Having both secure their respective class pole positions on Saturday, the #97 Beechdean AMR Vantage GT3 of Andrew Howard and Ross Gunn was quickly penalised for what the series said was about not completing the minimum number of laps during that session for their times to stand.

Whilst the #23 R-Racing Vantage GT4 crew of Josh Miller and Seb Hopkins set about their preparations for their final race together, the Beechdean Team Manager and Howard were to have an early visit to the Stewards off upstairs during which they would discuss (not necessarily over coffee and biscuits) their situation as they saw it.

Not wanting to affect the championship aspirations of others racing for the ultimate prize, Howard said that he wouldn’t go racing whilst ‘under appeal’ and would accept the penalty imposed if it came to it – but it turned out that that position wouldn’t be required as their appeal was successful and the #97 would be starting from pole just one more time.

It was indeed fortunate that neither full season Aston was in championship contention as Safety Car intervention after Safety Car intervention shortened the already quick two-hour affair into something much less and with crews building up a gap each time only for them to disappear again must have been more than nerve racking.

Whilst the #97 soon had the Century BMW GT3 pass it for the lead, Howard was circulating a comfortable second whilst Miller was showing off what he did best by being the best of the GT4 runners throughout his opening stint and despite the multiple race restarts.

Having been hindered by the GT4 pack at the hairpin, Howard was eventually ‘relieved’ of his P2 position by a couple of cars onto the start straight just fifteen minutes from his intended pit window. With both the #97 and #23 having an additional fifteen seconds added to their minimum pits stop time thanks to their P2 finishes last time out at Brands Hatch, their lofty positions with this race would quickly diminish at their stops.

Losing out even more thanks to their silver/silver pairing was of course the #23 car as whilst the #97 car of Gunn was soon able to recover from its P10 position after the stop to gain places as the final hour of the season ticked by, the #23 car was not, and their season would end with frustration written all over Hopkins face at the end.

Eventually finishing P6 overall, the 2023 British GT Championship campaign would come to another end for them with a P6 Claim with the overall GT3 Drivers and Pro-Am Drivers Championship and P5 within the Team’s title hunt. For the #23 R-Racing crew, 2023 would become a bitter pill for them to swallow after what nearly was last season, eventually finishing P23 overall/P6 in class on the day and P7 within the overall GT4 Drivers, P5 within their Silver Cup class and P6 within the GT4 Team’s Championship.

It wasn’t to be this season but then you can’t have your own way all the time. It’s been mighty fun watching the Championship again this year and we hope to be back again next season. Whilst some teams may return next year, others sadly wont as seek adventures elsewhere and having already sold their car to another interested party as well!

Not to forget the ‘guesting’ #31 MKH Racing AMR Vantage GT4 of Ron Johnson and Tom Ingram, they too had an eventful Donington debut together where they only interacted with both the team and car for the first time on Thursday. Whilst it may have been ‘just a bit of fun’ together for the drivers, it was a very much a dipping of a toe into the British GT waters for team as they explore racing possibilities moving forward after a decent debut season within the British Endurance Championship where they finished second in class.

Just for the record, whilst the #31 car did Qualify last, they did manage to finish the race in P27 overall / P6 in class despite having spun off once or twice along the way. Judging by their faces after the event – it was a job well done for all of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite data gained from this weeks earlier test at Donington Park, todays start to the more formally timed sessions saw a wet to damp to drying track conditions for the combined GT3 and GT4 crews with the #97 Beechdean AMR Vantage GT3 of Andrew Howard and Ross Gunn leading the way at the top of the timing screen.

That was a similar vein back within the GT4 class as the #27 R-Racing AMR Vantage GT4 of Josh Miller and Seb Hopkins became the third fastest crew in class, making their many recent laps of testing around the Donington circuit pay dividends. The guesting #31 MKH Racing AMR Vantage Gt4 of Ron Johnson and Tom Ingram didn’t have that knowledge base as this week was their first experience of the car/crew/circuit together.

Free Practice 2 went no different at the top as the #97 continued to dominate (thanks to no championship pressures on their shoulders this weekend) although both the #27 and #31 cars did drop with lap times being deleted for track limits.

