British Endurance Championship Aston Martin runners complete this weekend's preview
Competing at their penultimate round of the season around the 300 circuit at Snetterton, we are hoping that both the #6 Venture Innovations Aston Martin Vulcan of Gleb Stepanov of Stephen Tomkins as well as the MKH Racing AMR Vantage GT4 of Peter Montague and Stuart Hall.
With the unfortunate absence of any provisional entry list and working upon the results of today’s private test at the circuit, we know that the #24 MKH Racing car is in attendance whilst the #6 car was listed as being there – but then that crew do not always run during the Friday test days.
Championship wise sees the #50 Class D AMR of Montague presently fourth in the overall championship table, just eleven points behind the leading #28 Class C Porsche 911 Cup crew thanks to a great set of results with either Hall or Dan Brown supporting him behind the wheel up to the last Championship round from Silverstone in late June.
For the #6 crew, some technical issues as well as some expensive damage along the way, Stepanov and Tomkins find themselves out of contention down in P12 ahead of the season’s final two races.
This weekend’s two hour race is again run on Saturday starting at 14:35hrs local.
Photo credits – Teams / Eat my Pixels
Friday, September 15, 2023 |
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Trouble for the Vulcan as MKH Racing secure another class podium in BECs revisit to Silverstone
For their second visit to the home of British motorsport this season, Saturday’s temperature proved to something of a hot one as both the #6 Venture Innovation’s Vulcan and MKH Racing’s #50 AMR Vantage GT4 set about their fourth-round business.
Having driven so well around the tighter circuit of Oulton Park last time out, the chameleon liveried Vulcan of Gleb Stepanov and Stephen Tomkins were hoping for much of the same this time round after the Qualified their car in second whilst the returning Stuart Hall (with Peter Montague) did likewise, fourth in class.
Whilst the Vulcan soon came under pressure in the opening laps, a safety car intervention soon helped to cool things down (metaphorically of course) before the grid soon became spread out again around the Grand Prix layout.
Just after the pit stop window had closed, trouble hit the #6 Vulcan as Tomkins was forced to retire the multi-million-pound car with clear over-heating issues of some description from under the bonnet.
In the meantime, a great opening stint from Montague with a clean handover to Hall enabled the former AMR factory driver to do what he enjoys most in tracking down and passing those ahead of him on track to eventually come home just three laps down to the winning Audi R8 GT3 in P6 overall and second in class.
Photo credits – Team / Eat My Pixels (Steve Jackman)
Monday, June 26, 2023 |
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Two Aston Martin ride again and as the BEC revisits Silverstone this weekend
The fourth round of the British Endurance Championship probably completes the Aston Martin Racing customer team participation around the world (as far as we are aware at least) with two teams back into the mix for Saturday’s two-hour affair.
Last time out at Oulton Park, we saw the #6 Aston Martin Vulcan of Gelb Stepanov and Stephen Tomkins lose its bright orange colour scheme for another a little bit more ‘natural’ and come back from its damaging encounter at Brands Hatch before that to bring home their best result of the season so far in P2.
The #50 MKH Racing Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 of Peter Montague and (then Dan Brown) faired equally well at Oulton Park despite regular co-driver Stuart Hall was otherwise detained racing historic in Europe, as they came home for another class podium in third.
Despite that result, the crew have now lost ground within the overall Drivers Championship table having dropped to fifth overall and second within their GT4 class to the Vulcan’s Venture Innovations Mercedes AMG GT4 teammates!
Saturday’s race will be waved off at 14:30hrs local and again will be streamed live via the BEC’s social media channels.
Photo credits - Save Jackman (Eat my Pixels) / Social media
Wednesday, June 21, 2023 |
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More AMR customer racing on either side of the Channel this weekend
Starting cross the channel sees the second round of the GT Open and supporting GT Cup Open Series take place with a larger grid expected there than at their opening round a few weeks ago in Portimao.
Whilst we will not see an Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 compete within this round of the GT Cup Open Series this time around, we will be seeing the Street Art Racing AMR Vantage GT3 as they look to redress the disappointment of Portugal where transmission issues blighted their first race of the season and prevented them running within the second.
At their home round, Pascal Bachman will this time be joined by South African Xolile Letlaka as previously confirmed by the team as Jahid Fazal-Karim is absent through prior commitments and as the South African looks to expand his racing commitments into Europe again.
Still running within the series Am class, the #007 will remain highly conspicuous on track by means of its colourful livery.
Then at Oulton Park we have the third round of the British Endurance Championship running on Saturday with the full season entries from both Venture Innovations Aston Martin Vulcan and MKH Racings AMR Vantage GT4 running in that three-hour affair.
