This weekend’s second round of the GT Cup Championship from Snetterton will this time feature two Aston Martin Racing powered crews ahead of their two sprint and two pit stop punctuated races around the 300-circuit layout.

GT4 Challenge and British GT names from the past sees both Richard Taffinder and Tim Eakin reunite as a racing pairing as well as rejoining forces with what is now the GBR Stratton Motorsport team as they will complete within one of the teams AMR Vantage GT4’s.

 

Also making racing comeback is Paul Whight who will be bring his ex Villois Racing Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT2 into the championship within their permitted GTO class.

This weekend will again see two twenty-five-minute sprint races and two fifty-minute pit stop races.

Photo credit – GBR Stratton (GT4)

 

 

Yesterday saw the Aston Martin Owners Club hold their second round of their 2019 season around the Indy Loop at Brands Hatch.

Whilst many of the names that features down the entry list are more than familiar to their meetings, it was great to see the re-appearance of both Andrew Jarman and Hiroyuki Akane for the first time in many years (from Jarman's point of view at least)!


More recently associated together with Akane's Alpha Classic Racing team over in Japan, it appears that Akane has now sourced himself an older iteration Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4 for him to race within the series with the help of the ever present Stratton Motorsport team.

Indeed, Akane and Jarman's trip down to Kent proved worthwhile with a very credible P2 finish in the AMOC Intermarque with GT4 Challenge race despite having started on Pole. Under the ever watchful eye of Stuart Hall, Robin Marriott took the top step for the GT4 Challenge with Aston Martin Lagonda designer Marek Reichman/Becker completing the podium.


In the earlier sole GT4 Challenge race there were also podiums for Chris Murphy (Whitebridge AMR) and a class P3 for Jarman/Akane.

Nice to see you both back - looks like you had some fun!!!

Photo credits - AMOC / Stratton

Setting the trend of success during last weekends worth of motorsport was Aston Martin Racing latest GT4 team, Team Brit who scored a number of significant milestones in their quest to be the first all disabled team to compete at Le Mans.

Racing their new V8 Vantage GT4 in a competitive race for the very first time on Saturday at the Aston Martin Owners Club meeting at Oulton Park, drivers Warren McKinlay and Jimmy Hill were the fortunate ones out of many with the team to have that honour.. The pair were again guided around the track in the first instance under the watchful eye of team driving coach Tom Jackson.


Despite more experienced opposition from the Stratton Motorsport team, the duo secured class pole and a convincing lights to flag win the the GT Challenge event.

CEO and Founder of Team BRIT, Dave Player said, “we couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. Moving to GT4 racing is a huge step forward for us as a team and also for the individual drivers. We are dedicating ourselves 100% to our goals of reaching Le Mans and of changing the motorsport industry so that disabled drivers can compete on equal terms. Our success this weekend is a reflection of this dedication and we look forward to showing what we can do at our next race – the Aston Martin Le Mans Festival.”

Aston Martin Racing today confirmed that its GT4 Challenge Series will not run in the 2015 season and nor in fact for the foreseeable future.

Having combated dwindling and inconsistent entries over the last couple of years and "with the 2015 grid in British GT increasing with Aston Martin GT4's, with this series operating as more as a feeder we think that this will work well to ensure there are series and championships where our GT4 cars can be raced and enjoyed" said Andrew Williamson (Customer Programmes Manager AMR).

For the more gentleman (or indeed gentle woman) of drivers, the Aston Martin Owners Club Racing will apparently be holding GT4 Cup races at their historic meets over the course of the coming season.

Photo credit - Richard Leach

At the Autosport Show today it was announced that former Aston Martin GT4 Challenge regulars Richard Taffinder and Tim Eakin would be swapping their Hills Racing Vantage GT4 in favour of a Lotus Evora GT4 and the British GT Championship.

Aston Martin and Lotus dealership Stratton Motorsport shall be race preparing the teams two Lotus Evora's that will race under the Ultratek Racing banner. Stratton Motorsports shall also be preparing the  Aston Martin Vantage GT4 car of Jade and Chloe Edwards as already been confirmed.



Others drivers include ex. BTCC and WTCC driver James Nash and fellow Aston Martin racer Jamie Wall.

Photo credits - Ultratek Racing / Richard Leach

Well, what a difference a day makes!