Then Qualifying became the next focus of attention as the amateurs within the GT3 class were first out on was then a damp to drying track. Going out on slicks, coming in to change those slicks because of vibration saw Howard enter pit lane for a third time, this time for wets with just over three minutes of his session remaining. Eventually getting just one hot lap with those wet tyres thanks to a session ending hit into the pit all for a McLaren, that was still enough for Howard to claim provisional top slot with the GT3 Qualifying being placed under investigation by Race Control.

Next out were the Pro drivers with Gunn selecting slicks aboard the #97 car ass the sun made another one of its periodic passes above. Holding the aggregated best time for the opening half of the session, the #1 Mercedes AMG crew snatched that lead with just over three minutes remaining. With just twenty-nine seconds remaining, Gunn recovers that three tenths deficit to reclaim P1 with another lap still available to him to eventually see out the session fifth quickest but fastest overall in GT3 for a Pole Position start tomorrow afternoon.

Next out were the GT4’s with Miller and Johnson doing the business first time round (the #23 do run this season within the silver class so both Miller and Hopkins are of the same grade). First out and eager to get on with things saw Miller finish fastest by the slenderest of margins, just 0.03 of as second in front of the #36 Championship contending McLaren. Johnson would return to the Championship with a bump after a spin in both Free Practice and Qualifying saw him post the slowest time.

Like Miller, Hopkins was first out and keen to get on with things to see his final qualifying of his second season of British GT underway although his haste would again come at a cost as the #23 then started losing lap times for track limits.

Despite finishing nineth in his session, his lap time was still good enough to keep the #23 at the head of the class whilst the #31 MKH Aston Martin of Tom Ingram would finish second overall in session, albeit still at the foot of the table.

Morning warm up tomorrow morning before the start of the season finale starting at 13:00hrs local. No championship pressures this weekend like we say whilst others obviously do within both GT3 and GT4 classes. It will be exciting!!

Photo credits – J Ebrey / D Gibson

Within the GT3 class, Beechdean AMR presently sit fourth within the Constructors Championship table but with a points deficit too large to overcome should both Andrew Howard and Ross Gunn upset the championship deciding applecart by taking Sunday’s race win. On the contrary, they could also lose ground to the Optimum and Sky Tempesta Racing crews behind should they slip up.

It’s a similar vein within the overall GT3 Drivers Championship – too far behind to be part of the #DoningtonDecider shootout in P6 but still within easy pickings of crew further crews just behind them but within their GT3 Pro-Am class, both Howard and Gunn can easily move up several places should other class results go their way.

Then in the GT4 class, the #23 R-Racing AMR Vantage GT4 of Josh Miller and Seb Hopkins sit way down in sixth within their overall Drivers Championship but again, still within easy pickings of other crews and teams ahead of them in that and the Team’s Championship’s. Within their own Silver Class, it appears that their two DNF’s at the season opener at Oulton Park that have cost the young dup dear but a decent result for them (and not by others) could see them elevate to a more respectable level by the end of this final two-hour race.

For this round, we also welcome a third Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 as the #31 MKH Racing car with Ron Johnson and BTCC Champion Tom Ingram take to the track with an Aston together for the first time. A one off for the drivers for sure but definitely a toe into the water for the Peter Montague owned team that has former AMR WEC GTE Am Champion Stuart Hall with its midst as well.

Thirty-four entries populate the provisional entry list, evenly split between the two classes. It definitely won't be as warm as last time out, but it will be just as fun to watch!

 

 

The #23 R-Racing AMR Vantage GT4 of Josh Miller and Seb Hopkins were equally so but a mistake from Miller during his qualifying run nearly cost them the remainder of the event but good fortune was on their side and the qualified P5 within the GT4 class.

Race day expected to see the temperatures both on and off track saw again with shade being the prize possession of the large crowd coming into the circuit.