Hopefully fully restored from being battered and bruised at the last round of the season from Brands Hatch, the bright orange #6 Vulcan of Gleb Stepanov and Stephen Tomkins is always a crowd favourite whilst the #50 car of Peter Montague and Stuart Hall very much there for the class and overall spoils of racing with their car sitting second in class and fourth overall after prior visits to both Silverstone and Brands Hatch.
Photo credits – Series / Teams / Steve Jackman (Eat my Pixels)
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 |
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Mixed Aston Martin fortunes in second round of BEC from Brands Hatch
Whilst the #6 car qualified upon the front row of the grid for Saturday’s two-hour race, the #50 car had its fastest lap deleted for track limits.
All that soon became irrelevant for the #6 Vulcan as cold tyres sent the million plus pound car heavily into the tyre wall half-way around the opening lap bring out the Safety Car and an expensive repair bill for Stepanov, the car’s owner.
Whilst he and co-driver Stephen Tomkins faced the woe of a DNF, the #50 pairing went onto slice through the field from two laps down at one point to come home P4 overall and second in class to add to their class win at Silverstone last time out.
The next round of the BEC will be from Oulton Park at the end of May.
Being the ever athlete that he is, Stuart Hall left the circuit to run in the London Marathon in an incredible 3 and a half hours.
Photo credits – BARC Live stream / Team
Sunday, April 23, 2023 |
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Success for both Aston Martin runners at BEC opener at Silverstone yesterday
Making use of a private testing day around the Northamptonshire circuit, the #6 Venture Innovations Aston Martin Vulcan of Gleb Stepanov and Stephen Tomkins and the #50 MKH Racing Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 of Peter Montague and Stuart Hall both came of the blocks quickly over the course of Saturday’s quick fire Free Practice, Qualifying and then three-hour race.
Despite its speed, the #6 car strangely qualifying down in P13 overall (P3 in its allotted A Class) thanks to the circuit being between slicks and wets whilst last year’s D Class champions weren’t too far behind in P18 (P4 in class) by the end of the morning Free Practice and straight into Qualifying sessions.
Starting under warm for the end of March but importantly dry conditions, Stepanov quickly fell back behind the Mercedes and Audi GT3 specification cars ahead as Montague also looked to make up places in class.
As the race progressed, three of the twenty starters were lost to technical issues but what also became apparent were the deteriorating weather condition towards the Stowe end of the circuit but towards the end of the race, it would be both technical and track limits that would threaten the success of the two Astons.
Having just made their final stop, the #6 Vulcan was soon back in pit lane with oil pressure issues where the delay would threaten their overall and class podium position whereas the #50 MKH Racing Vantage GT4 would get pinged for exceeding track limits and therefore earning themselves a drive through penalty.
Fortunately for all, the rains never materialised and delays served in pit lane were not enough for the #6 Vulcan to claim their overall and class third place whilst the #50 MKH crew were to come home sixth overall and at the top of the D Class podium.
The next round of the Championship will be around the Indy loop of the Brands Hatch circuit in just over three weeks time.
Photo credits – Teams / Jacob Ebrey / Stephen Jackman
Sunday, March 26, 2023 |
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British Endurance Championship kicks off at Silverstone tomorrow with some familiar faces
Opening their account around the full Grand Prix circuit of Silverstone sees twenty-three multi-class cars scheduled to compete in tomorrow’s three-hour opener.
With many of those testing at the circuit today, tomorrows entry sees the return of both the #6 Venture Innovations Aston Martin Vulcan of Gleb Stepanov and Stephen Tompkins and the #50 MKH Racing Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 of Peter Montague and Stuart Hill.
Both cars ran in the Championship last season – the Vulcan at pre-selected rounds where the cars power characteristics could be used more effectively and without undue risk to the car but more successfully for the #50 Class D car of Montague/Hill and sometimes Dan Brown which came third overall and first in class for their efforts.
Again running a single day programme for the Endurance rounds, tomorrow will be made up of an early forty-minute Free Practice session before launching straight into Qualifying before the green flag to their season opener at 13:40hrs local.
Photo credits – Team / social media / Stephen Jackman (Eat my Pixels)
Friday, March 24, 2023 |
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Four Astons due for penultimate round of the British Endurance Championship at Donington Park
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
Monday, August 15, 2022 |
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Another tough one for two Aston Martin runners at BECs visit to Snetterton
Yesterday’s third round of the British Endurance Championship from Snetterton proved itself to be something of a ‘character building’ affair for two Aston Martin teams, although one would still come out on top by the end of that three-hour race.
Going into this weekend at the head of Championship table, the #68 Team Brit crew of Andy Tucker and Luke Pound had high hopes after their consistency in results from the previous rounds at both Oulton Park and Silverstone.
Having qualified towards the rear of both the combined grid and their respective class for yesterday’s race, the older normally aspirated generation of the AMR Vantage GT4 unfortunately didn’t make it beyond the forty-minute mark as Tucker was forced to stop the car on the infield with engine smoke billowing from under the bonnet.