There I was counting the number of cars on my fingers as and when reports came up on Twitter and low and behold it wasn't very long before things just didn't add up to our previous report. An incredible 16 Aston Martin Vantages were actually making their presence felt at the Portimao circuit.

As it turned out, three of the works V8 Vantage GTE's made the trip - namely the #97 and #99 Pro cars and the #95 Young Driver Am car. AMR reported that all the 2014 cars were tested for a gruelling 25 hours and over a day and night format by many of their prospective drivers ahead of the 2014 WEC season that kicks off at Silverstone in April.

A further GTE car for Strata 21 boss Paul White reunited again with Tom Onslow-Cole and Javier Morcillo also tested.



British GT was the next series of choice fielding a whopping 8 cars across the GT3 and GT4 field. Motorbase and TF Sport tested both of their new GT3's whilst further single cars from MP-AMR,  PGF-Kinfaun and finally (but no means least) the GT3 from Beechdean, not forgetting their new GT4 steed. The final GT3 car being tested was the Bilstein liveried car from the ADAC Nurburgring 24hr.

Beechdean GT4 debutants Ross Wylie and Jake Giddings both reported how different the Vantage was in comparison to their previous front wheel drive cars but both looked forward with eager anticipation to further pre season testing and to their new season together in British GT.



Photo Credits - Aston Martin Racing

The Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain heads to Belgium for the penultimate round of the 2013 season. The event takes place over two days (July 26th - 27th) as a support race for the legendary 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps. GT4 Challenge competitors will race 445bhp Vantage GT4 machines with races of 2 x 30 minutes and 1 x 60 minutes.

Arrive & Drive packages for the GT4 race:

All you need to do is arrive with your helmet, racewear and racing licence. Packages include tuition and data analysis with a shared Aston Martin Racing driving instructor. Service operated in conjunction with GT4 Challenge teams and details may vary between each team based on the following options:

·         Test, race day with qualifying and race
·         VIP hospitality passes with breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea
·         £9,000 + vat per person in a 2 driver car

For further information please go to www.astonmartin.com/gt4challenge or contact:

James Walters
Senior Sales Manager
Tel: +44 (0) 1295 273 355
Email: JWALTERS@ASTONMARTINRACING.COM

2013 sees the launch of the new Aston Martin GT3 Cup, a three race series open to competitors in the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and DBRS9.

The series is an invitational class within the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain, which is now in its fourth season, and the cars will race alongside the Vantage GT4s at the Silverstone, Donington and Brands Hatch rounds. 

To commemorate Aston Martin’s centenary this year, each of the races will be held over either 100 laps or 100 minutes, with the Brands Hatch round forming part of the Aston Martin Centenary Festival in July.

At each circuit, the series takes prime position in the paddock with our exclusive Aston Martin VIP Race Centre for drivers and guests to relax between sessions and separate garages for all competitors.

Points scored in the GT3 Cup will count towards the Aston Martin Racing Global Challenge.

Calendar:

• 6 April             Silverstone
• 1 June            Donington Park
• 7 July              Brands Hatch GP

For more information please click here 

Image: Richard Leach

Hold on tight for a couple of laps of Aston Martin Racings test track with Stuart Hall. Can you guess what happens at 1:22? Answers on twitter or facebook

With the first round Aston Martin Racing’s one make series, the GT4 Challenge now little over a month away we took the opportunity to join AMR at their test track as they hosted a private test day for potential new entries to sample the Vantage GT4 and get a feel for what the GT4 Challenge is all about.

Now entering its fourth season, the GT4 Challenge offers a unique opportunity for drivers of all abilities to compete in the latest Aston Martin race cars in endurance events on some of the best circuits in the UK and Europe.

Present at the test were drivers from a wide array of backgrounds, ranging from experienced single seater drivers, to novices taking advantage of Aston Martin Racing’s driver development program, which will take them through passing their race licence to competing in their first GT4 Challenge event. Works driver, Stuart Hall was on hand to show them round the track and give some tips on how to extract the most from V8 Vantage – himself a previous GT4 challenge race winner.

