British GT Season Preview
Part 1 – GT3

Do you remember the good old days of three or four years ago? A couple of dozen GT cars would turn up to Oulton Park to shake off the cobwebs at the British GT opener, then several would go off to other championships leaving a core of 14/15 cars for the rest of the season – easy to follow and easy to write about. Now look at what we’ve got: 29 GT3 cars and a full grid for the Easter weekend and the prospect of more joining in later! It’s all getting very silly!

It seems highly likely that this season will be remembered as the best one yet for British GT, and hopefully will launch the championship into the national spotlight. All the ingredients are there – new cars; new and existing highly-professional teams; live TV; (potentially) Radio Le Mans coverage; and a damn fine driver line-up – for what should be a memorable season. But who’s going to win.

This isn’t the first draft of this year’s preview, with it not taking me long to realise that I was in danger of churning out essentially a large number of paragraphs saying ‘so-and-so is a quick pro and so-and-so is a good, steady amateur, so they have as good a chance of success as the next/last guys’, and that wouldn’t have been very interesting. So let’s change tack.

The pro drivers will undoubtedly attract the headlines, and with good reason – Westbrook (Chevrolet factory driver), Tandy (Porsche factory driver), Griffin (Ferrari factory driver), Parente (McLaren factory driver), Blundell (Le Mans winner) and Bobbi (two-time FIA GT champion) are just a few of the top-line pros in the GT3 field, with a whole number of young guns and quick seasoned veterans going up against them. But here’s the problem – the lap times between the slowest and quickest pros is likely to be under a second (given no major car issues), so while these guys will produce close and entertaining racing, they are not the ones who will ultimately determine the destination of the title; that will be decided by the amateurs in the field.

Yes, the Bronze drivers; so often the butt of ill-informed barbs on internet forums along the lines of ‘why not get rid of so-and-so and stick in a pro’. But here’s the thing – the amateurs in British GT are well capable of producing great racing. Take the 2012 finalé at Donington, for example: a huge field of quick GT3s, with the ams going first produced an excellent race and set up a classic finish to the championship; and they did this without spinning or crashing into each other. So looks take a look at the Class of ’13.

Beginning with the Porsche drivers, we have Gregor Fisken, Jon Minshaw and (for Oulton at least) the unretired (again) David Ashburn; so already we have Le Mans and FIA GT experience. Further appearances from the ever self-effacing but ever-rapid Ashburn may hinge on a good result this weekend, but for Fisken this season represents unfinished business. Having Westbrook alongside can only help him through the season, but will the fact that the English racer is again unable to commit to a full season influence the Scot’s chances? Minshaw, on the other hand, is still learning his craft at this level, but will benefit from Phil Keen’s help for the full season. Only bad luck prevented the Demon Tweeks boss from taking a win at Snetterton last year and he’ll be looking to avenge that disappointment this season.

At one point, it seemed that we would be looking at a grid swamped with Ferrari 458s, but we begin with just half a dozen (barely 20% of the grid, astoundingly). Only two of these are returnees with the same driver line-up and it looks likely that neither will manage a full season; but even so, both MTECH’s Duncan Cameron (driving with Griffin) and Rosso Verde’s Hector Lester (with Allan Simonsen) have stood on the top step on more than one occasion. Cameron is undoubtedly quicker than Lester, and Hector will need to call on all of his considerable experience this season to get near the podium, but the #23 rarely lets the Irishman down while the Welsh driver in the #21 has had his fair share of mechanical issues. Perhaps more importantly for both drivers, however, is the fact that they begin the season with 2012-spec cars. We will have the first indications of how big an issue this is when they go up against the 2013 cars this weekend.

MTECH’s second car will be piloted by Derek Johnston and TBA. The Nottingham-based racer comes to British GT with a fine pedigree, being the first winner of the Sunoco Daytona Challenge after success in Radicals and is also the reigning GT Cup champion. What is most impressive about the 50-year-old’s success in a 458 Challenge last year is that he began the season soon after having hip-replacement surgery. Regardless of the identity of his co-driver, Johnston is likely to be in the thick of the racing.

