Just one weekend after announcing their transition from Ginetta Junior racing through to GT4 racing in the British GT Championship next season had Josh Miller and R Racing up at Donington Park today sampling something of what was to come.

With the help of TF Sport and the temporary loan of what was Connor O’Brien and Patrick Kibble’s 2020 entered Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4, had Miller get some early mileage in with his new chosen stead all under the watchful eye of Phil Glew and Matt George.

Having spoken with the team, this test with TF Sport was something of a matter of convenience and information learning curve as the R Racing team develop their early knowledge of the AMR GT4 platform prior to their new chassis arriving over the winter.

Still no news on a co-driver!

Photo credits – Team social media

Aston Martin’s Vantage GT4 clinched three more titles in the British GT Championship finale at Silverstone, ensuring that the luxury sportscar brand’s entry-level 4-litre V8 customer GT car remains unbeaten in the UK-based series since its debut in 2019.

Aston Martin Racing partner team TF Sport, and AMR Academy drivers Dan Vaughan and Jamie Caroline triumphed in the GT4 Teams’ and Drivers’ Championships with second place in class after a tough three-hour long Silverstone 500 encounter. The result – the duo’s fourth second place of the season – added to a victory at Snetterton and third place in the season-opening Oulton Park race, ensured they also finished top in the GT4 Silver Cup.

 

Again, all the formalities are now over and it’s just the small matter of three hours of racing ahead for the thirty-seven GT3 and GT4 cars as the 2020 British GT Championship comes to an end tomorrow after the Silverstone 500.

Whilst the four Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3’s are of course a welcome additions to the conclusion of this most bizarre of seasons, none are involved within any Championship battle as that honour is reserved for the two TF Sport AMR Vantage GT4 cars of #97 Jamie Caroline/Dan Vaughan and #95 Patrick Kibble/Connor O’Brien who enter into one last four way battle with two other car crews for the GT4 Drivers and GT4 Silver Cup (and team) titles.

 

As the British GT Championship confirmed only this week, despite the instigation of a second COVID-19 related national lockdown immediately prior to track action commencing at the final round of the season at the Silverstone 500 on Saturday, the work of the Championship, circuit and the motorsport governing body (Motorsport UK) together with the UK Government have secured this weekend’s running of the event.

Despite the previous rounds of the season that have been ran so far being at MSV owned circuits with a limited paddock attendance with restricted pre-paying fans allowed in, the British GT Championship has now been awarded Elite sports status (something that was necessary for it to continue under these current national circumstances) but that has meant that even fewer than this new ‘usually few’ number of people who may be present at the circuit this time around.

 

With the final round of the 2020 British GT Championship this weekend at Silverstone now having been given the green light from the Government, we can now look forward to what that final event means in terms of Championship battles.

Forget for a moment the plethora of top names, teams and cars being dropped into the hat in time for this final three hour bash around the Northamptonshire circuit that is the Silverstone 500, as they (although much welcomed additions to the ‘party’) are just one off entries to the Championship. With also the national ‘lockdown 2’ saga grabbing all the news headlines so far this week – it is the two, full season entries from TF Sport that warrant all of our attention as they have the small matter of the GT4 Silver Cup, GT4 Drivers and GT4 Teams Championship titles to settle!

 

Having endured a sodden first day of track activities ahead of the penultimate round of the 2020 British GT Championship from Snetterton this weekend, it appears that the twenty-two cars have another rain-soaked day to look forward to tomorrow during the two – one hour races.

With the Beechdean AMR Aston Martin Racing GT3 not available to make the trip to Norfolk this week, that has left just the two full season TF Sport AMR Vantage GT4’s to look out for this weekend as both the #95 and #97 cars of Connor O’Brien/Patrick Kibble and Jamie Caroline/Dan Vaughan tie at the head of the GT4 Drivers Championship after the six rounds so far raced.

Well, today sees an unfortunate double whammy of bad news for fans of the British GT Championship!

As the main contingent of Tom Ferrier’s team were busy guiding their Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTE to class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, TF Sport still had two AMR Vantage GT4’s to chaperone to class success at the sixth round of the British GT Championship from Donington Park.

 

After previous rounds with clear early domination, both of TF Sport’s Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4’s will have some catch up to do in tomorrow’s British GT Championship round from Donington.

Having not had the best of race endings last time out at Brands Hatch when the #95 and #97 cars made contact with each of going into the final lap of the race left both the #95 in the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend and the #97 demoted down from a podium position for that earlier contact, both crews will be looking to make amends for that situation as Championship standings become all too important.

By the end of Free Practice, the #95 car of Connor O’Brien and Patrick Kibble was the highest placed AMR in P3 in class with the #97 car of Jamie Caroline and Dan Vaughan four places further back.

Despite his fastest lap in his Qualifying session for Kibble to add to the earlier lap time of O’Brien would see that #95 Qualify in P3 and behind the Academy Ford Mustang and the HHC McLaren.

Deletion of his fastest laps for Caroline due to track limits and an untimely excursion off circuit and into the gravel due to someone else’s oil left the #97 with a little bit more to do on Sunday as they will be starting the three-hour race from P5.

In GT3, the Ultimate Speed AMR Vantage GT3 of Matt Manderson and Mike Brown would see them start their first BGT race aboard their brand-new AMR car from P14 overall having only entered one competitive lap time from the two drivers.

The race shall begin at 12:45.

Photo credits – TF Sport / Jacob Ebrey

As the world will be looking on at the track action that will be then well underway at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin Racing Partner Team TF Sport will be one team splitting their racing duties between both France and at the sixth round of the British GT Championship from Donington Park this weekend.

With this unfortunate CV-19 related clash of dates being one of the reasons why the teams Oman Racing British GT GT3 entry for Ahmad Al Harthy and Jonny Adam was sidelined during the lockdown period, TF Sport have so been the driving force in the GT4 Class with both their #95 and #97 cars being front running material from the start.


This weekends second visit of the season to the Leicestershire circuit will this time feature a three hour race for the twenty four car entry on Sunday afternoon having already competed in both a two hour and a one hour race last time out at the circuit in mid August.

Again confirmed within the 14 GT3 and 10 GT4 car entry will be the two Silver Cup entered #95 AMR Vantage GT4 of Patrick Kibble and Connor O'Brien and the #97 AMR Vantage GT4 of Jamie Caroline and Dan Vaughan. Last time out at Brands Hatch, both cars dominated the earlier track sessions before contact was made between both in the closing stages of the race leaving the #95 stuck in the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend and the #97 suffering from a post race time penalty for causing a collision - both ultimately leaving both cars with fewer points than they perhaps should and could have otherwise had.


That error cost the Caroline/Vaughan their top place in the overall GT4 Championship table although they did hang on to the GT4 Silver Cup lead. No doubt and prior to his journey over to Le Mans, team boss Tom Ferrier will have read these guys 'the riot act' and reminding them of rule no.1 in racing of never taking out you team mate!!


Joining them for the first time in 2020 at least is the brand new #26 Ultimate Speed Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT3 of Mike Brown and Matt Manderson after their successful shakedown cum race in the car in the four race GT Cup event at Donington Park last weekend.

Two different Championships indeed but a quick look at the timing board showed that this duo were up with the lap times being entered by the front end GT3 cars during the two hour British GT race from Donington Park in August so, depending upon Balance of Performance, it could be interesting!


As usual, Free Practice proceeds Qualifying on Saturday before the start of the race at 12:45 on Sunday.

Photo credits - Jacob Ebrey / GT Cup