The news on expected grid numbers for 2013 was positive – From an average of 10 per race in 2012, the AMR are confidant of around 12 full season entries with race-by-race entries pushing grid number into the high teens. In addition to the GT4 cars, GT3 spec Aston Martins will be allowed to run at selected rounds during the season in their own GT3 Cup, giving owners somewhere to run their DBRS9s, and possibly the odd V12 Vantage GT3.

2013 RACE CALENDAR

*         6 April - Silverstone
*         11 May - Oulton Park
*         1 June - Donington Park
*         6 July - Brands Hatch Indy
*         7 July - Centenary Festival (Brands Hatch)
*         26/27 July - Spa Francorchamps
*         28 Sept - Snetterton 300

For more information on the GT4 Challenge visit www.astonmartin.com/gt4challenge

Image: Richard Leach

The Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain series is offering potential competitors the opportunity to try out the latest Vantage GT4 at Prodrive’s proving ground on 27 February.

2013 is the fourth season of the GT4 Challenge and is already set to have the largest grids to date. The GT4 Challenge is a unique opportunity for drivers of all abilities to compete in the latest Aston Martin race cars in endurance events on some of the best circuits in the UK and Europe, including Silverstone, Spa, Brands Hatch, Donington, Snetterton and Oulton Park.

Competitors race head-to-head in Aston Martin Vantage GT4s with 445 bhp engines, paddle-shift transmissions and the aero kit with front splitter and carbon rear wing. The cars are powerful and easy to drive with a 50:50 weight balance and driver aids such as race developed ABS and traction control. At the UK circuits, the series also takes prime position in the paddock with our exclusive Aston Martin VIP Race Centre for drivers and their guests to relax between sessions and separate garages for all competitors.

There are many options to be a part of the series from entering your own Vantage GT4, arrive & drive with an Aston Martin Racing Partner Team or by taking the full driver training package with Aston Martin Racing through which you can learn how to race, pass your race licence and compete in your first GT4 Challenge event. A payment of £250 + vat is required to secure a drive. This is non-refundable but can be redeemed against a 2013 GT4 Challenge entry.

Learn more about the GT4 Challenge at: www.astonmartin.com/gt4challenge

To register your interest and apply to test the Vantage GT4, please contact:

Sonia Mistry, Aston Martin Racing
T: +44 (0) 1676 536 111
E: smistry@astonmartinracing.com

More than a hundred of the marque’s racing cars, dating from 1922 to the present day, will gather for the two-day race series in Kent on 6th and 7th July.

2013 is the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of Aston Martin, and the event in July will recognise the company’s achievements in sports car racing during the last century.

Aston Martin has recorded multiple wins at Le Mans, including outright victory in 1959, as well as the World Sportscar Championship the same year and most recently the Le Mans Series title in 2009.

The two-day event will see Aston Martin racing cars from nearly every decade compete on the Brands Hatch Indy and Grand Prix circuits. Two special centenary races are also planned, the first covering the pre-war era to the mid 1960s, and the second open to all Astons from the mid-sixties, including the latest Aston Martin GT1, GTE, GT3 and GT4 cars in a single race on the Grand Prix circuit.

Additional races will include pre-war Aston Martins, with Lagondas and Bentleys also expected to take part. Meanwhile the AMOC Intermarque Championship, ‘50s Sports Cars, Equipe GTS and HRDC Touring Greats categories will also pit cars from throughout Aston Martin’s history against contemporary rivals. The weekend will also feature two rounds of the 2013 Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain.

The largest collection of Aston Martin racing cars ever to gather on a single track will meet at Brands Hatch in July for a unique race series to continue the British brand’s centenary celebrations.

Off the track there will be examples of nearly every Aston Martin racing car ever produced, plus some of its finest road machinery, while everything from pre-war Ulsters through to Nimrods and the Aston Martin AMR1 will take part in on-track demonstrations.

The marque’s connection with James Bond will also be showcased in a display to celebrate the history of 007’s Aston Martin cars from the DB5’s first appearance in Goldfinger in 1964 to its most recent appearance in Skyfall.

Meanwhile, owners of Aston Martin and Lagonda cars will be invited to take part in track parades and to display their cars around the historic venue.  A concours area, dealer stands and live music will also entertain visitors, while a special celebration dinner will be held on the Saturday night in the MotorSport Vision (MSV) Centre at Brands Hatch.


