Four Aston Martin’s of various iterations feature on the provisional entry list for up to thirty-seven cars ahead of this weekend’s penultimate round of the British Endurance Championship.

Racing again at Donnington Park on Saturday, we see the season regular entries of the #6 Aston Martin Vulcan from Venture Innovations for drivers Gleb Stepanov and Stephen Tomkins, the #68 Team Brit normally aspirated AMR Vantage GT4 for Andrew Tucker and replacement driver Chris Overend (taking over from Luke Pound) as well as the newer turbo charged Vantage GT4 from the T7 Motorsport team for drivers Peter Montague and Stuart Hall. 

Whilst three cars have been listed throughout the season, both the #6 and #50 cars have skipped at least a round due to driver availability.

We also see a second AMR entered by the Venture Innovations team for their driver Neville Jones and team driver coach Matt George aboard their #21 numbered car.

Results from the previous rounds sees the #50 presently laying fourth overall, just six points behind the Championship leading Class C Ferrari with two races of the season remaining.

Again featuring the Championship’s single day event regime, this Saturday’s two hour race begins at 15:00hrs and should be streamed live via the Championship’s social media pages.

Photo credits – Stephen Jackman

 

The British Endurance Championship completes this weekend’s six sets of motor racing events where up-to-date Aston Martin Racing race cars will be found amongst their respective entry lists.

Already hitting their third round of six for the season, this weekend’s visit to Snetterton comes off the back of previous rounds at both Silverstone and Oulton Park and again comprises of (this time) of just three Aston Martins from the Venture Innovations, T7 Motorsport and Team Brit teams.

 

It was the second round of the 2022 British Endurance Championship from Oulton Park on Saturday as again, four Aston Martin’s helped to make up the twenty-four-car mixed class entry around the 2.7-mile Cheshire circuit.

Unlike the opening round of the new for 2022 season at Silverstone, the twists and turns of the MSV circuit were to prove expectedly difficult for the #6 Venture Innovations Aston Martin Vulcan of Gleb Stepanov and Stephen Tomkins. In contrast, the three more nimbler Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4’s of the Team Brit and T7 Motorsport were to be the favoured cars from the marque by the end of this two-hour race.

 

Taking centre stage at this weekend’s GT racing events at Imola is of course the SRO GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, this time featuring a grid of over fifty GT3 cars including two again from the Aston Martin Racing stable.

The long winter has of course seen the loss of the Garage 59 team to another marque after many seasons of competitive and sometimes Championship winning success with their AMR Vantage GT3’s in the series as Andrew Howard’s Beechdean AMR team now takes up the mantel for 2022 and hopefully beyond.

Sundays two races that formed round two of the British GT Championship from Snetterton certainly didn't leave anybody disappointed when it came to track incident and accident but the rewards that were gained by the Aston Martin Racing runners were hard fought for.

Watching Saturdays Free Practice and then Qualifying times across the GT3 and GT4 classes certainly showed that there was no consistency with any of the teams or drivers as each were required to set their own times for the two race Am's start one followed by the Pro's in the other format. It appeared to be the consensus up and down the pit lane that the operational window of the new Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 and GT4 was very tight and nobody had found the ideal set up going into race day.


Indeed, it appeared that most cars within the TF Sport, Optimum, Academy and Beechdean teams had elected to run a different set up to Qualifying as late as Sunday morning warm up and again even in between races. With the exception of AMR factory driver Nicki Thiim qualifying for race 2 on GT3 pole and Tom Canning in P2 for the GT4 class in race 2, all the other nine cars were towards the rear of their respective packs. One GT4 team commented upon how their cars were unexplainably 2 seconds a lap slower to what they had obtained at a test at the circuit just two weeks ago - was than a negative effect of an inter round balance of performance change or just a change in circumstance?