Turn one, lap one usually brings some excitement at Brands Hatch as the cars turn down Paddock Hill Bend towards Druids for the first time. This year was no different as three GT3 cars behind Howard tangled with one spinning into the middle of the track. Miraculously, only one car hit the spinning #1 Mercedes AMG which stopped neither of them continuing but the immediate aftermath of that incident allowed Miller to move straight up to P2 in class by the time they reached the hairpin at Druids for the first time.

Ten minutes into the race and the pace setting GT3’s were already hitting the tail end of the GT4 class as Howard ran P4 and Miller P2 albeit with a growing distance to the cars in front but also (more importantly) from those behind. Howards position had improved by one by the time the first Safety Car intervention was required for the first stranded car on track, but as always, that allowed both the #97 and #23 cars to close the gaps.

Quickly back to green, it wasn’t long before the next Safety Car was required for the same reason and again, the track marshals worked their magic not to delay the race any more than needs be and by the time that happened the GT4 pit window was about to open.

Miller was the first of the GT4’s to pit with the leading #61 Academy Mustang completing another lap, as would Howard when he had served his sixty-two-minute minimum time. By the time both classes had completed their pit stop cycles, the #23 R-Racing crew had retained their P2 slot in class, but the #97 car of Gunn had acquired the race lead thanks to not having to serve any further pit stop penalties – unlike the pair Infront of Howard at the time of entry.

Taking the lead straight into another Safety Car situation would put the pressure on Gunn to hold position at the restart – that he did as the race went back to green with forty odd minutes remaining.

However, with any multi-class entry, there are times when the slower cars hold up the faster ones and sadly that would be the case for the #97 crew who would lose the race lead to the #91 Century BMW as the leading duo passed through traffic.

Gapping the Beechdean AMR to the tune of just over a second, there was no way back for Gunn as the #97 car had no more to give except by taking risks in traffic or with track limits.

Some five rounds of the Championship too late, both Aston Martins came home second on track in class to secure a memorable double for two teams who have been blighted by bad luck and misfortune all season.

For Howard, it was also a job well done by the team in dedicating a near perfect result to the memory of his mother-in-law who passed earlier in the week. Speaking of her in the pit lane immediately after the chequered flag, Howard spoke of this strong farmer’s wife personality and how it was his plan to run a great race today in her memory – that they did for sure even affording himself a quick little smile before turning to collect his spoils with Gunn like the two young guns further up the paddock.

A great job by all involved – next stop Donington Park for another #DoningDecider by the looks of it!!

After their disappointment last time out in Portugal, Gunn lost no time in making his own statement during the first Free Practice session be claiming the overall top honour with a lap time 0.2 seconds faster that the #1 2 Seas Motorsport Mercedes AMG whilst the #23 GT4 crew chased down the ultra-fast McLaren Altura and two Ford Mustangs to go an early fourth quickest.

No championship pressures (sadly) upon either crew this time, the #97 went third quickest during the second session (thanks to some lap times being deleted for track limits along the way) whilst the #23 crew this time went top in the GT4 despite suffering the same misfortune.

That set things up nicely for Qualifying that would see both drivers set individual lap times with their aggregated times setting their grid position ahead of tomorrow’s two-hour race.

Howard was out first and for most of his ten-minute session, sat towards the bottom of class before eventually engaging the Pirelli tyres enough to hit as high as P5 before settling for a P6 fastest lap. That released Gunn within the next session where he put in an early mid-table banker lap too before going on to press for more before finishing P1 in his session but P4 on the aggregated pace.

Next up were the GT4’s with Hopkins out first in the #23 to push hard during the early laps of fastest lap times tumbled between the top five runners to hold an early P4. One final push from the youngster rewarded him with a time worthy of P3 in class.

Finally, Josh Miller would get his turn within the final ten-minute session of the day but was lucky to ‘survive’ the session after a monumental moment out the back of the circuit at Westfield where he ran wide, out onto the grass to avoid the tyre wall by the smallest of margins – the closest not-accident apparently!! That off track excursion would obviously cost them in lap time where he would finish down in P10.

Collectively, the #97 entered lap times worthy of a second row start in P4 whilst the #23 car would drop to the third row in GT4 for a P5 start.