David Richards, chairman of Aston Martin Lagonda, said: “Brands Hatch has played an important part in Aston Martin’s racing history so is a fitting venue for one of the key events in our year of centenary celebrations. 

“Legendary drivers such as Graham Hill, Jack Sears and Innes Ireland all raced at Brands Hatch in Aston Martin cars and the atmospheric Kent circuit will provide a wonderful arena for our competition and road cars to participate in what I’m sure will be a superb weekend.”

Jonathan Palmer, chief executive of MSV added: “Aston Martin is an incredible brand that is synonymous with quintessentially British sports cars, famous for an enviable pedigree from James Bond 007, royal patronage and Le Mans motor racing success.

“With a great range of ever-evolving road cars, Aston Martin makes products that are more desirable than ever and we believe a record number of its sports cars will be present at the Brands Hatch Centenary Meeting.” Aston Martin Racing

Aston Martin Racing has today opened entries for the 2013 Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain.  The GT4 Challenge unique opportunity for drivers of all abilities to compete in the latest Aston Martin race cars in endurance events on some of the best circuits in the UK and Europe.

Competitors race head-to-head in Vantage GT4's with 445 bhp engines, paddle-shift transmissions and the aero kit. The cars are powerful and easy to drive with a 50:50 weight balance and driver aids such as race developed ABS and traction control.

There are many options to be a part of the series from entering your own Vantage GT4, arrive & drive with an Aston Martin Racing Partner Team or by taking the full driver training package with Aston Martin Racing through which you can learn how to race, pass your race licence and compete in your first GT4 Challenge event.

New for 2013:
*         VIP race centre with hospitality passes to entertain guests during each weekend
*         Passenger hot laps in Aston Martin road and race cars at select events
*         Garage tours during race weekends and access to the pit wall
*         Centenary Festival double header event on Brands Hatch Indy and GP circuits
*         New initiative such as microsite, promotional videos, celebrity drives
*       Creation of GT4 Challenge PR, marketing and social media programme
*         Aston Martin Racing Race driver training programme

2013 RACE CALENDAR
*         6 April - Silverstone
*         11 May - Oulton Park
*         1 June - Donington Park
*          13 July - Brands Hatch Indy
*         14 July - Centenary Festival (Brands Hatch)
*         26/27 July - Spa Francorchamps
*         28 Sept - Snetterton 300

The 2013 brochure and entry form can be found at: www.astonmartin.com/gt4challenge

To discuss the GT4 Challenge, the Race Driver training programme or the Vantage GT4 please contact James Walters +44 (0) 1295 273 355 or jwalters@astonmartinracing.com

Qualifying Report

It was a very wet session with all drivers conscious of making sure they completed their mandatory three laps in the thirty minutes allocated. Vantage racing’s Tom Black in the number 24 machine set the early pace in the very difficult conditions. As the tyres came up to temperature and driver confidence increased the times began to fall seeing a number of different changes for the top spot but as the cars started to pit for driver changes it was still Tom Black with the provisional pole position. Pierre Mantello handed over the driving duties to Olivier Bouche in the number 22 car who instantly made an impression setting some fantastic lap times and taking the provisional pole.

Aston Martin chairman David Richards driving the Aston Martin Racing number 1 machine handed over to Phil Dryburgh who instantly showed his pace moving the car into second position. Paul Bartley in the Stratton Motors number 47 entry was putting in some impressive times and was fighting for the front row as well. Bouche then pitted to put on some new wet tyres just to make sure he held onto his pole position. Stuart Hall then put a solid lap together to take second place in the Stratton Motors number 91 car, which he shares with Chris Kemp. Third was the Aston Martin Racing entry of David Richards and Phil Dryburgh. Olivier Bouche and Pierre Mantello took a fantastic pole position and their first of the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain.


Race Report

Olivier Bouche started the race in the Stratton Motors with Immun`ge and Osato number 22 car, he lead the pack round on the green flag lap, doing a fantastic job in holding perfect pace as the 18 cars approached the line, the lights went out and Olivier led the field into turn one. Second was Paul Bartley in the Stratton Motors number 47 car; third was Chris Kemp in the Stratton Motors number 91 machine and the Aston Martin Racing number 1 entry of Phil Dryburgh was fourth. Phil managed to pass Chris Kemp on the second lap moving up to third, then Bolaji Odunsi in the Track-Club.com number 20 machine also managed to find a way passed the 91 car later on the same lap, moving Chris Kemp in the 91 car down to fifth. Phil Dryburgh continued his very fast race pace and managed to pass Paul Bartley on lap 3 moving car number 1 up to second position, he now set about trying to catch Olivier Bouche who had already created a very impressive 11 second lead over the rest of the pack.

