Mirage Racing and co secure the FFSA GT4 Pro-Am title at last weekends finale
Featuring another Vantage GT4 double entry within the French series, their #7 crew of Stanislav Safronov and Aleksandre Vaintrub made the best of their slight championship lead going into last weekend’s fifth and final round of the season from Paul Ricard to end their 2025 account in the best way possible with a P4 finish in race one before their season clinching race win in Sunday’s second and final race.
Meanwhile, the team’s #5 Am class entry of David Levy and Jodie Sloss showed off their fine form again both on the car as well as team apparel as their #5 car was adjusted in livery form for this final round to incorporate a distinguishable red tartan attire.
Obviously taking Sloss by surprise upon her arrival at the circuit, members of the team elected to wear the kilt as well as having parts of their car reliveried in a red tartan design. That change obviously inspired the duo as they both converted their P12 and P7 starting positions into a pair of P3 class finishes to round off an otherwise successful first dip into the French series for the young Scot and her more established teammate.
As a results of Sunday’s results, the Mirage Racing team also secure the Pro-Am Team title alongside that of the drivers as well as third placed within the Am Class Teams and Drivers Championships.
For the team, Safronov and Vaintrub, they also embark upon a final championship battle within next weekend’s final round of the GT4 European Series from Barcelona.
Photo credits – FFSA GT4
Monday, October 06, 2025 |
Read more...
Bitter-sweat results for the two full season AMR crews after the British GT #DoningtonDecider
Going into another classic #DoningtonDecider seasonal finale, the #7 Blackthorn AMR crew of Giacomo Petrobelli and Jonny Adam had most to do but the points available by the end of Sunday’s two hour race still gave them both a mathematical chance of lifting the overall and Pro-Am class drivers titles whilst the #97 Beechdean AMR crew of Andrew Howard and Tom Wood only needed to finish and be classified within the results to do the same within their Silver-Am class.
An approaching Storm Amy (something that would keep ourselves away from the event) would go into to add further dynamite into an already expected explosive seasonal end as changeable weather conditions throughout Sunday would impact heavily into the end results.
Two further AMR entries from both the Blackthorn team for Darren Leung and Nick Yellowly aboard their #22 Vantage GT3 with championship debuting drivers Michael Orant and Owen Hizzey aboard the MKH Racing Vantage GT4 would add to the spectacle but both would be classified as guesting entries.
Regrettably only catching upon race highlights, that end task proved itself to be too big a mountain to climb for the #7 crew after they became embroiled into early contact and a spin with one of the other title competitors to eventually finish a disappointing (for them) tenth in class at the end.
For the #97 crew, however, they continued to do what they had done for most of the season against their only class competitors within the #86 Bridger Motorsport Honda NSX to take a flag to lights win to finally secure their Silver-Am Class Championship.
The two guesting crews would also have a good day at the office despite some spins and contact during the race for the #22 Blackthorn crew to finish top of the AMR pile at the chequered flag – P5 overall and just ahead of the #97 Beechdean crew who finished an impressive P6 overall as well. The MKH Racing crew would end their ‘toe into the water’ British GT experience third overall in GT4.
Congratulations to them all – whilst we don’t expect to see many of these crews until next season at the earliest (if at all), Petrobelli and Adam will be in action over the winter months as they and the team take on the Asian Le Mans Series again.
Photo credits – Jacob Ebrey / Teams
Monday, October 06, 2025 |
Read more...
Double GT4 entry for Whitebridge AMR in GT Cup
Today see's the GT Cup Championship confirm a double car entry for 2019 from reigning Champions Whitebridge AMR.
With 2018 GTH and Overall Champion Chris Murphy already confirmed as as solo driver aboard one of his own 2016 specification Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4 for this up coming season, today sees Australian Mal Sandford swap both championships and team for his third year of racing with his own 'factory coloured' Vantage GT4.
LHS - Sandford
Having previously been supported by EDF Motorsport in the garage and co driver Ben Seyfried in the cockpit, Sandford's racing career has so far mainly been limited to the Dunlop Britcar Endurance Championship plus a visit to Le Sarthe last year for the AMR Festival at Le Mans. Todays announcement does not confirm if this entry is for a solo driver placing or not.
The start of the 2019 calendar starts in just over eight weeks time at Donington Park.
Title photo credit - EDF Motorsport
Wednesday, February 06, 2019 |
Read more...
Whitebridge AMR out for the highest accolade at GT Cup finale
Having already claimed the GTH class Championship at the last round at Donington Park a few weeks ago, the Whitebridge AMR team will be going to the final round of the 2018 GT Cup Championship at Silverstone this weekend fully focussed on lifting the overall Championship win as well in their Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4.
The last round at Donington brought out a plethora of Aston Martins as Nigel Hudson brought his V12 Vantage GT3 back out to play as well as Andrew Howard who brought, not just his Vantage GT3 but also a Vantage GT4 with a AMR works driver behind the wheel. Despite that, Whitebridge AMR drivers Adam Hatfield and Chris Murphy went on to end that weekend with a trio of race wins and enough points to confirm them as GTH Class Champions over the Century Motorsport Ginetta.
Ironically, Murphy and Hatfield owe much of their overall championship standing to another Ginetta based team (Team Hard) who offered the duo a continued racing platform aboard one of their G55 cars after their Whitebridge AMR was destroyed in a testing accident for another series during the early part of the season but since the team acquired the former Generation AMR SuperRacing car - they haven't looked back.
The three races that will make up the eight and final event of the season will follow the usual format of Qualifying and races 1 and 2 on Saturday (for the Am drivers only) with the longer race 3 for the AM and any Pro driver that they may have on Sunday.