John Dhillon is another driver still finding his pace, but his third season in British GT sees him paired with regular co-driver Aaron Scott in an AF Corse Ferrari and testing has already revealed an impressive increase in pace. Nobody prepares a 458 as well as AF, and if Dhillon continues to move in the right direction a healthy points-haul is in prospect. But there is another Italian team in town, with Vita4One Italy looking to make a name for itself in the UK market. Jay Palmer returns to the series after a year’s absence and finds himself with Matteo Bobbi for company. Palmer wasn’t the quickest in the United Autosports squad in 2011 and will need to have improved his pace from then, but having Bobbi alongside (and running the team) is nothing but positive.

The sixth Ferrari is my dark horse for the title this year, with Gary Eastwood teaming up with Rob Barff in the FF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia. Eastwood won the BGT Cup title last year, but while he didn’t have much competition in the class there is no doubt that the 53-year-old is a rapid peddler. Rob Barff brings oodles of experience and has been coaching Eastwood since the latter’s earliest days in motorsport. Anthony Cheshire’s team hasn’t got to where it is by producing sub-par cars and this package just might have all the right ingredients.

Perhaps a more obvious contender for overall honours is the Beechdean Aston Martin GT3, with Andrew Howard again teamed up with Jonny Adam. Howard is relishing the season to come and is looking forward to capitalising on a year’s development with the car. The ice cream magnate has also been working on his fitness over the winter and will arrive in Cheshire ready to race.

He and his team will be up against two more Vantages, with Barwell and PGF-Kinfaun each fielding a car. Mark Poole is the Bronze driver in the black and red Barwell car and will be paired with Richard Abra. His pace is yet to be gauged, but the team has done an astonishing amount of testing over the off-season – in excess of 3,000kms – so he is unlikely to be tugging around at the back. Phil Dryburgh, meanwhile, resumes his partnership with John Gaw in the PGF-Kinfaun Vantage after a limited season in 2012. The Scot always downplays his contribution, but he and Gaw have a record of success together and that doesn’t happen by accident.

Also in the Barwell stable are two BMW Z4 GT3s, one again running under the Ecurie Ecosse banner and a second racing as Ecurie Ecosse with Barwell Motorsport , so no danger of any confusion here then(!)

The Ecosse BMW began the 2012 season in the best possible way with a win in the first race and was in contention for the title until the final few laps. Marco Attard debuts with the team in 2013, but was impressive in the Leipert Lamborghini in 2012. He joins Olly Bryant, who is fully recovered from the head injury that sidelined him for two races last season, in the brand-new Z4 and the duo joins the shortlist of title-favourites.

But the brace of 888Optimum BMWs is sure to provide tough competition. Lee Mowle and Steve Tandy are the Bronze drivers here, but they both race with young, fast co-drivers; these being Joe Osborne and Dan Brown respectively. Of the quartet, only Mowle has yet to take a win in the British GT, but his first goal will be to get up to pace in the GT3 category. However, despite his lack of experience (he only started racing three years ago), he is dedicated, hugely enthusiastic and disgracefully fit for a 47-year-old, so will quickly get there. 59-year-old Tandy, meanwhile, is more in the David Ashburn mould – a big lad who just gets on with his racing. He stood atop the podium twice in 2012 with Osborne and he will be hoping for more in 2013; as will Brown, who is looking to raise his profile after two frustrating seasons in FIA GT3. 888Optimum will no doubt face challenges as the new partnership solidifies, but there is no evidence to suggest that these will be significant.

A trio of McLaren MP4-12C GT3s will grace the grid at Oulton this weekend, with two from United Autosports and one from Preci-Spark. The blue, white and red cars from UA begin the season with changes to the announced line-ups due to an unfortunate calendar clash and an even more unfortunate testing shunt, which left Richard Meins with four broken ribs. He will be replaced for the opener by Moscow-based New Zealander Roger Wills, who brings WEC, BES and Le Mans experience with him. Mark Blundell is the pro in this car and he and Wills should make a potent pairing this weekend.

Zak Brown, meanwhile, has somehow ended up being classified as Bronze (wasn’t he Gold a couple of years ago?) despite amassing more and more racing mileage. The United Autosports co-owner is deprived of Alvaro Parente’s services this weekend, and has also just seen substitute Rob Bell himself being substituted by 2011 BGT champion Glynn Geddie as a result of Bell’s impending fatherhood. Brown took the win (but not points) at the Donington finalé last October and will be hoping to begin his 2013 title challenge in similar style.

