TF Sport wraps things up at home as racing life takes them to the Far East

Fine autumnal sunshine greeted TF Sport today for what was their final UK testing session of 2018 at Snetterton as the team gave their latest customers, Red River Sport their final taster of the Aston Martin Racing V12 Vantage GT3 as their three drivers made their final preparations for their latest step up the sportscar ladder into the four round Asian Le Mans Series which starts next month.


In another little twist, the car on track today was not the car that Bonamy Grimes, Ivor Dunbar and Johnny Mowlem will race at the series opener in Shanghai at the end of November. Todays car was in fact Mark Farmer's new car that he used in the British GT Championship finale as the car that Red River Sport will be racing - the former Oman Racing by TF Sport car as used by Ahmad Al Harthy, Charlie Eastwood and Euan McKay in the Blancpain GT Series only last weekend in Barcelona had already been dispatched by container for the six week sea passage to the Far East.

Speaking with team boss Tom Ferrier certainly showed a few fingers being crossed on that turning up on time!



With today being the fourth such test with the team, emphasis was given to getting Gentleman driver Dunbar as much seat team as possible in the AMR as he had only a brief outing in the car first time out with TF Sport at Silverstone a couple of months ago. Whilst this was all going on Grimes would be out in the Red River LMP3 Norma under the watchful eye of the experienced Mowlem.

Before he hit the track, Grimes confirmed that their new relationship with TF Sport had come about as a matter of fortune and luck after the Red River Sport entered V8 Vantage GT4 shared adjoining 'garages' with the TF Sport entered Mark Farmer GT3 crew at the AMR Festival at Le Mans in June with the resulting informal 'chats' later extending into this business agreement.


The clincher for the deal was the venerable V12 Vantage's drivability that not only impressed the gentleman drivers but also the vastly experienced, multi Le Mans entrant Mowlem. When we became aware of this project back in late August after their first test together at Silverstone the deal had yet to be signed!


For the TF Sport crew as a whole, they all fly out to Japan on Sunday as the World Endurance Championship resumes with the 6Hours of Fuji next weekend. Drivers Salih Yoluc and Charlie Eastwood are already over in the country and may participate in a local GT type of event at the circuit this weekend. Remaining driver Jonny Adam was also at Snetterton continuing his AMR factory testing duties this time on the new Vantage GT4 after three days in Spain testing the new Vantage GT3.