Martin Plowman, the very approachable guy that he is, offered the fact that he and co driver Kelvin Fletcher had gone too far the wrong way with balance, sacrificing top end speed in favour of grip. The trouble with the Snetterton 300 circuit is that you need both! Similar comments were being made by some of the GT3 drivers so clearly there was an issue - the question was where and could it be rectified in time for the races.


Race 1 began under bright skies and sunshine producing some of the highest track temperatures of the meeting so far with the opening lap producing enough drama to fulfil a race report of its own. Graham Davidson in the #2 TF Sport GT3 soon found himself doing a little autocross along the start straight as a neighbouring Optimum Vantage GT3 of Ollie Wilkinson had inadvertently squeezed another car in the middle of the track across onto the far side forcing the Scot to take avoiding action by keeping his foot firmly planted along MSV’s prized cut grass!

As the GT3 field then approached the Wilson hairpin for the first time, a missed braking point from the ABBA Mercedes lumped his AMG GT3 heavily into the rear of Mark Farmers #2 TF Sport Vantage causing sizeable rear end damage but at least he as able to continue. Then Andrew Howard chasing up behind in his #99 Beechdean AMR Vantage hit the fluid being deposited on track by the now terminally ill Mercedes to spin off onto the fortunately grassy infield before being able to rejoin but a long way back into the GT4 field. There was was also done.


Early contact between cars with any thirty seven car grid is always inevitable (like above) but for the #75 Optimum Vantage GT4 of Mike Robinson, he wouldn't be so lucky as wheel to wheel contact with a BMW GT4 damaged his front wheel wheel and suspension putting the car he shares with Patrik Matthiesen into early retirement.


And this was all before the end of the first lap!!

Fortunately, things did soon sort themselves out as the gaps between cars grew and that at least stopped any more wasteful and pointless contact between squabbling cars and drivers for a time. Wilkinson in his #96 made the most of the chaotic start moving up to and holding very convincingly P3 overall with Josh Price being the highest placed AMR GT4 runner - albeit down in P8 in class.

For the next twenty minutes or so of racing up until the start of the mandatory pit stop windows, it appeared to be a case of simply holding your position as few cars made progress through the field. Sadly, the new Vantages were again struggling with low end power to get themselves out of the corners and that always left the drivers compromised at the next. For the #99 Beechdean GT3, Howard's earlier issues on track would be compounded by a further 5 second success penalty after finishing on the podium last time out at Oulton Park and for the #96 Optimum GT3, a mistimed pitstop would cost them a potential podium finish after a drive through penalty was awarded for the remainder of the time missed.


Again, the next fifteen minutes appeared to stagnate in the GT3 class until Jonny Adam (now aboard the #47 TF Sport GT3) inched his way onto the back of the Team Parker Racing Bentley in P3. Lap after lap the Scot tried to pass the #7 car ever conscious that the JRM Bentley of Sebring Morris was now catching him. Then on the final lap of the race it all kicked off. Morris passed Adam but the #69 Lamborghini had also joined in and in Morris' haste to get away he collided with an another car damaging his bonnet. Unable to see the track he had to back off and in a final sprint along the straight to the flag it was the #47 car that took the final stop of the podium.

It certainly wasn't all over then either - passing by the along pit lane to Parc Ferme, an animated Rick Parfitt Jnr certainly made his emotions clear to Adam but wisely left things to his team to sort having just seen his podium vanish in the final 500metres of the race.


For #TeamAMR, the #47 was to be the only podium of that race with the other cars too far down, damaged or already out of the race to compete against some clearly faster rivals. Howard even dared to broach the subject in interview after his pit stop when he 'tip-toed' along the Balance of Performance subject by suggesting this his car was underpowered!!

For several of the AMR cars, the break in between races at least allowed for some repairs to be made - extensive ones to the #2 TF Sport and #62 Academy cars after Alex Both Jones made his own race ending contact with the Jaguar GT4 on just the 15th lap.


Race 2 was to start under skies that had clouded over and darkened slightly as even very light rain began to fall. That and with the air and track temperature still being quite high all would start again on slicks with any rain bound to spice things up!

