Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 For Sale
Obviously sad to see but this has probably come about as a consequence of Mike’s significant accident in a Ginetta BTCC support race last season where the gentleman racer received multiple injuries.
Full listing can be found here https://www.racecarsdirect.com/Advert/Details/137197/2020-aston-martin-gt3-for-sale. Hopefully the car can find itself a useful home somewhere around the world.
Photo credits – Jacob Ebrey
Thursday, May 11, 2023 |
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A thought for Mike and Colin after their accident at Thruxton
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Hearing about it roughly through the realms of social media at the time, it took some time “to click” that the Mike Brown being reported as one of the two drivers injured after a two car Ginetta Super Cup race at Thruxton last weekend, that it was the same Mike Brown we all know who periodically races his silver and blue AMR Vantage GT3’s in either the GT Cup or British GT Championship with co-driver Matt Manderson.
Unfortunately for him, it was as he and Colin White (another well-known face around the GT4 paddock) who had a ‘monumental’ accident together after Brown lost control coming out of one corner before recrossing the track into the next but straight into the path of a charging White for both to sustain serious injury in the resulting impact.
With a few days now since the accident, information has now been confirmed by the families and both have been described as being in ‘good spirits’ in hospital despite their many collective fractures and other injuries with their road to recovery sadly being a long one, we are sure.
Like the men in question, we also offer our hand of appreciation to all circuit marshals and medical staff – not just those who attended this specific incident but those in general and wherever they may be in the world for helping to keep our sport safe and for being on hand to help and assist those when things go wrong.
So, it’s a thank you to them and a get well soon to Mike and Colin.
Photo credit - Jacob Ebrey
Friday, September 02, 2022 |
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Four Aston's with a new name in GT Cup's visit to Snetterton
Mike Brown and Matt Manderson return with their AMR Vantage GT3 after a relatively successful season debut in the opening round of the British GT Championship at Brands Hatch two weeks ago, having skipped the opening round of the GT Cup at Donington earlier in April. The team did race at the adapted second round of the season at Brands Hatch at the start of May, but the team do appear to be using the GT Cup calendar as an active race/test scenario before their selected round entry into British GT but their participation is welcome none the less.
Full season entries from Flowers Motorsport, Whitebridge Motorsport and Century Motorsport however, all come back with the sole purpose of trying to win their respective GTH class with their AMR Vantage GT4 platforms.
All three teams lay within the top six in class and two out of the three will feature differing co-drivers than first stated at the start of the season as 2019 British GT GT4 Champion as Tom Canning joins James Guess and his second placed in class #82 Flowers Motorsport in lieu of Darren Turner who will be racing at the ADAC Total N24 in Germany this weekend. Canning comes to Norfolk 'fresh' from his GT4 European Series exploits from Paul Ricard of last weekend.
Then the sixth placed in class #15 Century Motorsport prepared car of David Holloway will again be joined by their driver coach Bradley Ellis as Adam Hatfield sadly continues to be absent through personal reasons.
That leaves the #72 AMR of a solo Chris Murphy who presently lies P5 in the GTH class having swapped to a 2019 specification AMR Vantage GT4 prior to the Brands Hatch round from his older 2016 generation GTB classed Aston.
The #52 Deranged Motorsport AMR Vantage GT4 of Matt Lewis and Ollie Brown again continues to be absent from the entry list and has not been since the car failed during the second race of the opening round at Donington Park, and despite Matt Lewis being named within the AMR Drivers Academy 2021 intake just a couple of weeks ago.
Unlike the previous round at Brands Hatch where the GT Cup grid competed just a single 50-minute pit stop punctuated race, the Snetterton round reverts back to a traditional three race format over both Saturday and Sunday. Also, and unlike the last round at Brands, fans are permitted into the circuit at Snetterton but tickets do have to be purchased in advance as they will not be available at the gate.
Photo credits – GT Cup / Teams
Photo credits – GT Cup / Teams
Monday, May 31, 2021 |
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British GT again delivers on the excitement at Brands Hatch
With the excitement building before the cars had even left for the grid as the heavens opened up, it was a late call for all to decide whether to venture out on slicks or go for the full wets. That drama was further compounded with the untimely exit from the race proceedings of one of the McLaren GT3’s, spinning out and hitting the barriers coming out of Druids on the first warm up lap.
Due to that, the race started behind the Safety Car for a further couple of laps before the grid was released for the start of the opening two-hour race.
Confirming their pole position start, the #7 AMR Vantage GT3 of Andrew Howard held the line going into Paddock Hill bend for the first time proper to lead his first GT3 race for some time but was hounded almost immediately by the #18 Lamborghini of Michael Igoe. That race lead lasted just a further lap for Howard before a move by the #18 car going into Druids sealed the task for Igoe.