The Jones twins began 2012 by selling their British GT Mercedes AMG SLS to Black Falcon at Dubai, but the choice of a McLaren to replace it was a surprise. The reliability of the car increased hugely through the course of 2012 and the brothers remain a threat due to the closeness and consistency of their laptimes; but will the team’s lack of experience with the car hold them back initially? We’ll have to wait and see.

Mercedes will still have representation in the BGT this year, as Fortec Motorsports begins an ambitious GT programme. Two cars have been purchased and it is hoped that both will be on the grid at Oulton. Finding suitable (Pro-Am) drivers has been an issue, however, and only one line-up is confirmed at the time of writing – Jason Minshaw (brother of Jon) being paired with James Walker. In many ways it is too early to comment on prospects for 2013, but we’ll at least get an indication on Saturday with practice and qualifying. Watch this space.

The remarkable grid continues with three Audis, with the third United Autosports car providing another potential title-challenging pair, as Mark Patterson arrives for a full season with Matt Bell in the team’s ultra. The US-based South African is a real character, and one who loves his racing; but while he is another to play down his contribution, he isn’t doing this purely for the fun of it – he wants to win. He faces the challenge of learning new circuits, but with Bell’s and the team’s help this is likely to be quickly overcome.

A bigger challenge faces the only all-Welsh team in the field, PE Group Blendini Moto. Dom Evans not only has to step up to the GT3 class after one incomplete season in GT4, but he also needs to get used to an Audi R8 LMS (still in 2011 spec) after very limited testing opportunities. His co-driver, Tom Roche, has a remarkable record of winning races and has run Blendini successfully for a number of years. It may be a new challenge for both of them – and they won’t be winning the title in 2013 – but you get the impression that they are going to enjoy this year.

The third Audi is fielded by another significant entrant into the British GT Championship, Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport Racing. The LMS ultra is a stop-gap for the team, being used to gain experience in this category until the Bentley Continental GT3 is ready to race later in the year. Dutch Racer Rembert Berg is the Bronze side of the driver pairing here, and I must confess to knowing nothing about him. He is partnered by Warren Hughes, however, and the Geordie racer will prove to be a valuable tutor.

The final two GT3 cars on the Oulton grid are both Ginetta G55s, with Team LNT fielding one and IDL-CWS the other. Both will be 2013-spec cars, with the upgrade hopefully addressing the problems that often arose during last year’s development year. Richard Sykes is the Bronze in the LNT car and he will be partnered by Lawrence Tomlinson and Mike Simpson this year, and although he is another to have come to racing later in life the majority of his racing has been in Ginettas. If the car’s reliability can match its speed this year, we could see some good results.

And it’s the same story over at IDL-CWS as Ginettas racers Colin White and Tom Sharp combine resources and experience in their G55 GT3. White has a fully stocked trophy cabinet at home, but most of the silverware was amassed in short-circuit and oval racing; disciplines not immediately relevant to GT racing. Nevertheless, his experience in Ginettas should mean he and his much younger co-driver will quickly gel.

There are still three other cars to discuss, where the ‘Pro-Am’ moniker doesn’t apply.

First off, we have the only Silver-Silver pairing in the championship, with Michael Caine (right) returning to defend his title. He is joined by Ahmad Al Harthy, who also won a title in 2012, the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain Pro-Am 1. The two will be rapid in the Motorbase GT3-R, but will have to carry 75kgs of extra ballast due to their gradings and much will depend on how significant this turns out to be.

Finally, we have two Nissan GT-R GT3s from JRM, each having a single driver. This is just a one-off outing at the moment, but the team is hoping it will excite interest from potential drivers. Mark Cole returns from a racing sabbatical to drive this weekend, while reigning GT4 champion Jody Fannin will be looking forward to going up against his co-champion Warren Hughes. The cars will be popular with the Oulton crowd, but a top result is unlikely from either car, not least because of the additional 20 seconds pitstop penalty both drivers will incur owing to their solo status.

So that’s the GT3 field. We’ll have the Nigeria Racing Eagle Audi joining in later in the season, as well as potential one-off entries from the likes of JRN and rhino’s Team Leipert and second cars from AF Corse and Vita4One. Whoever ultimately prevails in the title chase, it’s going to be fun watching!

MH