At the front of the pack was Nicki Thiim in the #2 TF Sport car who would have the clearly fast Lamborghinis from Barwell Motorsport starting just behind him with Jonny Adam behind them and a couple more in P6. In GT4, TF Sports Tom Canning was bouyant of the chances of a good race with his #97 car starting P2 overall in GT4 just behind Team Parker Racing Mercedes AMG GT4 of Scott Malvern whom he knew he would have to overtake early to have any chance of winning.


With the race start more disciplined with the Pro's than earlier, there were fortunately few moments of accident and incident as this hour long race soon established a rhythm. No really able to break the drag to the Lamborghini's, Thiim had to settle with just staying in front of them knowing that one had a 10 second success penalty to serve at its stop. Just after the half way mark Thiim pitted to hand the car back over to Farmer for the final 28minute run to the flag.


That didn't start off too well for Farmer as first a delayed stop and then slower GT4 in the pit lane holding him up lost the #2 car valuable time. In GT4, Canning had completed a very fast yet this time mature stint in his car to hand over to Ashley Hand who would temporally lose the P3 position having just existed the pits on cooled tyres.

Howards weekend would go from indifferent to worse as he would get unceremoniously punted off the circuit just after the bridge at Nelson by one of the BMW GT3's - not very gentlemanly but at least the there was no significant points paying race position lost at the time although he might argue with that!!


Almost in a repetition to Sundays earlier race, everything came down to the final fifteen minutes of racing. Both Lambo's were now almost attached to the rear of Farmers Aston Martin and it wasnt long before that inevitability happened with first them and then the Balfe McLaren GT3 overtaking the striking metallic blue liveried AMR dropping him down to P4 overall.

With the podium chance in GT3 now lost attention turned to GT4 as Hand was having a great battle for P3 again with the then Balfe McLaren GT4. Fortunately, luck came the way of the #97 car as the #20 was given a 10 second stop and go penalty for avoidable contact earlier in the race. That would give Hand a clear run to the flag and the first podium and points for the #97 crew. Unnoticed by the cameras and those on site, the complexities of the Pro-Am and Silver Cup GT4 classes had allowed the #11 Beechdean AMR car of Martin Plowman and Kelvin Fletcher to sneak up the leader board to take what was then P2 at the chequered flag but a post race penalty to the 'race winning' Audi soon elevated them to race winners in the Pro-Am class.


Despite the obvious and ongoing power issues with the cars and the series (more the series rather than the car we're sure) hard work and determination from the respective teams and drivers allowed three AMR cars to take their first podium and significant points of the season in their respective tables as the Championship moves onto round three and the 'endurance' race at Silverstone in June.

For TF Sport, despite the disappointment of race 2 in GT3, Snetterton has proved itself to be something of a success after the disaster of Oulton Park with their first podiums and points in both classes. Their account is now open and that will also encourage their #2 and #95 cars to do likewise.


For Academy Motorsport, two DNF's for one of their two GT4 cars in each of Sunday's two races was something that team boss Matt Nichol Jones and his young drivers didn't deserve but they will overcome their issues to succeed (hopefully) sooner rather than later.

For Optimum's three cars it was good and bad. For their Silver Cup GT3 entry it was an extension to their championship lead over the #7 TPR Bentley whereas their two GT4's struggled with pace all weekend - kept another clean race but leave Norfolk with just a handful of points between them. As they become more accustomed to and can harness the full potential of their GT4's then their points will come.


Finally with Beechdean AMR team, the GT3 pairing of Andrew Howard and Marco Sorenson also leave with just a single point having never appeared able to challenge. At least their disappointment can be countered with the second podium and first race win of the season for their #11 GT4 crew - a result that sees them take the overall lead in the GT4 Pro-Am title race.

Next stop Silverstone.