The first of the 2 mandatory stops in this race was taken by Chris Kemp in car number 91 on lap 14, at this stage Olivier Bouche in car 22 had a 23 second lead over Phil Dryburgh in car number 1 and Paul Bartley in car 47 was in third position.

Kenneth Greenberg in the Stratton Motors number 62 entry was the next to pit followed by Sid Sadique in the number 88 machine.

On Lap 18 the leader pitted for the first of their mandatory pit stops handing the lead to Phil Dryburgh, in the Aston Martin Racing number 1 car. Next to pit was Paul Bartley in car 47 moving Bolaji Odunsi in car 20 up to second position and Tom Black in the Vantage Racing number 24 car up to third, Tom had fought his way through the field putting together some fantastic laps.

The 88 Racing entry of Sid Sadique had to pit again for a tyre change on lap 22 after running wide on the exit curbs at Luffield and having heavy contact with Olivier Bouche in car number 22. Olivier showed his excellent car control and managed to save his car from having a big accident. On lap 30 Chris Kemp in car 91 pitted for the first of the second round of pit stops handing over the driving duties to Stuart Hall.. Phil Dryburgh was still leading in car number 1 with Tom Black in car 24 now in second, third was the Mardis Gras number 5 car with Desmond Smail at the wheel.

Next to pit for a driver change was Paul Bartley in car 47 handing over to Stuart Patterson. Two laps later Sid Sadique pitted to hand over to Paul Whight who would take the number 88 car to the finish. Other cars then pitted for their driver changes including car 7 the MB Racing entry, with Paul Cripps handing over to Mike Brown and car number 5 with Desmond Smail handing over to Julian Reddyhough. Adrian Johnson also pitted in car 14 but as he was driving on his own he carried on with the driving duties.

On lap 41 Phil Dryburgh pitted from the lead in car number 1 and then on the very next lap pitted again handing over to David Richards completing both of the teams mandatory pit stops for this race. Tom Black, who was driving on his own for this race, completed his second mandatory pit stop in car number 24, he was followed on the next lap by Olivier Bouche the then leader pitting to hand over to Pierre Mantello in the number 22 car. The race was now starting to take shape as most of the pit stops had now been completed leaving Pierre Mantello in car 22 leading with David Richards in car number 1 second and Tom Black in car 24 third. The last to pit for their driver change was the Ultimate Speed number 56 entry with Tim Eakin handing over to Richard Taffinder.

On lap 51 Tom Black found a way passed the Aston Martin Racing entry of David Richards moving his Vantage Racing machine up to second, he then set about trying to catch Pierre Mantello, but with a lead of 43 seconds it was going to be hard for Tom to make up that much time with only about 20 minutes of the race left to run. Stuart Hall in car 91 the Stratton Motors entry was putting together some fantastic lap times and on lap 59 set the fastest lap of the race. Stuart was fighting his way through the field and had now got back up to seventh place.

With ten laps to go Pierre Mantello was leading in car 22, Tom Black was second in car 24 and was still reducing the gap to the leader, but there just wasn’t going to be enough time left for Tom to catch him. In third position was David Richards in car number 1, but on lap 65 David had a spin at Brooklands, in the now very greasy conditions, meaning that Stuart Patterson in car 47 inherited third place.

The checkered flag came out on lap 75 for Pierre Mantello and Olivier Bouche, in the Stratton Motors with Immun`age and Osato number 22 car, to claim an amazing victory. Tom Black in the Vantage Racing number 24 car had managed to race from tenth on the grid all the way up to second with an absolutely stunning drive. Third completing the podium spots with a very professional drive were the Stratton Motors number 47 entry of Paul Bartley, Stuart Patterson and Mark Walker. Fourth was the Aston Martin Racing entry of David Richards and Phil Dryburgh who had both driven brilliantly and fifth was the hard charging number 91 Stratton Motors entry of Chris Kemp and Stuart Hall.

