They say that a picture paints a thousand words and the above photograph appears to certainly do that!

With racing duties in the Asian Le Mans Series and Rolex 24 already under their belts this year and with significant increases in their World Endurances Championship, the European Le Mans Series and Le Mans commitments this season, the above image sees Tom Ferrier’s team TF Sport offer for sale both of their Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4’s.

Previously used with Championship winning results for Tom Canning/Ash Hand in 2019 and then with Jamie Caroline/Dan Vaughan last season, it appears that TF Sports British GT Championship steam roller machine will now take something of a sabbatical from the Championship with the sale of both GT4 machines on Racecarsdirect.com

Just over a week after claiming their first World Endurance Championship's GTE race win in Japan, West Sussex based TF Sport were back at the humble Snetterton racetrack in Norfolk during the week to offer some their drivers an end of season test before flying off to Las Vegas to collect their British GT and Blancpain GT prizes at the annual SRO Awards there this weekend.

The first of the two day test saw 2019 British GT Champions Graham Davidson and Jonny Adam take in a few laps of a wet then dry Snetterton 300 circuit - probably trying to entice the Bronze driver championship the reason to return to both the Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT3 and the team somewhere in Europe next season. Sadly missed but also taking in some laps aboard the new AMR GT3 was team favourite Derek Johnston - more for old times sake probably rather than any imminent plan to come out of retirement.

We also understand that Jamie Chadwick also indulged in a few laps around the circuit in the blue GT3 as well!


What was more special was the availability of one of the team's GT3 cars for the teams young 2019 British GT4 Champions Tom Canning and Ash Hand to test at the circuit in-between driver coaching duties of their own that they were giving to others in one of the teams V8 Vantage GT4's that was also at the circuit.

Running unofficially timed six lap runs at a time, the better weather on Thursday allowed the two youngsters to get somewhere near to a lap time set by Adam earlier in the day (within a second for Canning) but then, that was also probably just Adam 'playing' with them.


With any GT3 test having significant financial implications for those conducting the test, that cost and trust from team boss Tom Ferrier was not lost on the young heads of either Hand or Canning who (the latter) kindly took some time out to speak with us in-between runs.


We were assured by Ferrier that nothing at Snetterton this week had anything to do with any potential deals for 2020 - or at least that was what he said.........!!!

All previous examples of the British GT Championship's infamous hashtagged final race of the season have all provided highly exciting and eventful races that have in the past (mostly) gone in the favour of any Aston Martin Racing customer team in the equation, but Sundays events took all of that to the next level.

Going into Sunday's finale there were four AMR cars all with a statistical possibility of lifting a class or overall crown should all other results go their way. Indeed, such was the complexity of the issue that TF Sport had even created themselves a large excel document listing all of the scoring permutations just in case!


The 'favourites' had to be the then class leading entries of the #42 TF Sport Vantage GT3 car of Graham Davidson and Jonny Adam, the #97 TF Sport Vantage of Tom Canning and Ash Hand along with the #11 Beechdean AMR Vantage of Martin Plowman and Kelvin "Twinkletoes" Fletcher all up for a potential haul of accolades in both GT3 and GT4. All they had to do was to follow the team plan and not fall off the track!

The #96 Optimum Vantage GT3 of Ollie Wilkinson and Bradley Ellis did have a small statistical possibility of taking the overall GT3 crown but following issues during Free Practice and Qualifying it seemed that that duo had 'settled' for the GT3 Silver Cup title which they received on Saturday as their prize for a job well done in the first season of British GT.


Speaking with many of the drivers concerned, it was quite surprising just how 'matter of fact' they were being about it all - even for those who hadn't won anything of this level before as it would after all be what it was going to be. One thing was always going to be for sure though, that none would go down without the biggest fight that they could muster on track!!

On the formation lap, clearly some had got a little ever excited with two GT4's coming together at the Melbourne Hairpin putting themselves effectively out of the impending two hour race even before it had started - fortunately none of the AMR family of cars were affected as the actual race then began behind the Safety Car.


With the Am drivers taking the start, the opening laps saw Davidson do exactly what he needed to do in terms of following (whilst still applying the pressure) onto their Championship rival in the #72 Barwell Lamborghini - then the BMW of Angus Fender got past the #47 for position to start applying (helpfully) some significant pressure onto Adam Balon.

In GT4, Tom Canning was doing the same as he followed the class leading #29 Stellar Performance Audi R8 whilst the #97 TF Sport car of Patrick Kibble acted 'like his wingman' keeping their Championship rivalling Multimatic Ford Mustang of Scott Maxwell safely behind.


