Chaotic start to British GT at Oulton Park (UPDATED)

Being the first race meeting of the 2015 season with a capacity grid at one of the tightest circuits on the calendar it was hardly surprising that a degree of chaos was going to ensue at the first of the two one hour sprints that makes up this meeting.

With the #6 Oman Racing car of Rory Butcher and Liam Griffin starting on pole for Race 1 all was up for grabs in this 34 car grid.

First casualty of the day was the 22GT Racing with Mark Farmer receiving some 'outside assistance' from one of the McLaren 650S' that sent the V12 Vantage GT3 into the gravel and later into premature retirement by the end of the opening lap. With both the #61 Academy GT4 car having also having an off the demise of the #12 Von Ryan would bring out the first Safety Car.


With other cars deciding to take no further part in the race and park themselves into the barriers this allowed the #007 Beechdean to move up to P3 and the #2 Oman car up to P4 behind the then fasts car on track - the #6 car of Liam Griffin. Back in GT4 the #407 Beechdean and #71 Quantamatic cars were holding good station behind the class leading Lotus.

Just before the opening of the pit window the #007 Beechdean GT3 of Andrew Howard comes up upon a slower and lapped McLaren and with possible contact from the following #2 Oman Racing car is spun out into the barrier - another Safety Car.

Following the prolonged Safety Car period together with the compulsory pit window it took a few laps to sort itself out.

A Stop/Go penalty to the leading GT4 class Ginetta would move the chasing pack up a position with the Quantamatic Vantage of Mike Hart still being chased by the #407 of Jamie Chadwick

Going into the final five minutes the #6 car of Rory Butcher had again caught up with the leading Ferrari, pushing his hardest to launch a possible overtake. The same was going on back in GT4 with the Quantamatic car finally loosing out to a very determined Jamie Chadwick in the #407 Beechdean.


Then, just before the chequered flag an altercation at Cascades with the Ram Racing Mercedes and the #17 TF Sport car of Matt Bell would see both cars left in the barriers with substantial damage to the rear of the Vantage (TF Sport will have their work cut out to have that car ready for race 2).


Come the chequered flag the provisional results for the AMR teams would be:-

2nd in GT3 - #6 Oman Racing Liam Griffin and Rory Butcher

2nd in GT4 - #407 Beechdean Jamie Chadwick and Ross Gunn
3rd in GT4 - #71 Terry Langley and Mike Hart


UPDATE

FOLLOWING A SUCCESSFUL APPEAL BY OMAN RACING THE #6 ASTON MARTIN OF RORY BUTCHER AND LIAM GRIFFIN HAVE BEEN ADJUDGED TO HAVE BEEN IMPEDED BY THE FF CORSE OF ADAM CARROLL AND GARY EASTWOOD DURING THEIR MANDATORY PIT STOP. AS A RESULT THE #6 CAR HAS BEEN ELEVATED TO FIRST POSITION AND THE FERRARI DOWN TO SECOND.


Photo Credits - Motorbase - Beechdean - Jacob Ebrey