British GT kicks off again in Spa

Friday, July 10, 2015

Six weeks off, brilliant summer sun, traditional fries and mayonnaise followed up with Belgium Waffles seemed to be the perfect ingredients for a balmy resumption to the 2015 British GT championship at Spa Francorchamps today.

With this weekend's meeting moving forward a day from the norm to accommodate Friday Free Practice and Qualifying with a Saturday race it was only the brightly coloured Barwell prepared Demon Tweeks liveried BMW Z4 that kept either the #6 Oman Racing Vantage of Rory Butcher/Liam Griffin or the #007 Beechdean Vantage of Andrew Howard/Jonny Adam off the top of the charts in the opening timed session. In fact six of the top ten cars were Aston Martin V12 Vantages spread by a gap of just over three seconds. 'Guests' for the race at Leonard Motorsport did not set a lap in FP1.

Down in GT4 territory it was a case of the Lotus Evora's and Ginetta G55's being first out of the blocks commanding the seven places.

Come the second Free Practice the #6 Oman Racing car would steal an advantage over a rejuvenated #27 TF Sport Vantage of Andrew Jarman/Jody Fannin to take the top two honours in GT3 whilst a progressive timing curve from the #407 Beechdean GT4 of Jamie Chadwick/Ross Gunn would also see them step up the leader board to end the session P2 in class.

Things would start very well for some as a steering rack problem cut the #61 Academy Motorsport GT4 of Dennis Strandberg/Will Moore to just five laps between them over both FP sessions. It should also be mentioned that a last minute deal between Mike Hart (Quantamatic) and Academy Motorsport has allowed Hart to compete in this prestigious event alongside Chris Webster despite the issues currently befronting him and Terry Langley and their Team Parker prepared V8 Vantage GT4.

With the Pro drivers being first out in Quali 1 this afternoon it would be the #007 Beechdean securing top honours ahead of the chasing #6 Oman Racing car of Rory Butcher by about half a second. Ross Gunn in the sister #407 Beechdean would be the lead AMR car in GT4 but back in fifth in class.

Just a few minutes later the Am drivers were out for their timed session and it would be the two guest teams of Aston Martin Brussels and Leonard Motorsport upsetting the series regulars taking first and third positions respectively. In GT4 Chadwick would haul the #407 up the timing board with a great P2 finish behind the GT4 pace setting Issy Racing Evora.

Aggregated qualifying times would give GT3 pole position to Howard and Adam in the #007 Beechdean just ahead of Butcher and Griffins Oman Racing Vantage in second and the #63 Barwell BMW Z4 in third.

In GT4 the Issy Racing Lotus Evora would take their class honours for the start of the race tomorrow just ahead of #407 Beechdean Vantage in second and the Century Motorsport Ginetta in third.

Race begins tomorrow (NOT Sunday) at 12.15Hr local with live timing available here with a possible (but restricted) live stream here.