It had been a very exciting race with all cars finishing in very difficult conditions, Pierre and Olivier both drove faultlessly to claim their first victory in the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain. The series now moves on to Oulton Park on the 12th May for another fantastic race in the beautiful Cheshire countryside.

Race Result

   1. 22 Pierre Mantello/Olivier Bouche - Stratton Motors with Immun`age Osato - 75 Laps
   2. 24 Tom Black - Vantage racing - 75 Laps
   3. 47 Stuart Patterson/Paul Bartley/Mark Walker - Stratton Motorsport - 75 Laps
   4. 1 David Richards/Phil Dryburgh - Aston Martin Racing - 75 Laps
   5. 91 Chris Kemp/Stuart Hall - Stratton Motors - 74 Laps
   6. 62 Kenneth Greenberg/Andreas Kramer - Stratton Motors - 74 Laps
   7. 56 Richard Taffinder/Tim Eakin - Ultimate Speed - 73 Laps
   8. 20 Bolaji Odunsi - TrackClub.com - 73 laps
   9. 7 Mike Brown/Paul Cripps - MB Racing - 73 Laps
  10. 14 Adrian Johnson - Adrian Johnson Racing - 73 Laps
  11. 5 Desmond Smail/Julian Reddyhough - Mardi Gras - 71 Laps
  12. 88 Sid Sadique/Paul Whight - 88 Racing - 71 Laps

Aston Martin Racing

Aston Martin Racing GT4 competitors from throughout Europe were honoured on Tuesday night (13 December 2011) at the marque’s prestigious Gaydon Head Quarters during an awards ceremony.

A total of 11 trophies were awarded to those Aston Martin customer drivers and teams that had been most successful during the course of their various campaigns in 2011. The top-three driver pairings of the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain received their awards in recognition of their performances in the one-make series, which pits amateur racers head-to-head in identical Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4s. The cars are derived from the V8 Vantage road car, modified in key areas to suit the demands of competitive circuit driving.

The second season of the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain, organised in conjunction with the Aston Martin Owners Club, started at Silverstone in April before taking in further UK circuits including Snetterton, Donington Park, Oulton Park and Brands Hatch, with overseas visits to Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, in July and a season finale at Dijon, France, in September.

Following a gripping championship decider, Dutchman Karsten Le Blanc and Briton Dan de Zille emerged victorious, and thus were crowned GT4 Challenge of Great Britain Winners. “We’ve enjoyed the Challenge so much this year,” said Le Blanc. “It’s not just young boys racing, but slightly more mature gentlemen drivers, which suits me perfectly! I must say ‘thank you’ to everybody at Aston Martin Racing for building such a fantastic car as the V8 Vantage GT4.”

Britons Tom Black and Alan Bonner collected the award for finishing second in the standings, while countrymen Chris Kemp and Stuart Hall took the prize for third.

The highest accolade of the evening was determined by an innovative points system that saw no fewer than 182 individual drivers from 25 separate championships, driving in various classes, compete for the Aston Martin Racing Global Award.

Competition in the Driver category was so fierce that two drivers were crowned joint winners; Spanish and Portuguese GT Championship team-mates Francisco Carvalho and Miguel Ferreira shared the laurels for having achieved multiple podium results in the Iberian series. The pair also finished as the best-placed Aston Martin crew in the final standings.

Fittingly, Veloso Motorsport – the outfit responsible for Carvalho and Ferreira’s successful campaign – collected Aston Martin Racing Global Award honours in the Team category.

“We’ve all worked so hard this season and achieved so much,” said team principal Luis Veloso, “so to win both the Driver and Team awards makes us all really proud. It’s been a pleasure to work with Aston Martin Racing and the V8 Vantage GT4 is a wonderful car; it’s been fast and reliable all year.”

Portuguese racer Pedro Lopes received the third-place Global Award in the Driver category, while Rhesus Racing and Young Driver AMR collected second and third respectively in the Team category.

David King, Head of Motorsport at Aston Martin, said: “It was a pleasure to honour all of our best GT4 teams and drivers from throughout Europe at the home of Aston Martin. We want to congratulate all of our award winners; they should be very proud of what they’ve achieved this year.”

