Another #DoningtonDecider with two Aston Martin's in the mix
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Twenty-seven cars will make the trip up the M1 later this week for this final round of the season with two Aston Martin Racing crews still in contention for their GT3 and GT4 driver’s Championships and with a guest appearance from a third car for good measure.
The #7 Beechdean AMR crew of Andrew Howard and Jonny Adam had had a relatively good and consistent season until such time as Adam picked up COVID, missed the Spa round as a result with Howard and a deputising Ross Gunn then had something of a nightmare misunderstanding with the team around the pit stop strategy that saw them come away from Belgium empty handed.
That and a heavy crash during Qualifying a month ago at Oulton Park with two low points scoring races as a result has left Howard with only a slightest of mathematical chances of taking the GT3 title this time around and then that is dependent upon him winning the race and other crews ahead of his in the Championship suffering non points scoring misfortune.
In GT4, the overall Drivers and Team’s Championships have already been settled but the GT4 Pro-Am Drivers hasn’t and that is precisely where Matt Topham and Darren Turner fit into the equation with their #27 Newbridge Motorsport AMR Vantage GT4.
Just 14.5 points ahead of the Nick Halstead and Jamie Stanley McLaren 570s and 37.5 point being made available on Sunday however, all is not a given for the AMR crew at this round with points gained between the two crews over the last four races remain constant to one another.
A good thing for both crews is that neither must endure any additional time in the pit lane from any podium success from last time out at Snetterton.
Joining these two teams for the final race of the season is the Century Motorsport entered crew of David Holloway and Bradley Ellis with their #71 AMR Vantage GT4 that they will run in the Pro-Am class as well. Having just seen out the last weekend of their GT Cup season, this is a toe in the water for the financial businessman before decisions are needed ahead of any 2022 programme.
Finally – more good news for anyone attending Donington Park this weekend as the pit lane walk and autograph sessions are again available over lunchtime on Sunday, the first time that that has happened now in over two seasons
Photo credits – Jacob Ebrey / Teams / GT Cup