Morning warm up early tomorrow morning before a green flag just after lunch. It’s going to hot and furious – don’t forget your sunscreen and water!!

Photo credits – Jacob Ebrey

Last time out around the melting pot that was Portimao in Portugal, that number was temporary elevated to three cars as Matt Topham brought out his Vantage GT3 car to play for the first time with Markus Clutton and Enduro Motorsport, but despite a very promising display from those guys – the provisional entry list for this weekend sadly does not include them again (with either their Aston Martin or McLaren powerplants).

Portugal also saw great build ups to that weekend’s elongated three-hour race from the two full season entries with young guns Josh Miller and Seb Hopkins rekindling their pace of last season to take a convincing GT4 Pole Position whilst Andrew Howard (paired up again with Nicki Thiim in lieu of a double-booked Ross Gunn aboard the #97 car) claimed a P5 start.

Sadly, it would be an early exit for Howard after contact with another car whilst the #23 car would suffer from contact damage of their own despite a charging run from Hopkins in the latter stages to further suffer from both a visit to pit lane for repairs and a post-race time penalty for their troubles.

Results from abroad (or rather the distinct lack of any favourable result) compounded each crews distant position within each championship standing making the last two rounds of the season more of a formality than any racing chance of Championship spoils. They performances at both Brands Hatch and later Donington Park however, could shape who does just win each Championship and there’s always the kudos of a race win to make you try that little bit harder to take at least something from this season.

This weekend’s race will be another two-hour affair early Sunday afternoon after Free Practice and Qualifying on Saturday.

Photo credits – Jacob Ebrey / D Gibson

Yesterday’s Qualifying had already seen the R-Racing #23 AMR Vantage GT4 crew of Seb Hopkins and Josh Miller grab all the headlines with a faultless build up and runs during the two GT4 Qualifying sessions to secure class Pole Position ahead of today’s race whilst the #77 Enduro Motorsport of Matt Topham and Marcus Clutton saw their P5 starting position in GT3 was later changed with a 5-place grid penalty for accruing three behaviour warning points. The #97 Beechdean AMR of Andrew Howard and Nikki Thiim would be starting from P8.

With the intensity of the sun over the circuit increasing ahead of the early afternoon start, it was Andrew Howard who remained one of the coolest of all as he quickly made up for lost ground during Qualifying to place his #97 into P6 during the opening corners in what was, an incident free opening couple of laps.

Whilst the #23 car of Miller quickly got into a routine of the free air ahead of them to the GT3 field now breaking away, all of the action was within the top half of the GT3 field as the Howard entered into a three-way battle for P4 but in doing so, allowed the group behind (now including Topham in the #77) to catch up.

Just ten minutes in and the first Safety Car was required to extract an errant BMW GT4 from the gravel and that allowed the grid the opportunity to make their first of three compulsory stops for fuel and tyres (if needed) plus a driver change. All three Aston Martins elected to do this, sacrificing immediate track position under caution rather than potentially having to do it later under racing conditions.

Whilst the GT3’s soon made up for lost ground to the GT4 field that didn’t stop, it soon became apparent that the #23 was now on course with a three-way battle with both Academy Ford Mustangs as they continued to run up ahead whilst the #23 had dropped to P7.

Thirty minutes in and another Safety Car was required as an ailing McLaren GT4 first parked itself on the track side before catching fire within the engine bay. That incident (although off circuit itself) would be a lengthy one before the race went back to green some thirty minutes later and with many cars pitting again during that caution, the #77 Endura AMR was now ahead of the #97 Beechdean in P4 and P6 respectively.

As far as the Aston Martins race fortunes went, that was about that far as whilst we watched Topham racing the #4 Two Seas Mercedes around the outside for track position we missed an indent involving the #97 car of Howard having contact with a Ginetta GT4 causing them race ending suspension damage for their efforts. Also, the #77 car of Topham would soon be in the wars itself as contact was made with the #13 McLaren, spinning the McLaren around and losing the front near side fender off the #77 car.

Back in GT4, the #23 was busy in its dice with the two Mustangs but had dropped to P5 on track again due to two other cars ahead yet to make their second stop.