Mike Brown in his #26 Ultimate Speed Racing AMR Vantage GT3 meanwhile was doing his level best to keep up with the faster drivers ahead of him and away from the class leading GT4 cars right behind but was still struggling with the cars handling after damage incurred earlier in the meeting.
A second Safety Car for a beached GT4 car quickly restored a nose to tail running order for the near ten minutes it took to clear the car and the gravel from the circuit before going back to green.
With the rain now stopped and the track slowly drying, lap times soon began to tumble giving many the extra encouragement they needed to hound others for track position. Trouble is that that lead to some over-encouragement for others and a third Safety Car was ultimately needed after 40 minutes to release the then P3 and P4 GT3’s from the Paddock Hill gravel trap.
With the Brands Hatch track being much more to the liking of the Lamborghini’s than the Aston’s, Howard soon lost his P2 place on that restart to the #63 Barwell car and nearly lost more as he battled tyre degradation towards the end of his stint.
Both Aston’s pitted just after the hour mark as new driver regulations required – Howard would hand over to Jonny Adam from P3 whilst Brown would hand over to Matt Manderson from their then P10 position.
With all the stops then completed, that left a fifty-minute sprint to the flag for the now twenty-one runners. Whilst Manderson would race comfortably in the knowledge that his next rival on track was a whole lap behind, the same wasn’t for Adam as again the #7 car’s tyres began to fail as each lap ticked by and the #63 Barwell car ever reeled him in.
From over nine seconds to just 0.3 of a second was the finishing gap as Adam held on long enough to claim a worthy P2 finish in their first race back in the Championship for over a year with the Ultimate Speed crew narrowly missing out on a Silver Am podium position with the class P3 Lamborghini in front of them being awarded a post-race 30 second penalty.
A highly entertaining and thrilling Championship opener from Brands Hatch – next stop is the annual three-hour affair from Silverstone where the AMR ranks will be joined by the Newbridge Vantage GT4 car of Matt Topham and Darren Turner.
And……..
How nice it was to actually see a crowd around a UK race track enjoying something in person for the first time in over a year!!!
Photo credits - Jacob Ebrey / Teams
Sunday, May 23, 2021 |
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Beechdean AMR putting an early claim down for Brands Hatch opener
There’s no better way than making your intentions known than by dominating the opening days proceedings ahead of the first round of the 2021 British GT Championship from Brands Hatch today.
Much missed for all bar one cameo appearance at Brands Hatch last season, sees a welcomed full season return for Andrew Howard and his Beechdean AMR team as he re-joins AMR factory driver Jonny Adam aboard their #7 Pro-Am class entered Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT3.
With just a handful of test days under their belts, the Beechdean AMR hit the still slippery track of Brands Hatch hard to come out of this morning’s Free Practice sessions fastest in FP2 and third fastest with their aggregated times.
That transpired into two quicker Qualifying runs (one each for Howard and Adam) to be third quickest for Howard in his earlier run before Adam set the fastest lap for the Pro drivers to earn them overall pole position with their aggregated times.
Sadly with just two Aston Martins competing at Brands Hatch this weekend, the new Silver Am classed Ultimate Speed AMR Vantage GT3 of Mike Brown and Matt Manderson suffered early accident damage (now fully repaired) that hindered their earlier set up runs.
Again, competing their own Am and Pro Qualifying times, they will start tomorrows opening two-hour race from the rear of the GT3 grid in P14 after having a lap discounted for track limits.
Photo credits – Jacob Ebrey / Team
Saturday, May 22, 2021 |
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British GT finally kicks off at Brands Hatch next weekend with twenty six runners
Aston Martin Racing Partner and Customer teams will again be in attendance – sadly not in the numbers that we have been previously used to and not with TF Sport defending their GT4 crown that drivers Jamie Caroline and Dan Vaughan secured for themselves and the team after a dramatic concluding race and COVID-19 eventful 2020 season.
With that virus hopefully now being pushed firmly behind us here in the UK, next weekend’s opening two-hour opener around the picturesque Grand Prix circuit of the Kent circuit will allow up to 4000 spectators permitted in to watch the twenty-six runners including just the two AMR runners (at this event) from the AMR family.
Understandably putting his family business first and foremost last year but having returned for a one-off race last season inbetween, Beechdean AMR’s Andrew Howard was one of the first team/crews to confirm their 2021 participation as the team will come for some more competitive racing with their easily identifiable red, yellow and blue AMR Vantage GT3 that Howard will share again with AMR factory driver Jonny Adam within the Pro-Am class.
They will be joined by one of the most recent announcements from the Ultimate Speed team of Mike Brown and Matt Manderson who are coming back this time around for a near full season with their next to new 2019 specification AMR Vantage GT3 in the new for 2021 Am-Silver class.