Whilst the order within GT4 would remain the same until the pitstop, pressure clearly got the better of Balon who dropped behind Davidson and into the crosshairs of both the #96 Optimum of Wilkinson and the #99 Beechdean AMR of Andrew Howard. At the halfway stage the #47 pitted for their extended pit stop from P4 whilst the #72 was now down in P11.

For the GT4 starters of Canning and Kelvin Fletcher (#11), they both ran impeccable opening stints with fast lap times built upon the basis of zero mistakes and that helped them to be able to pass on almost undamaged cars onto their respective co-drivers.


Obviously there were a few other Aston Martin Racing teams competing in the event. Despite Academy's experiencing another problematic opening day to the meeting to a point where many of the teams mechanics would spend more time working upon the #62 car of Will Moore and Alex Toth-Jones that the car ever would on race track over the weekend, at least they, with Micah Stanley and Ben Hurst in the #61, would see their season out with two solid, mid table finishes.

Also, the two Optimum GT4 cars of Connor O'Brien and Jack Butel (#35) and Mike Robinson and Patrik Mathiessen (#75) would sadly see out the season on something of a crash and a whimper (despite earlier promises in Qualifying) as O'Brien would crash out in an incident at the Old Hairpin where he would at first leave the track before rejoining it (facing the wrong way) and being collected by the Race Performance Mustang ending their season on the spot.


That incident also prompted another Safety Car period that would rotate the tables slightly for both the #47 and #97 TF Sport cars at the restart.

Firstly, the #15 Multimatic Mustang of Seb Priaulx would take P2 from Ash Hand as the pack began to space out a little once the circuit went green again - that would reduce the points deficit between the two cars slightly in the Championship but was OK as long as things didn't get any 'worse' on track.


In GT3, the biggest drama was just about to unfold going into the closing minutes of the race when the #18 WPI Motorsport Lamborghini at first gave Jonny Adam a more than decent whack up the rear going into the final corner of one lap before giving him further 'kisses' down through the Old Hairpin before overtaking him for P5 a corner later on the next lap.


That overtake took the #47 car off the top of the table in GT3 and with Adam seemingly unable to respond that all allowed the #69 Barwell car of Sam de Haan and Jonny Cocker to be the surprising victors at the chequered flag just half a lap later. That 'disaster' within one side of the TF Sport garage opposed directly with the joy and elation on the GT4 side as Hand delivered the #97 Vantage GT4 home to claim P3 in class and the GT4 crown.

Martin Plowman would also avoid all the clashing and banging on the restart (action that would ultimately claim the #96 Optimum GT3 into the gravel on the final lap) to finish P4 overall in GT4 and convincingly claim their GT4 Pro-Am title which was being celebrated in the pit lane even before the #11 car returned to Parc Ferme!!


Even at their younger ages, it was extremely professional of all four members of the TF Sport crew to mellow their celebrations as the team responded to the events on track and pondered any protest against the actions of the #18 car against the Adam/Davidson car. That action quickly went into full effect as the #47 car's Prodrive engineer was soon on his way to Race Control armed with the car's software data upon his laptop closely followed by both Adam, Davidson and other AMR representatives.


Passing them waiting outside the office of Race Control was reminiscent of waiting outside the headteachers office at school but obviously a lot more rode upon the outcome of any decision they might make - it could have easily been a very long night for all as the race results remain strictly provisional.

Investigation/appeal - counter claim/investigation from all parties all ended with WPI Motorsports appeal against their five second post race penalty finally being rejected by the Stewards allowing both Jonny Adam and Graham Davidson to be officially declared GT3 Champions based upon their adjusted P5 finish to the race thanks to a 0.037 of a second gap to the #18 car now behind them in the results.


To say that the eleven Aston Martin Racing GT3 and GT4 race cars entered this year dominated the season wouldn't be so, whilst the #47, #96, #97 and #11 car's have dominated six British GT Championship titles in both GT3 and GT4 classes which they have won, the 2019 season has been one of the most competitive and closest seasons to date and is a testament to the SRO ability to regulating such close inter marque competitiveness.


What a race - what a season and thank you to all who made that possible!

Now - when does 2020 start......???

Aston Martin marked the most successful campaign in its domestic racing history, winning six of the eight available titles in the 2019 British GT Championship, following the series finale at Donington Park. Three partner teams, TF Sport, Beechdean AMR and Optimum Motorsport all secured titles in either the GT3 or GT4 classes in a dominant season debut for the new Aston Martin Vantage.

