Mans double victory, confidence on Saturday (17 June, 2017) was high at TF Sport ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the very first for the British-based team.

Fielding the #90 Aston Martin Vantage with race regulars Euan Hankey and Salih Yoluc, the duo were joined for this event by Rob Bell, a veteran at Circuit de la Sarthe.

Bell took to the start from eighth position on the grid, making gains from the outset. The British racer pitting at the one hour mark for fuel and tyres. A strong stop from the TF Sport crew saw him exit third in the LM GTE Am class, chasing the #40 Aston and #39 Ferrari.

The pattern was set as Yoluc and Hankey took turns behind the wheel of the #90 Aston Martin. The latter enjoyed a particularly impressive run at the four-hour mark, at times lapping up to seven second quicker than those ahead. Hankey closed in on the #84 Ferrari before Salih took over as the sun started to set as the battle continued for second position in class.

At mid-distance, Hankey continued to run in second position, one lap adrift of the #84 JMW Motorsport entry and over a minute clear of the third-placed #55 Ferrari. Late into the night however, things took a turn for the worst as Yoluc went off and whilst able to return to the pits following assistance from the gravel trap, significant time was lost.

Beechdean Aston Martin Racing (AMR) managed to finish in a creditable 4thplace at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The #99 Aston Martin Vantage V8 GTE car completed a total of 4,528.08 km and 331 laps on Circuit De La Sarthe over the 24 hour race.

After running a faultless race, driving trio of Andrew Howard, Ross Gunn and Olly Bryant kept their cool in the sweltering weather conditions that pushed cars, teams and drivers to the limit in the most iconic endurance race in the world. Viewed by over 120 million people on TV and a further 650,000 trackside, the #99 Aston Martin V8 slowly climbed up the GTE AM order after qualifying 9th.

After a trouble free night period, the car was in contention for a class podium. The #99 car became the sole GTE AM Aston Martin fighting for the podium against 4 fellow Ferrari competitors, and after a hotly contested final 6 hours had to settle for 4th in class with a margin of 75 seconds to the podium.

Team boss and driver Andrew Howard said following the race, “To finish Le Mans for a second year is amazing, the whole team have done an amazing job. A fourth place is more than we could have expected in such a competitive 16 car field. To be 75 seconds off the podium and on the same lap as the second place car means we have plenty to aim for in the future.”

Team mate and debutant Ross Gunn, who set the 3rd fastest lap of 3.53.797 in GTE AM, commented, “Le Mans week was an incredible experience. Every member of the team played their part in not only finishing but also coming so close to the podium. I hope to get the opportunity to race at Le Mans again next year.”

“Finishing Le Mans 24 hours is a massive achievement.” Said experienced GT driver Olly Bryant. “To finish as high up as 4th and within striking distance of the podium is a testament to all the hard work by Beechdean AMR. I’d like to thank all my sponsors for making this possible and Andrew and Ross for being such good team mates and not putting a foot wrong all week – top job!”

Beechdean AMR’s season is by no way over following the completion of Le Mans 24 hour. The GTE will return to race in the third round of the European Le Mans Series in Austria at the Red Bull Ring.

Source material - Beechdean AMR

Sunday 18 June, Le Mans, France: Aston Martin Racing has taken victory at the 85th 24 Hours of Le Mans in dramatic style, after Jonny Adam (GB) snatched the GTE Pro lead on the final lap of the iconic endurance race.

Partnered by Darren Turner (GB) and Daniel Serra (BR), the trio and their Aston Martin V8 Vantage GTE performed faultlessly to ensure they remained in the hunt for victory right until the death.

With just over 45 minutes left on the clock, Jonny Adam found himself pitting at the same time as the #63 Corvette for a final fuel stop. With both cars exiting the pit lane together – with Adam in second – it was inevitable that he would have to make the pass while on track.

After trading places with his rival for much of the final stint, Adam prevailed and overtook the #63 Corvette as he crossed the start/finish line on the penultimate lap. With his rival running wide at the second Mulsanne corner under pressure from the Scot, a slow puncture halted their progress and ensured the victory.


Jonny Adam said, “For Daniel and Darren to put me in that mix to battle for the front was testament to how good the car has been all weekend. To see how well the guys had driven, we had zero mistakes and we did our best to keep the car out of the pits as often as we could and just try and run a consistent pace throughout. It was an extremely tough last stint, we nearly pipped the Corvette on the pit exit in the last hour and when he did get the jump there he was fast. He managed to pull at one point a six to eight car length gap, but our goal was not to give up. He looked weak in a few corners and I knew I had to capitalise on them and when I got on to his bumper I knew it was now or never if I wanted to win Le Mans. We got it and it was really cool to get him just before the finish line and to see fans in the grandstands and the team on the pit wall celebrating, and it was then just time to bring it home”.