We will unfortunately have to wait until the second round of the Championship from Silverstone towards the end of June to welcome the third AMR team to the grid in the form of the Newbridge Motorsport AMR Vantage GT4 of Matt Topham and AMR factory driver Darren Turner.
Strange times remain from the pandemic but this year’s grid of 26 cars reflects a small increase in number of entries from the first event of last year as confidence remains high in those who have put the necessary financial provisions in place in order to go GT racing in the UK – and that is always a good thing for which we are all highly appreciative of.
Anyone wanting to attend this event is reminded to purchase their ticket from MSV in advance as no ‘on the door’ tickets will be available.
Photo credits - Jacob Ebrey / Team
Saturday, May 15, 2021 |
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Ultimate Speed make it three AMR's in the British GT Championship
Not the best kept secret we know but welcome news none the less as today sees the Ultimate Speed team finally confirm their biggest commitment to the British GT Championship to date with a four-race programme in the national Championship that starts at the first round from Brands Hatch in little over two week’s time.
Having already been on the race track this season in the GT Cup Championship, the new Silver-Am partnership of Mike Brown and Matt Manderson will enter their 2019 specification Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT3 at the rounds at Brands Hatch, Donington, Snetterton before returning to see the year out at the #DoningtonDecider.
“We always enjoy our British GT outings – first and foremost we want to have fun so decided to increase our commitment this year after switching from old to new Vantage in 2020,” said Brown. “We should be closer to the established pairings with more testing and mileage, and Silver-Am really gives us something to aim at.”
This car joins the somewhat low representation from the AMR marque with just the two cars already confirmed (so far) from the Beechdean AMR team with a GT3 car for Andrew Howard and Jonny Adam and also the most recent announcement from the Newbridge Motorsport team with an AMR Vantage GT4 for their drivers Matt Topham and Darren Turner.
More great news from the Championship also came to light yesterday with the availability of up to 4000 tickets to the Brands Hatch opener as part of the Governments releasing of COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.
Tickets MUST be purchased in ADVANCE though.
Photo credits - GT Cup / Team
Wednesday, May 12, 2021 |
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Rough with the smooth for the Feathers AMR crew in GT Cup at Brands Hatch
This weekend also saw the second meeting of the GT Cup Championship from Brands Hatch on Saturday, this time featuring just two 50-minute pit stop punctuated races for its very impressive starting grid of 45 cars.
Like the Donington round before it, Brands Hatch was again being run from behind closed doors so once again, we all had to revert to their new live stream for our appreciation of the four Aston Martin Racing runners.
The Ultimate Speed AMR Vantage GT3 of Matt Manderson and Mike Brown made their GT Cup 2021 debut this weekend (having raced with the series last year of course) with their new 2019 iteration of the Vantage GT3 platform that they will run periodically in both GT Cup and British GT. They joined season regulars from the Feathers Motorsport team for James Guess and Darren Turner as well as the Century Motorsport team for David Holloway and a returning Bradley Ellis (not sure what’s happened with Adam Hatfield) who both run the new 2019 Vantage GT4.
Interestingly, the shape of the #72 GTB Whitebridge Motorsport normally aspirated AMR entry has morphed in a new GTH Class AMR Vantage GT4 after Chris Murphy secured one of the former Appleby Engineering cars that have been on sale over the winter months.
Two, fifty-minute races were held on Saturday and both were interrupted by the Safety Car – thankfully only for marshal safety whilst the recovered stricken vehicles from around the track but interrupt the flow of the races they did none the less.
No joy for any AMR during race 1 with the #82 car collecting a puncture with all the GT4 cars finishing between P8-P12 in class. The #47 GT3 car finished P8 overall but against some fairly healthy GT3 opposition.
Race 2 was better however with the #82 Feathers AMR collecting another class podium in P2 but with the #15 Century car not too far behind in P4.
Next round of the Championship is at Snetterton in four weeks’ time.
Photo credits - GT Cup / Teams
Monday, May 03, 2021 |
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More Aston Martins at this weekends GT Cup from Brands Hatch
The second round of the GT Cup Championship comes from the Grand Prix circuit of Brands Hatch this weekend with an increased Aston Martin Racing contingent to that who featured so well at the opening round at Donington Park two weeks ago.
The #52 Deranged Motorsport AMR Vantage GT4 of Oli Brown and Matt Lewis make a return after suffering terminal issues that scuppered their earlier pace and podium success at Donington park as well does Chris Murphy (again running solo) aboard his older generation #72 Whitebridge Motorsport ran car who enjoyed equal class success last time out.
Also running the new turbo charged version of the Vantage GT4 like Deranged, sees both the #82 Feathers Motorsport Aston of James Guess and Darren Turner as well as the #15 Century Motorsport Aston of David Holloway and Adam Hatfield return to the tracks having secured four class podium positions between them.
