Britcar GT Championship 2009 in association with Mackinnon Construction
Preview – Rockingham – Rounds 2 and 3

Two 90-minute races (on Saturday and Sunday afternoons) at Rockingham will be a bit of an unknown quantity for many of the Britcar regulars, since this is the first time that the championship has visited the track, but there will be no such problems for reigning GT champions Rod Barrett, Jan Persson, and Jay Shepherd, in the Neil Garner/Team Hawthorns Porsche 996. They missed the first round at Silverstone, due to Jan’s globe-trotting business commitments, but they re-enter the 2009 championship here, with no small amount of circuit knowledge, all three drivers having competed at Rockingham in both the TVR Tuscan Challenge and the British GT Championship.

They rejoin a Class 3 that is as highly-competitive as last season; championship title sponsor Alistair MacKinnon, partnered by Dean Lanzante, in the Lanzante-run, Red Bull liveried Lotus Exige, proved they could match some of the Class 1 runners on a damp Silverstone circuit, and will be looking to upset the order once again through the twisty infield section here at Rockingham.

Calum Lockie is always a driver to watch, too, no matter what he is driving, and he will be, as always, giving his all in Paul White’s ex-Foudroyant Racing, ex- McInerney Porsche 996. Also in contention for Class 3 honours will be the ever-improving Kevin Hancock and Leigh Smart in the Jemco Ginetta G50, and the Topcats Marcos Mantis of Jon Harrison and Neil Huggins. Patrick and Marc Charlton, piloting their Team Wireless Lotus Exige, had a disappointing run in their hometown race at Silverstone, and will be hoping for a better performance this weekend, as will the CTR-Alfatune squad, who were finding their feet last time out, with Chris Bentley and Danish FPA graduate Vibe Smed in the Porsche 996.

Rounding off the class are former historic racers Karsten Le Blanc and Christiaen Van Lanschot, in the Nicholas Mee Racing Aston Martin N24. However, all of the above could be shaken-up by the stop-press, late, but championship-registered entry by Jordansport of the Ginetta G50 of team boss Mike Jordan, and BTCC works Vauxhall pilot, son Andrew.  Booked-in as an Invitation entry is the  Porsche 996 of Jim Geddie and “supercoach” Aaron Scott.

Moving up to Class 2, the honours at Silverstone were taken by Michael Millard and Steven Brady in the Master Motorsport Prosport, a car that Steven’s father Jimmy had a hand in constructing nearly 20 years ago. Despite having just a 3-litre Ford Granada-based mill, it competes on even terms with the closely-matched exotica, such as the Chevy-powered Topcats Marcos Mantis of Mick Mercer and series returnee Rupert Bullock.

The friendly rivalry continues between the Kinfaun and MJC teams, with Scots John Gaw and Phil Dryburgh pitting their Porsche against the Ferrari 360 of big Surrey men Witt Gamski and Keith Robinson; expect this one to run through the season.  M-Tech are spreading their season around, and the 2007 Castle Combe champions are fielding a Ferrari 430 for Duncan Cameron and Mike Edmonds, whilst there are further Porsches too -  the Fullspeed Racing 997 of Stephen Colbert and novice Malcolm Stott, and the  CTR-Alfatune 996 of John Clonis and Chris Wright. Don Grice’s BMW GTR caused a stir, with an excellent Jamie Wall qualifying lap, at Silverstone, so expect the Terry Wilson-built machine to be in the running, and hope too, that the Glynnsport  and Jet Black pair of TVR Sagaris have overcome their Silverstone problems, and can be in the hunt as well.

The Silverstone-winning Rollcentre Mosler re-appears as an Invitation entry in Class 1 , though Martin Short has plumped for experience over youthful skills this time, co-driving with Gregor Fisken.. The Silverstone 24 Hours winning Porsche 911 RSR of Mark Sumpter and Adrian Slater took pole at the season opener last month, but was thwarted by tyre choice in the race, as was the Eclipse Mosler of father and son pairing Michael and Sean McInerney – expect these two cars to be  in the leading the pack, but don’t discount either the Topcats Mosler, with Rachel Green and Luc Pailard on board. No KRM Mosler this weekend -  Kevin Riley’s least-favourite track - but  Paul Cope will be racing in his Venturi, which, aside from a corporate day, and the March Britcar straight-line test, last turned a wheel in anger when it finished 16th in the 1994 Le Mans 24-hours.

Steve Wood