Darren Turner, who earlier this week set a new qualifying GTE lap record, took his third Le Mans class win today following victory in 2007 and 2008 with the Aston Martin DRB9 added, “After how our preparations went, it was always looking like it was going to be an epic battle and it was right from the start. The lead ebbed and flowed from every manufacturer in the GTE Pro class at some point in the race but the Aston Martin Racing Vantage was always there or thereabouts. I have to say Jonny’s last stint was exceptional and Daniels’ pace considering it was his first time at Le Mans was great, I couldn’t ask for two better team mates. The team did an exceptional job throughout the night, and what a feeling, I am so proud to be part of this team. It was a great team effort and it was great to be on the top step. It’s just a shame that the whole team couldn’t join us as it was one of the best podiums I have ever been on and for me personally this was my hardest Le Mans and my sweetest victory”.


Daniel Serra, who set the fastest ever GTE racing lap as a Le Mans rookie said, ““I don’t have words to describe the feeling. It was my first time in Le Mans and to start on pole was already amazing, then setting the race lap record and finally wining on the last lap was incredible. I am so grateful to Aston Martin Racing for putting their trust in me, a rookie, for my first time at Le Mans. Also, a big thanks to Jonny and Darren for all the help and support they have given me to learn about this race as quickly as possible. I am just so happy. I don’t have words to explain it properly. I just won the biggest race in motorsport, it’s awesome”.

Paul Howarth Team Principal Aston Martin Racing said, “It’s very difficult to put into words what it means to Aston Martin Racing and all of our partners. Aston Martin and it’s heritage has a strong history with this very special race and to deliver a Pro class win with the #97 is a credit to everybody involved whether here at the track or whatever part they play with this race team”.

Speaking of the result, Andy Palmer, President and CEO Aston Martin said, “I am immensely proud of everyone who has played a part in this victory today. To enjoy this kind of success at the top level of endurance racing is testimony to the quality of both the team and the V8 Vantage GTE. I am sure that Darren, Jonny and Daniel’s victory today will go down as one of the all-time greatest drives at this iconic race. I wish them the very best of luck for the rest of this year’s World Endurance Championship”.


The result comes just days after the luxury British marque unveiled its latest Vantage AMR special editions. Announced at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, the brand’s AMR performance brand amplifies and accentuates the sporting prowess of the British marque’s road cars, by taking inspiration or direct influence from Aston Martin Racing’s participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Aston Martin Racing will return to the FIA World Endurance Championship for the 6 Hours of Nürburgring on Sunday 16 July.

Source material - AMR

This afternoon saw the conclusion of Le Pesage or 'the show', the public scrutineering process that all cars and drivers must pass through before being permitted to compete in the Le Mans 24hr.

As ever, photographs coming out of the Place de la Republique in Le Mans town show huge crowds turn out to watch what is effectively the first event of race week. The three Aston Martin Racing (full season WEC) entered cars completed that process yesterday whilst the two cars from Beechdean AMR and TF Sport followed likewise this afternoon.

First track action starts Wednesday afternoon.

























Photo credits - Aston Martin Racing / Beechdean AMR / TF Sport / ACO

Aston Martin Racing has returned to the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans and is ready to take on this weekend’s 85th running at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

With track action underway on Wednesday, the iconic race remains the centrepiece of the FIA World Endurance Championship and will be contested by the team’s three V8 Vantage GTEs; two in the GTE Pro class and a single works entry in GTE Am.

The team head into this week encouraged by their strong performances at the recent official test session. While the #95 V8 Vantage GTE of Nicki Thiim (DN), Marco Sorensen (DN) and Richie Stanaway (NZ) placed 5th, the sister #97 car of Darren Turner (GB), Jonny Adam (GB) and Le Mans debutant Daniel Serra (BR) finished the session 6th of 13 entries.

Having taken a victory last time out with Jonny Adam and Derek Johnston, TF Sport were bullish heading into the Silverstone 500 this weekend (10-11 June, 2017) in what is the fourth round of the British GT Championship. Unfortunately, the race weekend turned out to be a disappointing one with power steering issues blunting the challenge, almost from the outset.

Saturday practice saw the team working through setup programmes, adapting to the changing circuit with tyre pressure changes on both the #1 and #11 Aston Martin Vantages. Having set the fourth and ninth best times in GT3 in practice, qualifying saw a similar pattern emerge with Johnston and Adam recording the seventh fastest time overall in GT3.

Race day saw the #1 team lose position almost from the outset as Johnston spun on the opening lap. With it all to do, Johnston carved his way through the field to run ninth before a power steering failure forced him to pit with just under 40 minutes complete.

“I spun on the first lap and then had to wait for the field to pass though,” Johnston said, “I then felt like I had a puncture and pitted immediately, the car just wouldn’t turn all of a sudden. It was of course the steering, it’s was impossible to drive. Looking now at the times Jonny is doing in the race is really impressive with 750 kilo V12 over the front wheels and no power assist.”