Joining them on track this time around is the #47 Ultimate Speed AMR Vantage GT3 of Mike Brown and Matt Anderson as they get their latest race car out for the first time for a mixed bunch of GT Cup and British GT action. This weekend features just two pit stop punctuated races as it was due to run in support of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Series that moved its race date in Kent back to the summer.
Unfortunately running again behind closed doors, the Championship has already proven that its live stream is very effective.
Photo credits – GT Cup / Teams
Tuesday, April 27, 2021 |
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TF Sport's recovery drive secures another podium in British GT
Running another change in format for this second visit to the Leicestershire circuit this year, Sunday saw the Championship run a three-hour race for the twenty four car grid that also included the Ultimate Speed AMR Vantage GT3 for the first time.
Having Qualified in P5 with the #95 Connor O’Brien/Patrick Kibble car and P7 for the #97 Jamie Caroline/Dan Vaughan car, the race was thrown into immediate confusion with two spinning GT3 cars at Turn 1-lap 1 which brought out the Safety Car. Two of only a handful of cars that elected to pit straight away to swap over to their ‘faster’ drivers it did appear that that was a bad call as they found themselves being held back at the pit exit as the race went back to green.
For the next two and a half hours, it was simply a case of each driver pushing as hard as they could to make up for a longer fuel stop that they would ultimately have to make to cover off their first stop. Kibble was the faster of the two as he broke the gap to Caroline to a tune of about 10 seconds at the halfway mark.
At the top of the final hour, the rest of the grid had made their final stops and it was only a case of where the then GT4 class leading Aston would come out as O’Brien again passed the car over to Kibble which they eventually did with just thirty minutes remaining.
Having not had to serve any additional pit stop penalty beyond that of their Silver Cup status, the #95 car would still come out behind the Academy Ford Mustang and the #58 HHC McLaren to claim the final step of the GT4 podium. The #97 crew would also recover some decent points towards their Championship aspirations with a distant P4 finish – one lap down to the top three.
Having not had to serve any additional pit stop penalty beyond that of their Silver Cup status, the #95 car would still come out behind the Academy Ford Mustang and the #58 HHC McLaren to claim the final step of the GT4 podium. The #97 crew would also recover some decent points towards their Championship aspirations with a distant P4 finish – one lap down to the top three.
The Championship now moves onto Snetterton next month where we should be again seeing the Beechdean AMR Vantage GT3 of Andrew Howard and Valentin Hasse-Clot.
Photo credits - Jacob Ebrey / TF Sport / Ultimate Speed
Sunday, September 20, 2020 |
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TF Sport fightback needed after issues in Qualifying
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
Saturday, September 19, 2020 |
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Help required at Donington Park
Ultimate speed racing team are at Donington this weekend with the brand new Aston Martin Gt3 competing in British GT.
We are a race engineer short!!! If any of you or someone you know wants to join us please contact us.
You need to be an experienced mechanic with good common sense and a team player. Great opportunity for someone who loves the sport and wants to be in the thick of it. All food and accommodation provided plus pay!
Please contact either Lei 07738544862 or Dave 07885780033
Source material - Ultimate Speed
You would need to get yourself to Donnington tonight.
Friday, September 18, 2020 |
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Three Aston Martins again for Round 6 British GT Championship
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
Tuesday, September 15, 2020 |
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Ultimate Speed running new AMR GT3 in GT Cup
Some of the photos coming out of Donington Park today came as something as a surprise to us as we were frankly expecting something a little 'less new' than what we now appear to have in our midst.
Guesting on the entry list for the third round of the GT Cup Championship for this weekend is the #26 Ultimate Speed Aston Martin GT3 with Mike Brown and Matt Manderson behind the wheel.
We we were expecting was their early chassis number V12 Vantage GT3 but the #26 actually turned out to be a brand new 2019 specification AMR Vantage GT3 that the duo are 'shaking down' this weekend ahead of competing within another national GT series next weekend.
The duo are obviously getting to know and feeling comfortable within their latest acquisition having started and then lead the first GT race of the day today at Donington before a spin to ultimately finish P2 at the first time of asking before taking a further P3 podium position in the races second race.
Two more races tomorrow will hopefully bring them some more silverware and us some more information and photographs of their new car.
Also competing at the event, and already public knowledge is the #38 Newbridge AMR Vantage GT4 of Matt Topham and Alex Toth-Jones and the older normally aspirated V8 Vantage of Chris Murphy's Whitebridge Motorsport team along with his co driver Steve Birt.
The weekends first two races have so far been something of a mixed bag for these GTH class entries with a P2 and P4 class finish respectively for each car before both cars failed to finish in the second.
Like with the Ultimate Speed GT3 - there are still tow races to come tomorrow!!
Photo credits - GT Cup / Ultimate Speed
Saturday, September 12, 2020 |
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