The Challenge looks set to grow even further next year with a greater number of competitors, continuing the trend from the first season of the Challenge to the second, as well as the exciting prospect of a single-marque support race at La Sarthe during the 24 Hours of Le Mans weekend as part of the Aston Martin Festival.

2011 Aston Martin GT4 Award winners:
AMR Global Award – Winning Driver – Francisco Carvalho and Miguel Ferreira
AMR Global Award – Third Place Driver – Pedro Lopes
AMR Global Award – Winning Team – Veloso Motorsport
AMR Global Award – Second Place Team – Rhesus Racing
AMR Global Award – Third Place Team – Young Driver AMR
AMR Brazilian GT4 Award – Winning Driver – Cristiano Federico 
AMR Brazilian GT4 Award – Winning Team – ATW By Engmakers
GT4 Challenge of Great Britain Winners – Karsten Le Blanc and Dan de Zille, Nicholas Mee Racing
GT4 Challenge of Great Britain Second Place –Tom Black and Alan Bonner, Vantage Racing
GT4 Challenge of Great Britain Third Place – Chris Kemp and Stuart Hall, Stratton Motorsport
Spirit of the Challenge of Great Britain Award – Pierre Mantello

Aston Martin Racing

Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4 race car. Fresh from a 2nd overall finish at the Britcar Silverstone 24 Hours and the 2011 Aston Martin GT4 Challenge title, arguably the most successful Aston Martin Vantage GT4 car is now for sale. Originally built by Aston Martin Racing in 2009 and since prepared and raced by Nicholas Mee Racing for 3 seasons, this manual gearbox car features full 2011 upgrade specification including 4.7litre engine, endurance Brembo brake package, Bosch motorsport ABS and traction control system and 2011 aero upgrade. Currently painted in Aston Martin Pentland green and supplied in excellent condition. For sale with an extensive spare parts package worth £30,000 +. Available now.

Price £110,000


Neal Garrard
Commercial Director
Nicholas Mee & Co. Ltd
12 Wellesley Avenue
London
W6 0UP

T: 0208 741 8822
M: 07718 340811

www.nicholasmee.co.uk

Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4, built by Aston Martin Lagonda in 2007. This car was successfully raced by leading team, Vantage Racing in various endurance races including the Britcar Championship and the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge. Subsequently, this car, named affectionately as ‘Alec’, returned back to its original home, Prototype Operations at Aston Martin Lagonda, Gaydon, to be rebuilt with a 4.7litre engine and 2011 aerodynamic kit. ‘Alec’ was then raced in the 2011 Aston Martin GT4 Challenge, driven by a number of high profile automotive journalists including Andrew Frankel, Jethro Bovingdon and BBC’s Chris Partridge securing a number of podium finishes along the way. Supplied in very good condition with racing mileage left on both the gearbox and engine. Suitable for racing in the 2012 Aston Martin GT4 Challenge, British GT, Britcar etc, track days or potentially fast road usage (subject to road registration). Supplied in special ‘Works’ livery as designed by Autocar readers. VAT applicable. Please contact us for full details.

Price £75,0000


Neal Garrard
Commercial Director
Nicholas Mee & Co. Ltd
12 Wellesley Avenue
London
W6 0UP

T: 0208 741 8822
M: 07718 340811

www.nicholasmee.co.uk

The Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain is set to return in 2012 for its third successive season, with larger grids, longer races and the chance to race on the Le Mans 24 Hour circuit.

Building on the success of previous seasons, the Challenge will return to the classic circuits of Silverstone, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, Donington, Snetterton and Spa Francorchamps. After feedback from last season's competitors, the 2012 Challenge will feature longer races with race length increasing to 2 hours and at least one 3 hour race on the calendar.

The Aston Martin GT4 Challenge sees competitors race in identical 445bhp Aston Martin Vantage GT4s based on the road going Vantage S and featuring race developed ABS, traction control and optional paddle shift.

In addition to the seven championship rounds Challenge competitors will have the opportunity to compete in the Aston Martin Le Mans festival, an Aston Martin exclusive 45 minuet sprint race held on the 13.6km Le Mans circuit the morning before 24hour race. Full season GT4 Challenge competitors will be guaranteed entry with additional competitors from national and international series already expressing interest in the one-off event.