Adam took over for the second stint, making ground to close in on the eighth placed #19 of Charlie Robertson. Lapping a second quicker than those ahead, he ran out of time and pitted to hand back to Johnston with 90 minutes remaining before taking the chequered flag in ninth.

Round six of the British GT Championship at Silverstone this afternoon certainly didn't disappoint for action and drama. For some of the Aston Martin Racing runners, the three hour Silverstone 500 event cemented their continued progress within the series, others saw their run of bad luck and misfortune come to an end whilst the rest (unfortunately) saw theirs continue!

Starting from pole position would be the very impressive Jack Mitchell in his #24 MacMillan Racing V12 Vantage with the two TF Sports GT3's starting P7 and P9 after further difficulties with car set up during Free Practice. The #24's sister GT4 car of Will Phillips would start at their highest position of the year - P2 in class whilst the #62 would start from the rear having only participated within the morning warm up having been racing in Austria up until then.

At the start of the race the #31 Bentley would get the jump on the MacMillan car entering Copse corner for the first time in the lead of the race. With there presumably being a change in Balance of Performance prior to the race, the now quicker Bentley soon extended their lead over the #24 by as much as a second per lap whilst the now slower Lamborghini Huracan from Barwell quickly dropped back at an equal rate of knots.

Early places were being gained by the #11 TF Sport car of Mark Farmer who soon found himself behind the #1 car of Derek Johnston up until the #1 cars spin out at the loop that dropped him to the bottom of the overall leader board. Will Phillips in the #42 MacMillan GT4 was also pushing for position in his class and soon took the GT4 class lead after just 6 laps just as Will Moore in the #62 Academy car elevated himself from plum last to an impressive P5 in class.


Indeed, by the end of the first half hour of racing Moore had transposed the set up data captured from just three laps that they had in morning warm up to push up to P4 - more than making up for the race that he never had in Austria yesterday. At the half hour mark the #1 car of Derek Johnston pitted with what he reported as a possible puncture but was actually a power steering issue that would haunt the car for the rest of the race as even AMR factory driver Jonny Adam would struggle to progress the car up the leader board any further.

With the race demanding a minimum of three timed pit stops (plus success time penalties if applicable) some chose to leave their drivers out until the tank was empty whilst others spread the breaks evenly throughout the three hours of racing. With that, the names at the top of the two classes would change constantly as cars artificially inflated or deflated their true running position.


With the race reaching the two hour mark James Littlejohn had pitted from the race lead for the teams second time to hand back to Mitchell who returned to the track in P3. Up ahead, the race leading Bentley was involved in contact with Mark Farmer in his #11 car that resulted in Farmer spinning off the circuit at Stowe before being able to rejoin. Upon reflection that error did appear to be of Farmers making.

A few laps later a heavy rearward crash for the #7 Bentley at Copse would send many of the teams into Safety Car panic mode bringing their cars (prematurely) back in for an event that would never ultimately happen as the recover was conducted under local yellows instead. The anomalies of the pit stop cycles was brought to bear soon after as then the overall race leader was the #33 Barwell Lamborghini but hey still had two compulsory stops left to go!!


With thirty minutes remaining the #24 was back into the lead in GT3 and so was the #62 Academy car in GT4 but importantly both still owed one more stop which were all made moments later leaving a final dash to the flag with the #31 Bentley P1, #24 MacMillan P2 and the #21 Ferarri P3.

Back in GT4 Matt Nichol-Jones in the Academy car would face a final eight minute battle for P2 in class with ex MacMillan GT4 driver Matty Graham in his In2Racing MacLaren 570s - age and experience would prevail in that come the chequered flag!

At the end Silver/Silver pairing Mitchell and Littlejohn secured a comfortable P2 in GT3 despite the additional ballast that is permanently secured to the car to finish one minute behind the Bentley with the Spirit of Race Ferrari completing that podium. That result leaves the #24 car in P4 in the overall championship standings just a point behind the crew of the #21 Ferarri.


In GT4 the new for 2017 #72 Track Club McLaren won the race from the non championship points scoring Lotus Evora with the #62 Academy, Nichol-Jones/Moore driven car claiming second in class with the #42 MacMillan car of Will Phillips and Jan Jonck just 18 seconds behind. For both AMR GT4 cars, this was a great result as it ended the season long string of misfortune for the #42 and gave the #62 some credit for all their endeavours for undertaking a double header event with another SRO series.

For TF Sport, this was another 'difficult' race with both technical issue and racing incident blighting both cars races. Indeed, Johnston later confirmed at the end of the race that the #1 car had been ruining for much of the race without any power steering - a problem that does periodically blights the V12 Vantage GT3. These cars finished the race in a reverse pattern to which they started it but still valuable points earned.

Better luck in France Jonny!!

The next round of the British GT Championship is at Spa Francorchamps in early July.

Photo credits - Jacob Ebrey/Academy