Ashburn/Sugden Trackspeed 997
The move to GT3 as the main category for the 2007 Avon Tyres British GT Championship has resulted in more cars competing for the overall title; seven marques represented on the grid and with four different winners from four races, confirms British GT as the UK’s premier sportscar championship.
This weekend will see the first two hour race of the season at Snetterton on 3rd June, where the teams will go head-to-head on the track, and in the pitlane as tyre and refuelling strategy adds an extra dimension to the race.
Seven different marques have been represented on the GT3 grid this season and this weekend will see the much anticipated debut of the Team Modena Lamborghini Gallardo, which had its first test session last week and was immediately on the pace.
The first drivers to take the chequered flag in 2007 were Hector Lester and reigning British GT champion Tim Mullen in the Christians in Motorsport Ferrari 430, who finished ahead of the Barwell Aston Martin of Michael Bentwood and Tom Alexander. An accident in free practice put the Ferrari out of action at Donington and dropped the pair back down the championship order. With Tim Mullen on Le Mans duty his place in the Ferrari will be filled by French FIA GT3 driver Stephane Daoudi.
Aston Martin is the marque to beat
The Tech 9 pairing of Matt Harris and Oliver Bryant were the winners of Round 2 in their Porsche 997 in the closest finish of the season so far, taking the chequered flag 0.8 seconds ahead of the bio-ethanol powered Aston Martin DBRS9 of Jonny Cocker and Paul Drayson. A disappointed Tech 9 didn’t have such a good outing at Donington Park and they left with just two championship points, dropping them from 1
DoningtonParkwas a good weekend for the Barwell Motorsport team. The trio of Aston Martin’s took five of the six podium places in the two 1-hour races, including a 1-2-3 in Round 4 led by Tom Alexander and Michael Bentwood. However it was the rookie pairing of Guy Harrington and Ben de Zille Butler who left the East Midlands track as championship leaders after winning Round 3 and finishing 3rd in Round 4.
2004 British GT Champion Jonny Cocker and co driver Paul Drayson have yet to stand on the top step of the podium, but the green fuelled Aston has been on the pace since the start of the season and it may be their turn in Norfolk to add a win to the three podium finishes they have taken so far in 2007.
The RPM Viper has shown promise
The V10 powered Viper Competition coupe is a new addition to the British GT grid and is well represented this year, with Team RPM’s Bradley Ellis and Alex Mortimer leading the way for the marquee. With the three Barwell Aston Martins filling the top 6 championship positions, a 3
at Donington has put the Viper pairing at the top of the chasing pack. Team RPM run a second Viper for Henry Fletcher and James Saggers, with Moore Racing and Brookspeed running a car apiece.
Porsche have always been well represented in British GT and 2007 is no exception. As well as the Tech 9 997 of Matt Harris and Oliver Bryant there are four other 997’s due to race this weekend. Reigning British GTC champions Trackspeed have entered a single 997 for team owner David Ashburn and 1997 British GT Champion Tim Sugden. As well as the pair of Vipers Team RPM have also entered a pair of 997’s with Peter Bamford and Matt Griffin in the number 8 car and Nick Foster and Nigel Redwood in the number 7 machine. The other 997 has been entered by Team 4Car with confused.com, with the Fergus Campbell driven entry receiving backing from the Channel 4 Motoring portal.
A pair of Ascari’s will be on track at Snetterton, with the Team Eurotech – Preci Spark KZ1R of Godfrey and David Jones being the most successful so far this season. A podium at Oulton Park has left them tied on points with Alex Mortimer and Bradley Ellis and just 7 points adrift of Harrington and de Zille Butler in the championship table.
The Ascari's have been out of luck
Mechanical woes and accidents have prevented the Damax entered Ascari of Stephen Keating and 2002 British GT Champion and Le Mans 24-hour winner Tommy Erdos from showing its true potential but the team won the GT3 class at Snetterton in 2006 and will be looking to convert that experience into championship points in Norfolk.
The VRS Motor Finance Ferrari 430 of Phil Burton and Adam Wilcox has also been slightly unlucky this season but with a pole position at Donington the team have demonstrated that they have the pace to run at the sharp end of the grid.
The Eclipse Motorsport Mosler MT900 of brothers Elliott and Craig Cole has been another car dogged by bad luck this year and the team has the potential to take a podium position with the 7-litre American supercar as the season progresses.
Another new car will make its British GT debut this weekend with Multimatic Motorsport entering a GT3 Ford Mustang for American driver Gunnar Jeannette at the wheel.
Quality over quantity is the watchword in this season’s GTC Class. The championship title chase is currently tied between the Beechdean Motorsport pairing of Andrew Howard and Aaron Scott in the teams Ferrari 360, following a double win at Donington Park, and the Team Aero Morgan of Keith Ahlers and Steve Hyde, who have taken four podium finishes from four outings.
The racing has been close throughout the field
The RSS Performance Porsche 996 of Graeme Mundy and Jamie Smyth have scored three podium finishes but a non finish in Round 3 put the pairing six points behind the leading quartet.
Richard Hollebon and Nick Marsh make a welcome return in the little Richmond Racing Ginetta G20 after mechanical woes forced them to miss the races at Donington. The GTC class might lack numbers but expect plenty of action from this part of the grid.
The first 2-hour race of the 2007 Avon Tyres British GT Championship season should be one of the highlights of the year.
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