Provisional 2012 calendar:

April 28 - Silverstone National
May 12 - Oulton Park
June 4/5 - Brands Hatch Indy
June 16/17 -  Aston Martin Le Mans Festival*
July (tbc) -  Donington
August 18/19 -  Brands Hatch GP
September (tbc) -  Spa
October 6 -  Snetterton

*Non GT4 Challenge event.

With the high level of interest already registered in next year's Challenge, Aston Martin is hoping to see grids in excess of 20 cars for each of the seven championship rounds, with more than 25 drivers trying the GT4 car for the first time at a recent test session.

Level on 52 points at the top of the table after eight rounds, Nicholas Mee Racing scored its fifth win of the season in the ninth and final round of the 2011 AM GT4 Challenge to take first place in this year’s series. This follows Karsten Le Blanc and NMR’s victory in the inaugural AM Vantage GT4 Challenge series of 2009.

Le Blanc – NMR’s sole driver for the 80-minute race at the Dijon-Prennois circuit on 11th September – survived a late downpour while on slick tyres to take the chequered flag over one lap ahead of series rival Vantage Racing, and so secured first place in the race and the 2011 Challenge in which NMR scored 62 points out of a possible 80*.

Competing at the French venue for the first time, Le Blanc quickly found favour with the undulating track during Friday morning’s 2hr practice session, while Sunday’s 30min qualifying session saw NMR settle for third on the grid, two spots behind pole-sitter Vantage Racing.

With the forecast threatening heavy rain for Sunday’s race, Le Blanc made a terrific start by slotting straight into second position, and then took the lead from Vantage Racing while still on the first lap. He then settled into a steady, faultless rhythm for the first half of the race, and gradually extended his leading margin to 50secs before the compulsory pit-stop.

With the overall title at stake, the atmosphere in the pit lane was tense. Vantage Racing pitted first for its first driver, Tom Black, to hand over to teammate Alan Bonner, who had earlier set the pole position time. On his exit from the pit lane, Bonner crossed the white line for the circuit before the end of the pit lane and so incurred a drive-through penalty. This lessened the pressure on NMR as it would mean that the team would now have a one-lap advantage over its main rival. However, the NMR crew lost no focus when it was Le Blanc’s turn to pit.

Le Blanc subsequently took on new tyres plus a splash of fuel for his V8 Vantage GT4 and rejoined the race still with a comfortable lead. But there would be more tension as, 30 minutes before the end of the race, the predicted heavy shower finally arrived and competitors were forced to dive into the pits for treaded tyres.

Having missed the pit lane entry, Le Blanc used his next lap to gauge whether he’d be able to continue on slicks without pitting. Although his lap times did drop off, he was able to stay out on the now slippery track to run without incident to victory in the last AM Challenge race of 2011 with over a lap in hand on close rivals Vantage Racing.

After the race a beaming Karsten Le Blanc said, “I’m absolutely delighted with our win here and our clinching the Challenge. We were determined to take the title this year in memory of our dear friend and former Team Manager Craig Dawson, who passed away late last year. We've had to work hard all season to fend off our always competitive and consistent rivals and friends Tom Black and Alan Bonner of Vantage Racing, and, with both of us on equal points at the start of the race, the race and the series really could have gone either way.

“I wish to thank Giles Dawson for stepping into his late brother's shoes and for being a superb Team Manager. Big thanks also to all the other NMR crew members, to the management of Nicholas Mee & Co and to my co-drivers this season: Dan de Zille and my very good friend Christiaen van Lanschot. They have been perfect teammates – both quick and reliable.

“Finally, I would like to thank our fellow Challenge competitors who are a terrific bunch of people, plus Jamie Wall and Belinda Edwards for organising this year’s Challenge. All of us in NMR really hope it will continue to attract more entrants to the series which shares the best elements of both modern and historic competition; competitive racing between great cars and all combined with the wonderful camaraderie usually only found in historic motorsport circles."

Nicholas Mee Racing is now preparing for its final race of 2011 – the Britcar 24hr at Silverstone on 1-2 October where Karsten Le Blanc will be partnered by regular team-mates Christiaen van Lanschot and Dan de Zille, along with newcomer Robert Nimkoff from the USA.