With the #72 car holding just a slender 11 point lead in the overall championship table over long time leaders from Top Cats Racing all may not be decided until the end of Sunday afternoon but another #TeamAMR overall Championship win wouldn't go amiss!
Photo credits - Steve Jackman
Monday, October 08, 2018 |
Read more...
Congratulations to Johnston, Adam and TF Sport
Subject to official confirmation, Derek Johnston and Jonny Adam claimed the British GT GT3 Championship this afternoon after a jaw dropping race at Donington.
The championship defining moment in the race was unfortunately due an error from Jon Minshaw whilst trying to pass a car down the Craner Curves that pushed himself and spun himself off into the tyre wall at the Old Hairpin. Although he rejoined their race and hence championship was done
Whilst the Team Parker Racing Bentley of Rick Parfitt and Seb Morris then stepped up to the plate to challenge they simply didn't have the legs to catch yet alone pass the #17 Vantage as they had to to have any chance of taking the title.
That done, and although they only finished P2 in the race behind the Ecurie Ecosse McLaren the class and team championship win went to those who had lead the championship for what was most of the season. Congratulations to them and all at TF Sport.
Back in GT4, what would have been a fairytale ending for Beechdean AMR did not materialise with Jack Bartholomew (along with Ross Gunn) not being able to finish ahead of the then championship leading Ginetta of Graham Johson and Mike Robinson.
Full race report to follow - once we have caught our breathe!
Photo credits - Jacob Ebrey
Sunday, September 11, 2016 |
Read more...
Craft Bamboo Racing snatch GT Asia Championship at season finale
Craft-Bamboo Racing driver, Darryl O’Young took the 2015 GT Asia Series drivers’ championship in an incredible nail biting finish to end a roller coaster weekend of racing in Thailand. After teammate, Daniel Lloyd, started from P2 and took an early lead, the #99 Aston Martin pulled away from the competition and O’Young was able to continue expanding the gap until crossing the line to take the title. Frank Yu and Richard Lyons’ luck did not improve for the final race of the season, with Frank being hit on turn three of the first lap. This put the #88 Interush on the back foot but they fought hard to take P9 by flag fall.
Lloyd started the race from P2 knowing that the championship rested on getting ahead of the Bentley that sat on pole position. As the lights went out, Lloyd expertly placed the Aston Martin and timed his start perfectly before passing the Bentley with a superb maneuver into the first corner. The young Brit had executed the crucial championship move and set about widening the gap between their title rivals as quickly as possible. Using the clear air ahead to his advantage, Lloyd was able to dive into the pits and change over to his teammate with a healthy gap. O’Young hit the track knowing that the title rested on his ability to stay ahead and keep the Bentley at bay. Immediately his pace was impressive and began to pull away, adding to the gap that his teammate had created. O’Young drove on the limit for his entire stint, elevating his pace to another level and expanding his lead to over 11 seconds. As the flag fell for the final time this season, O’Young crossed the line eight seconds ahead and became the first Hong Kong driver to win the GT Asia Series drivers’ championship. O’Young’s title would never have been possible without the talented help from young Australian Jonathan Venter and Englishman, Daniel Lloyd, who are both members of the elite Aston Martin Evolution Academy.
Frank Yu started the final race of the season from P7 and with the pace that the #88 Interush Aston Martin had shown all weekend, it was looking like they could finish the season on a high. Unfortunately, as has been the case with their challenge this year, luck was not on their side. Frank was hit from the rear in turn three on the first lap, by the Ferrari of Todd Piti, spinning him around and sending him to the back of the grid. Frank recovered quickly and began his chase, making his way back up to P10 with an excellent display of overtaking skill before changing to his teammate. Lyons started his stint in P12 and immediately began his attack, wearing away the gap with the consistent pace he has shown all season. He took two positions with ease before making a millimeter perfect move, going side by side up the pit straight and into turn one to claim P9. Lyons did the best he could but couldn’t beat the clock, running out of time before he could fight to the top. He was able to bring the #88 Interush car home in P9 to finish the season in the points.
Quotes
Frank Yu, Driver #88
"What can I say, I was hit from behind once again and it put us at the back. I fought back to P10 and handed over to Richard who did a great job to get us into P9 and finish with some points."
Richard Lyons, Driver #88
"This wasn't the way we wanted to finish our season here in Thailand. It has become all to familiar for us to be hit and then have to fight our way through the field."
Darryl O’Young, Driver #99
"It feels strange taking this championship for myself because it was a partnership with Jonathan Venter and Daniel Lloyd. They deserve it just as much as I do, so they are both champions. I am really happy with Craft-Bamboo Racing; everybody has done a phenomenal job, especially at crunch time. Even after the incident in qualifying, no one even had a negative thought and was just straight on it and that was the difference in this championship. If we never got that car out in qualifying we never would have won. It is such a team effort and so much went into this championship. I’d like to thank VLT, we are a Hong Kong team, with Hong Kong sponsors, so it is a really proud moment for Hong Kong.”
Daniel Lloyd, Driver #99
“Today has been awesome, I am really grateful for the opportunity Craft-Bamboo Racing has given me. I am really pleased to work together with Darryl to help them towards the championship. We have had a tough weekend and we were the underdogs, I had a great start and Darryl had a great stint so Im over the moon that it all came together.”
Richard Coleman, CEO of Craft-Bamboo Racing
Absolutely blown away by the team and the effort that has gone in to winning the race and therefore the championship, so it is unbelievably special. The drivers did an incredible job to build the gap and the team has been fantastic all year. I'm just really overwhelmed."
Source material - Craft Bamboo Racing
Sunday, October 25, 2015 |
Read more...