Photo credits - Steve Jackman (as watermarked)

With just three more round of the 2018 GT Cup calendar remaining, Whitebridge AMR duo of Chris Murphy and Adam Hatfield are pushing for the overall crown after another top step class finish from Oulton Park at the weekend.

First up on Saturday was Hatfield who claimed class pole by just 0.5 of a second ahead of the #15 Ginetta before race 1 proved to be something of a quiet affair with an important lights to flag race winning performance and class fastest lap from the Norfolk based driver.

“It was a good race and a nice, quiet, uneventful race for a change,” said Hatfield. “It feels good to be able to just go and build a gap and maintain it until the end.

Snetterton was again a very productive race meeting for the two Aston Martin Racing teams competing for  both the overall championship win and their respective classes in the fourth round of the GT Cup championship.

Hudmotorsport's Nigel Hudson and Adam Wilcox looked particularly racey after a successful round last time out at Spa Francorchamps where Hudson secured his first race win of the season. Meanwhile, Whitebridge AMR would turn up with their latest V8 Vantage GT4 acquisition for team boss Chris Murphy and No2 Adam Hatfield to help strengthen their own class position after two previous rounds aboard a Ginetta.

It was something of a triumphant return to the Bute GT Cup Championship for both Hud Motorsport and Whitebridge AMR at season opener from Donington Park last weekend.

Nigel Hudson returned with his JMH prepared V12 Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 running in the top flight GTO class with professional co-driver Adam Wilcox again by his side. Despite having won a whole plethora of silverware last season the duo will be looking to do something better this year to win the championship outright.


Also returning to the Championship was Chris Murphy's Whitebridge AMR outfit, again running a 2016 spec V8 Vantage GT4 in the newly established GTH class along with team newcomer Adam Hatfield.

After most teams enjoyed a test day at the circuit on Thursday, the #12 JMH Aston was fastest at the end of Free Practice enjoying a half second lead over Paul Bailey in his Ferrari. For Whitebridge AMR, it was still a case of track time having had limited running since the driving pair came together for the first time at the AMR Collecive Test in Portimao earlier last month.


For the Hudson and Wilcox team, that quick start to events transpired into dream start for Race 1, with Hudson having firstly claimed overall pole before he then went on to claim an emphatic lights to flag win with a winning gap of over ten seconds to the second place Mosler. For Hatfield, he was also able to replicate the marque's GTO success by turning around his own perhaps 'slower' start to the weekend to claim P2 in his own class


For Race 2 is was this time  a P2 start for Hudson in the #12 car with an improved P11 start for Murphy in the #72 car. For most of the race the outcome appeared to have hinged upon the outcome of a failed move from the Aston on the pole sitting Mosler at the first corner that allowed the Gibson McLaren to out manoeuvre the #12 for position. Fortunately for Hudson, the delicate Mosler faulted mid race allowing them to reclaim their second place on track and a second place for the race.


The Murphy/Hatfield crew continued their own continuity by claiming their second - second in class finish of the weekend having started P2 in class which was all a pretty successful start to a Saturday's motorsport!


The final race of the opening round came on Sunday with the pitstop round where both drivers would compete. Hudson and Wilcox again took the honours in morning warm up before the duo later qualified P3 overall for the final race behind their main protagonists in the 650S McLaren and Mosler. Murphy and Hatfield meanwhile qualified their GT4 again second in class, P11 overall.


The final fifty minute race took a familiar tone, the #12 JMH Hud Motorsport car was this time able to overcome the Gibson 650S McLaren but unable to catch the more powerful (but sometimes delicate) Mosler to finish the day P2 overall 23 seconds down to the winner.

For Hatfield and Murphy, it was a simple case of being second, second, second as the #72 car clocked up its third second place of the weekend, again behind the more nimbler #23 Maserati GT4.


Overall, that was a very successful start for both teams as they now look forward to the slower but more technical GP circuit at brands Hatch next time out in May.

Photo credits - Steve Jackman (Eat My Pixels) / Adam Hatfield
Source material - Steve Jackman