Just prior to that incident, the #6 Aston Martin Vulcan of Stephen Tomkins had also been off track and possibly into the barrier as the car was seen to return to pit lane with tyre smoke billowing from the rear quarter.
Despite dropping track position for those repairs, the #6 car was able to recover some of those places lost before the team was adjudged to have refuelled the car under the Safety Car (something that is not allowed) and was awarded a one-minute stop and hold penalty.
Unfortunately for them and Matt George who was at the wheel at the time, a gear box issue forced the car to pit again and eventually retire from the day’s proceedings. Maybe the earlier contact had had an effect on the cars gearbox for George to lose forth gear?
That left the #50 T7 Motorsport AMR Vantage GT4 of Peter Montague and a deputising Dan Brown for the Monaco Historic Grand Prix busy Stuart Hall.
Having this time not qualified on class pole (P3 this time) it was again Gentleman driver Montague who started the race off with his turbo charged variant of the Vantage GT4 where he and former British GT racer Brown worked their way up to eventually claim P2 in class by the end of the race.
The next round of the Championship is again back at Silverstone, this time in mid-June.
Photo credits - BEC / S Jackman
Sunday, May 15, 2022 |
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Three Astons for third round of BEC at Snetterton tomorrow
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.
Gleb Stepanov and Stephen Tomkins return after a difficult and bruising round (for the car) at Oulton Park where the nature of the circuit and weather conditions on the day simply prevented them from delivering all of the power that their Aston Martin Vulcan has to offer whereas the AMR Vantage GT4 power from the T7 and Team Brit crews allowed the former to Qualify on class pole position whilst the latter went on to secure a class podium by the end.
No Stuart Hall within the #50 T7 Motorsport AMR this time as Dan Brown pairs up this time with Gentleman driver Peter Montague whilst Hall enjoys the benefits of the Monaco Historic GP meeting this weekend.
Luke Pound and Andrew Tucker again pair up in their specially adapted normally aspirated version of the AMR Vantage GT4 for tomorrow’s three-hour race as the #68 car presently lead the handicapped Championship table by just one point after the two rounds so far but with the top 10 crews (including both the #6 Vulcan and #50 car within ten points of them.
Photo credits - Teams / Eat my Pixels
Friday, May 13, 2022 |
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Team Brit come out on top again after second round of the British Endurance Championship from Oulton Park
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.
Losing time due to an earlier incident within the BEC, it was to be a delayed start to the race with the Vulcan still having Qualified in P2 overall and with the #50 T7 Motorsport AMR Vantage GT4 of Peter Montague and Stuart Hall claiming pole position in their Class D car. The last time class winning Team Brit AMR Vantage GT4 of Luke Pound and Andy Tucker claimed P5 in class just ahead of their team’s sister car, that of Mark and Dale Albutt in their #33 Aston.
At the start, Stepanov lost places hand over fist as he gave those chasing him a wide berth around the opening corners – rightly protecting his multi-million-pound car against the ravishes of panel damage for only slight gains on track.
Luke pound also soon removed the class lead from Montague in his #50 car and set about extending his lead with Albutt Snr doing likewise soon after.
With this time two compulsory pit stop and driver changes required, Montague elected to get one of these over with early swapping over to his ex-AMR factory co-driver to lead the chase during the middle stint of the race.
At the halfway stage, the #6 Vulcan was suffering from technical issues after an earlier off-track excursion for Tomkins and that would put paid to their efforts for the remainder of the race as the orange Vulcan would eventually finish down in P12 overall but still P3 in class.
Unlike the 1-2 of Silverstone for the #68 and #50 Vantage GT4’s, the Team Brit crew would be unable to hang onto their class lead during the final stages of the race to ultimately finish P9 overall and P2 in class. Whilst the #50 car would finish just ahead of the Albutt car in P4 in class, the father/son combo aboard the #33 would this time have a much better race to end their day in P5 in class.
The next round will be at Snetterton in just over five weeks’ time.
Photo credits – Steve Jackman (Eat my Pixels)
Sunday, April 03, 2022 |
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Aston Martin runners looking for some more of the same as the British Endurance Championship resumes at Oulton Park
This Saturday sees the second round of the new for 2022 British Endurance Championship takes place from Oulton Park after a rather success opening round of the season for the Aston Martin runners down at Silverstone three weeks ago.
Last time out around the full Grand Prix circuit of Silverstone, it was a podium success for all but one of the Aston Martin runners as Gleb Stepanov and Stephen Tomkins secured top honours with a second placed finish overall in their #6 Aston Martin Vulcan whilst a post-race time penalty affected the results for two of the three AMR Vantage GT4 runners with Team Brit’s #68 car of Andrew Tucker and Luke Pound stealing the class win from #50 car of Peter Montague and Stuart Hall who had crossed the line ahead of them during the race.