Reaching the halfway mark and Topham was feeling very racy aboard his Vantage GT3 for the first time as he was prepared to take on John Fergusson’s Ram Mercedes AMG for what was then P3 and eventually his perseverance paid off.

Moving into the final hour and all was looking good for the remaining two Aston Martins as the #23 had just re-inherited the class lead again as well as the #77 having also made their final stop to come out in P7 – or so we thought!

Firstly, the #77 was given a drive through penalty for track limits and in serving that Clutton would drop to P11 but worse was still to come as Hopkins, chasing the leading BMW GT4, hit the rear of the #55 Ginetta causing them to spin and his car to suffer from steering/suspension related issues with just fifteen minutes to go. 

Re-joining and finishing the race in P6, a later post-race time penalty for that contact with the #55 would cost the R-Racing crew another 72 seconds in time and that would finish their Portimao adventure down in P7.

The Championship now enjoys a summer break ahead of its penultimate round from Brands Hatch in early September.

Photo credits – Team / Jacob Ebrey / D Gibson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swapping to his own AMR Vantage GT3 before the weekend almost saw Matt Topham go the same way aboard his #77 Enduro Motorsport prepared car, having lead the ten-minute session up until the death before eventually dropping down to P3 at the end.

His team-mate Marcus Clutton was out next for his first Qualifying session since swapping to the Vantage from the McLaren 720S, where he posted a time worthy of P8 within his ‘Pro’ class – the nett result was a P5 overall starting position for the new ‘Skully.

With Ross Gunn otherwise detained within his IMSA commitments at Lime Rock Park this weekend, his place aboard the #97 Beechdean AMR Vantage GT3 was taken by Nicki Thiim who returns to the Andrew Howard lead team for the first time since their ill-fated GT World Challenge Europe endeavours last season. 

Keeping himself race fit with ad-hoc racing duties with other OEM’s, the Dane was quickly back into the grove but had a Qualifying run hampered with the deletion of two lap times (for track limits) whilst Howard’s one second slower lap time this his Am class peer, found himself finishing way down in P11 for an aggregated P8 starting position.

With a three-hour race to look forward tomorrow, tyre management and strategy will be key as well will be driver welfare management inside the cockpit with air temperature expected to be well in the thirties again tomorrow.

Photo credits – D Gibson / Teams / Jacob Ebrey

As with all plans, they can often change and before we knew it, Topham was soon back within the BGT ranks with the Enduro Motorsport team racing their McLaren 720S alongside their driver Marcus Clutton at Snetterton. That partnership has further evolved over recent weeks that has seen the team test Topham’s own AMR Vantage GT3 down in Portimao from where the team have since elected to try something a little different within their own GT3 Pro-Am class and run with the Aston Martin this weekend.

Whilst that does not change the headcount, it does obviously put a second AMR Vantage GT3 within the class to go alongside the #97 full season entry from the Beechdean team who themselves have had to make a change due to the non-availability of Ross Gunn to his IMSA duties this weekend. The team have already confirmed that fellow AMR factory driver Nikki Thiim will take his place alongside team boss Andrew Howard.

Rounding off the AMR trilogy will of course be the #23 R-Racing AMR Vantage GT4 crew of Josh Miller and Seb Hopkins who will be looking to replicate the pace and success that they enjoyed last time out at Snetterton where they scooped a class second and third over those two-hour long sprint races.

Their R-Racing team have also come to our attention over recent days having placed their Vantage GT4 up for sale upon the racecarsdirect.com website, stating its availability from the end of this British GT season. When we enquired with the team, the reply was it for “new adventures” coming up!!

Thirty-three GT3 and GT4 cars are listed to make the long drive down to Portugal with some cars already there having tested there last week whilst others have only just started the trek. Despite the distance, the programme remains the same with private testing on Friday before Free Practice and Qualifying on Saturday before a three-hour endurance race on Sunday.

Due to the last visit to the podium, the #23 crew will have another elongated pit stop of a further 10 seconds for their P3 at Snetterton.

Having never competed at Portimao before, this British GT Championship round could make all the difference to someone’s championship aspirations!!