Having endured something of a difficult baptism at the third round of the GT Asia Series at Okayama at the beginning of the month, Aussie based Miedecke Stone Motorsport shipped their Aston Martin Racing V12 Vantage GT3 the relatively short distance up to Fuji International Speedway for race's 7 and 8 last weekend.

Also joining the team would be late signing Australian Porsche Carrera Cup specialist Ashley Walsh who would drive alongside George Miedecke after team boss Andrew Miedecke decided that the team again needed someone with more experience to help continue setting up the car after Nathan Morcom started the process with the team at Okayama.

Settling upon their own programme of installation and setup and the fact that this was Walsh's first time out in a GT3, the #95 car surprisingly found themselves constantly half way up the timing screens and even achieved the lofty position of P5 in the second Free Practice session!

That alone was a massive difference to the performance of the car at Okayama.

During Q1 Miedecke posted a time of just under 1.5 seconds slower than the pole setting Porsche to claim P5 in Race 1 later on Saturday whilst Walsh clocked an incredible P3 just 0.2secs behind pole  (which later transpired to be P2 after a car ahead was forced to take an engine change) for Sundays race.


With Race 1 starting on a wet track the first few corners were taken very gingerly by all with Miedecke able to hold position and even take the fight to the surrounding Bentleys and Ferrari's and with track conditions never really improving the #95 would be involved with many dices for track position including an unfair degree of rubbing it may be said.

By the time the compulsory pit window had closed Walsh re-emerged from the pit lane in P9 but it was too late for him together the set up of the car (an improvised wet set up) to make up any time and the car eventually finished in in P10 (one lap down) but that was still an improvement to Okayama's best of P12.

Race 2 on Sunday was at least dry it was the turn of Walsh to do the first stint but with the grid penalty being awarded against the BBT Ferrari the #95 Aston would at least have a 'clear' view of T1 having been elevated to the front row.


With the traditional GT rolling start Walsh found himself being pushed out of position into the first corner, dropping back to fourth before being forced to push more than he perhaps should and spinning out and narrowly being missed by another car at T5 - that pushed him to the rear of the pack with only a minute gone.

What happened next was something special.

Considering his lack of GT3 experience and his lack of track knowledge Walsh put in one of, if not the best drives of the day, catching up and passing the field all the way up to P5 and even then pushing hard to make up a further two places with the Bentley and Ferrari ahead of him to gain what would be a podium position by the end of his half hour drive.

Coming out of the midway point compulsory pit stop Miedecke did emerge still in fifth and despite climbing up to and holding P4 from an early point into his stint until only five minutes to go the #88 Craft Bamboo Porsche eventually took the #95 to claim fourth and slightly dampen would would have been an amazing finish at the chequered flag.


Despite the disappointment of what could have been for MSM, the P5 finish at Fuji will be seen as a major plus point by the drivers and the team as they develop the car and themselves into the GT Asia series. They now ready themselves for the penultimate round of the series at Shanghai in China in the middle of August.

Photo credits - MSM

Aston Martin Racing's latest Partner team, Australian based Miedecke Stone Motorsport experienced a tougher than expected entrée into what was the mid way point of the 2016 GT Asia series at Okayama in Japan last weekend.

With a driver line up of George Miedecke and Nathan Morcom there was optimism amongst the team of being able to take the race to the series regulars despite it being their their first time out in the series and on an unfamiliar circuit.

Despite this and a technical issue that would hinder the team throughout the weekend Miedecke was at least able to qualify for Race 1 off the bottom of the table in P11 and then with Morcom in P7 for Race 2 on Sunday.

After an eventful first corner in R1 Miedecke was fortunately able to avoid a spinning Bentley that would have otherwise ended their race on the spot but with the car being without significant race pace that would ultimately mean that they would finish in the position in which they started - P11.


Having swapped driver positions for R2 Morcom was soon able to capitalise on the mistakes of other and had moved up to comfortably hold P6 by the start of the compulsory pit stops and driver change at the half way point of the race. Unfortunately and with just 20minutes remaining a bizarrely called Safety Car would change the outcome of the race for the newbies.

When the race restarted (with just over ten minutes remaining) the V12 Vantage would be repeatedly lynched by the trailing cars as the leaders sprinted off into the distance and the #95 would ultimately finish the hour long race in P11 again. Had it not been for the SC a higher placed finish would have been probable.

Not disheartened he team will now have time to assess their data before they travel to Fuji International, Japan for rounds 7 and 8 in two weeks time.

Photo credits - MSM / GT Asia

Recently appointed full Partner Status, Australian based Miedecke Stone Racing shall this weekend embark on their first round of the GT Asia Series at the Japanese Okayama circuit with their #95 Aston Martin Racing V12 Vantage GT3.

With George Miedecke now being partnered by former Techno McLaren driver Nathan Morcom the team will be hoping their late arrival into the series (Okayama is round three of the 2016 series) will not stop them making their mark against some highly competent opposition.


"Despite missing the first two race weekend of the season, I am more than confident that we have made
the necessary preparations to be competitive in Okayama. I believe in Nathan, and I'm looking
forward to racing along side him in GT Asia this season. Regardless of the results this weekend, it will
be a good the benchmark for us to improve upon for the rest of the season" said Miedecke.