Looking to make amends for their early error at Silverstone however will be the Team Brit prepared AMR Vantage of Dale and Mark Albutt who after taking avoiding action on lap 2, spun and then being stuck on the wet grass along the Wellington Straight which put them laps down by the time that they were able to resume.
Silverstone to Oulton Park – two wholly different circuits of course which will probably hinder the characteristics of the AM Vulcan with Stepanov telling us that his Vulcan had been reduced in weight over the winter and is pretty close to the performance of another GT3 anyway (although it doesn’t run to any true homologation) with it now running on 18” wheels as well but with its V12 engine all powerful along a straight, it was the corner exit speed that would be the determining factor for them at Oulton Park.
Like the handicap system that the Britcar Series work to and from where the BEC originated in form, the last result has the #68 Team Brit placed in P4 overall and Montague/Halls T7 Motorsport AMR Vantage GT4 in P6 going into Saturday’s three-hour race.
Photo credits – Steve Jackman
Thursday, March 31, 2022 |
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Triple Aston Martin podium at opening round of new British endurance Championship
The #6 Venture Innovation Aston Martin Vulcan of Gleb Stepanov and Stephen Tompkins was the highest of the four after Qualifying, finishing P3 overall and P1 in it’s a Class ahead of an early Saturday afternoon start.
The T7 Motorsport Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4 of Peter Montague and Stuart Hall also fared well during the earlier 30-minute session finishing up P15 overall/P1 in its class with the #33 Infinity Racing with Team Brit AMR of Dale and Mark Albutt not too far behind in P22/P3. GT race debutants Luke Pound and Andy Tucker completed the quartet bringing home their Team Brit Vantage GT4 P23/P4 ahead of the race.
Fortunately avoiding the scattered rain showers that affected their test day at the circuit on Friday, Saturdays opening round would be run on a dry track but with still a stiff breeze blowing across the former wartime airfield circuit.
With Stepanov taking the start within his now brightly coloured AM Vulcan, he would briefly take the lead of the race overall after a calculated move down the inside into Stowe on the opening lap but by the end of that lap, but he would have to settle for P2 overall for the remainder of his stint. Come the chequered flag, Tomkins will have driven a stellar two-hour race to recover back from P8 overall after their first stop to eventually finish P2 overall and in class but a full lap down to the eventual winners.
The #33 AMR of Mark and Dale Albutt would however have a torrid start to the race with Albutt Snr spinning out coming onto the Wellington Straight on only the second lap, bringing out the Safety Car in the process but fortunately being able to continue apparently further unaffected for the remainder of the race. They would finish the race P5 in class albeit six laps down to their stablemates ahead.
The old and new versions of the AMR Vantage GT4 of T7 Motorsport and Team Brit would have a fantastic battle together, jockeying for position relative to one another as the driver stops and mandatory pit stops cycled through.
Despite the age differences between cars as well the physical abilities of the drivers behind the wheel, the Team Brit Aston of Andy Tucker was able to keep former AMR works driver Stuart Hall ‘honest’ and firmly stuck behind him before Hall’s ultimate ability eventually allowed him passed, building a large gap until the chequered flag.
Unfortunately for the #50 T7 Motorsport team however, two pit lane speed limit transgressions gave them a 42 second post-race penalty and with only 39 seconds between the #50 and the #68 Team Brit car behind at the flag – that gave the class win to the #68 car at the first time of asking with the #50 car crew graciously accepting a race defeat with a P2 finish instead.
The next round of the Championship is at Oulton Park on April 2nd.
Photo credits – BEC / Steve Jackman
Sunday, March 13, 2022 |
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The British Endurance Championship kicks off its new season at Silverstone tomorrow
Ran by the same team behind the more familiar named Britcar Championship, the new BEC Championship will host a six-round calendar for their multi-class grid which this weekend comprises of a thirty-two car field spread across six classes and range (as far as we are concerned) from an older, normally aspirated Aston Martin Vantage GT4 to an Aston Martin Vulcan.
Four Aston Martins have been confirmed for the Silverstone round with the Venture Innovations AM Vulcan of Gleb Stepanov and Stephen Tomkins headlining in Class A whilst T7 Motorsport debut their new AMR Vantage GT4 in Class D for drivers Peter Montague and Stuart Hall.
Team Brit return for another year with a redressed GT4 for their new driver pairing of Andrew Tucker and Luke Pond within their #68 car and also with series returnees Mark and Dale Albutt aboard their Team Brit prepared #33 Vantage GT4.
After testing today, the new Championship will have a further Free Practice and Qualifying session tomorrow morning ahead of a three-hour race in the afternoon.
Photo credits – Steve Jackman (Eat my Pixels)
Friday, March 11, 2022 |
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