Bute Motorsport GT Cup, Donington – Race 1 Report
A Triumphant Return For Nick Whale

The 28 cars that formed the grid for the first of the day’s two races at Donington Park were the perfect illustration of the level of quality and professionalism in the Bute Motorsport GT Cup, with nine marques represented; Porsche, BMW, Chevron, Chevrolet, Ferrari, TVR, Morgan, Marcos and Ginetta. Sadly, we had lost Arwyn Williams’ Ferrari after qualifying with mechanical issues, but all the other cars appeared to be in fine fettle.

Jordan Witt led the field away in the distinctive yellow #85 Chevron GR8, followed alongside by the Morgan Aero 8 GT of Tom Andrew, and as they exited Goddards two minutes later and approached the lights the cars bunched in anticipation of the lights changing. When the green bulbs blinked into life, the engines opened up and the race was underway

However, the pole-sitter seemed to have bogged-down slightly and as Redgate got nearer, Andrew had the Group 2 Morgan into the lead. Gary Eastwood, in the #8 Ferrari 430 GTC saw his chance and slipped in behind the Morgan and dived down the left of the Chevron to grab second.

But as the right-hander got ever closer, there appeared to be contact between the Chevron and the Ferrari and the small GR8 came off much worse – spearing off across the grass and impacting heavily with the barrier, before bouncing back and crossing the track just ahead of the lead cars; thankfully without any further contact.

Jordan was concussed in the incident, but fortunately otherwise unhurt, but his car had suffered comprehensive damage and would take no further part in the day’s event. The safety car was immediately scrambled, owing to the Chevron’s resting place, but the recovery was swiftly effected and the race was back to green at the start of Lap 3.

Eastwood had taken the lead from the Morgan on the opening lap, but before the caution was called, and now led from the Aero 8 GT. The Ferrari initially appeared to pull away, but it wasn’t long before Andrew came back at him to keep the gap at just a few lengths. Nick Whale was third in the #29 Porsche 997 at this point, with Keith Webster fourth in the #10 Porsche 997.

Behind this quartet was a scramble for position involving several Group 1 cars; Andy Ruhan passing Mitch Millett’s #61 Corvette for sixth soon after the restart, but ending the lap down in eighth, behind Danny Winstanley’s #78 TVR Sagaris, while David Tomlin lost position after a robust pass by Millett at the chicane; “I had to pull quite a vicious move on David at Goddards to get by,” admitted the Chevrolet driver. “Normally I can outbrake most cars into the chicane, but David seems able to brake very late in his Ferrari, so it had to be a firm move. I actually forced him so wide that he lost a lot of time and got mugged by the cars following him. I spoke to him about it later and we’re good.”

One of those who benefited from Tomlin’s demotion was Derek Johnston in the #41 Ferrari 430, up to sixth on Lap 6 after starting 12th and seemingly going well in the unsorted car.

Tom Andrew was enjoying a commanding lead in Group 2 and was still less than two-tenths behind Eastwood as the leaders started Lap 7, but two very slow laps – subsequently diagnosed as a recurrence of the mystery fuel pressure problem that had appeared earlier in the season – dropped him down the overall standings until he was only two seconds ahead of Wayne Gibson’s #51 BMW E92 in ninth; after which his earlier pace returned. Group 3 was led in the early stages by Adam Hayes in the #9 BMW E46 M3, but Barclay Dougall managed to regain the lead on Lap 11 in the #37 E46. Mark Radcliffe had ended the opening lap in the pits with the front valance wrapped under the #19 BMW M3. He rejoined after a lengthy stop, but had lost too much ground to be classified at the end.

Andy Yool’s’ unhappy streak of bad luck continued, with the #53 Group 2 Chevron ending its day in the gravel on Lap 6 after having struggled with a power issue all weekend.

The Morgan’s problems had allowed Gary Eastwood to enjoy a breathing space in the lead Ferrari, but Nick Whale soon started to close on him.

Two seconds further back, Millett’s #61 Corvette also had designs on the lead after making great progress; but neither had Keith Webster given up after losing third to the Chevrolet and he remained very much in touch in fourth – six seconds ahead of Johnston’s 430, who himself had Andy Ruhan’s Porsche right behind him.

Tom Andrew held on to his Group 2 lead as his earlier pace returned, while Gibson’s BMW had a slow Lap 11 and lost a place to the #14 BMW M3 GTR V8 of Don Grice.

At the start of Lap 13, just 1.715s covered the top three and a thrilling finish looked to lie ahead. But just moments later, the black flag was being unveiled on the pitwall; but who was it for? The answer followed swiftly when a message flashed up on the timing screen that it was for Gary Eastwood - the leader was being excluded from the race for his part in the first-corner shunt.

The Corvette had come very close on more than one occasion to taking position from the Porsche ahead, but once the Ferrari was out of the picture the big car started to drop back as the first signs of a puncture became evident. Soon afterwards the tyre let go and Millett spun out at the Old Hairpin; the Corvette ending its race there after being unable to restart.

Just moments before David Tomlin had managed to take fourth from Andy Ruhan round Redgate and Hollywood, but Derek Johnston’s Ferrari was too far ahead for any further progress in the remaining time.

But Tomlin was happy with his fourth place for a number of reasons; “I started eighth and finished fourth and was everywhere else in the meantime. I had a great race with several other drivers – Mitch Millett, Andy Ruhan, Derek Johnston – but it was a good clean fight.

“I got passed by the Corvette into Goddards and forced wide and lost about three places, but I used that to my advantage later in the race when I did the same to other cars. It’s all about minimising your losses!

“The important thing is that I passed Andy (Ruhan) – he’s leading the championship and I’m second, so that was a good moment. I had the inside line and he defended robustly – I think we touched a couple of times – but I got through and afterwards he came up to thank me for a good fight.

“I’ve now lost my ballast for Race 2, so I might put some new tyres on; I was on old rubber for the first race.”

Keith Webster did close on the leader in the final two laps, but it was Nick Whale who took the flag in the #29 Porsche to take the win on his return to the series by exactly two seconds.

“We had a little bit of luck during the race,” said Nick, modestly. “I don’t think I’d have caught the Ferrari if it hadn’t been black-flagged and the Corvette would have been difficult to keep behind – but I just kept out of trouble and tried to be consistent.”

Tom Andrew’s Morgan stayed healthy after its earlier problems to take Group 2 – still sixth overall – while Wayne Gibson took second, despite dropping back in the closing stages.

Colin Broster took third after a lonely race in the #15 Porsche 996 GT3.

The battle for Group 3 honours went almost the full race distance, with Adam Hayes prevailing after retaking the lead on Lap 15. The gap between his and Barclay Dougall’s BMWs was rarely much more than a second, but the Scot’s car dropped a way in the final stages to allow Hayes to take the win by 12 seconds. Robert Koenig took third in the #25 Porsche 996 GT3.  

“I managed to get in front of Barclay at the start and pull out a lead on him, but then his experience brought him back and he got back ahead,” said Hayes. “I think I might have cut the tyres a bit as well. I kept with him though and managed to get back in front, and managed to stay there.”

How had he acquired the large dent that graced the passenger door?

“I was going down the Craner Curves with Barclay on the opening lap and he moved across on me which pushed me wide. I didn’t know Mark (Radcliffe) was there until I heard the bang!”

On a more elongated schedule than usual, the field would have almost five hours in which to ready their cars for the second encounter of the day.

MH