Works driver Jonny Adam retained his British GT drivers' title for a record fourth time in a dramatic season finale. The most successful driver in the championship's history, Adam and TF Sport team-mate Graham Davidson survived a late-race skirmish with a rival to be classified fifth in the race, which was enough to secure the title in a season that included two victories.

Coming in to the final round with an six-point deficit to the series leaders and a 20s success pitstop penalty for winning the previous round at Brands Hatch, the odds were stacked against the Scottish duo. But following a brave stint from Davidson, Adam was on course to take the title in fourth position as his rivals faltered. Adam was then hit by a rival car on the penultimate lap dropping him to sixth position and second in the championship, until a subsequent post-race stewards enquiry reversed the positions and gave them the points needed to secure the title.

TF Sport also provided the leading lights in GT4 where Aston Martin swept the board. AMR Academy drivers Tom Canning and Ash Hand secured the overall class championship as well as the Silver Cup with third place in class, following an exemplary drive by both. They were followed home by another Aston Martin Racing partner team Beechdean AMR, whose drivers Martin Plowman and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Kelvin Fletcher, who secured the GT4 Pro-Am title. Patrick Kibble and Josh Price's sixth place was enough to give TF Sport the GT4 Team's crown as well.


All in all, and including the GT3 Silver Cup title that Optimum Motorsport won at Brands Hatch, Aston Martin secured two titles with the Vantage GT3 and four with GT4, representing the most successful haul by any manufacturer with a car on its season debut.

Adam said: “What a season it's been, to be 54 points off the lead of a championship and then come back and win is mega for everyone at TF Sport and Aston Martin Racing. To wrap up some championships and showcase how good the new car is on its debut season is an immense achievement. British GT is an important customer-base and to win four championships is really important to me personally. It's a lovely feeling. To see so many new Aston Martins on the grid this year at the first round was really nice, so to come here at the final round and for Aston to dominate in the points in all classes shows how good a car we've built. Graham has driven so well this year, and he has really wanted to win this championship. To have the nerve to drive the way he did today and give us a shot was amazing.”

Davidson added: "After Silverstone I thought it was all lost but I did what I could do and somehow we have got to this result at the end of the year. But it just goes to prove that persistence, practice, training and simulator work makes a difference. Jonny knows how to win a championship and he knows how to work with his co-driver. Even yesterday it seemed a distant chance, but I went out there and just got the best out of the car and didn't take any chances. It's nice to win it with Aston Martin and TF Sport. Jonny is the best driver coach in the world."


Aston Martin Racing President David King added: “What a fabulous result for the new Aston Martin Vantage. It's unprecedented to see a new car dominate such a competitive championship as the British GT series. That three teams were able to secure championship titles and deliver on the promise of the Vantage is testament to the tremendous hard work and engineering talent of everyone at Aston Martin Racing and of course our partner. And I would like to take this opportunity to thank those teams for making such a big commitment to a new car in its first season. I am so pleased we could repay their faith in us. When we envisaged the new Vantage racing car, it was always with a view to creating a user friendly platform that was fast in the hands of professional drivers and customers alike. That we have been so successful in British GTs and competitive in so many other places around the world, proves that we have achieved our objectives.”


Source material - AMR

Having seen with some of the cars that Tom Ferrier's TF Sport team will be entering in this season's British GT Championship last month came todays full reveal of both Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT3's and GT4's ahead of the season's opener from Oulton Park this weekend.

Having fitted in a sneaky final shakedown test at Snetterton on Wednesday before some final simulator work at Base Performance yesterday, all four cars were revealed to the racing media this morning just before the cars took to the circuit for a final day of private testing.


Both sets of cars will compete this year in similar base colours to each other - metallic blue for the Vantage GT3's and a very vibrant lime for the GT4's. With all four drivers within the two GT4 cars signed up for the Aston Martin Driver Academy this year, racing in a near AMR lime and with the car numbers synonymous with the factory WEC team gives that process that little bit more realism to the cars bigger brother in the GTE class.


AMR factory driver and reigning GT3 Champion joins up with Graham Davidson this year and will race in the teams #47 car whilst Mark Farmer and Nicki Thiim race in the #2 car. The same base colour has been applied but with different colour team hexagons and sponsor logos (of course).



For the first time we see both GT4 cars out together outside of their factory supplied white finish. They certainly won't be any issues in not seeing these two cars coming through the pack even in the track conditions of last year from Oulton Park!!