Photo: The #47 Jetstream Motorsport Aston Martin V12 Vantage (Photo: Andy Lloyd)

The #17 TF Sport Aston Martin V12 Vantage went quickest in the opening practice for the final round of the 2018 British GT Championship when Marco Sorensen put in a 1:27.774 in the closing minutes of the one-hour session.

Second quickest in the GT3 class was the drivers championship-leading #75 Optimum Motorsport Aston Martin in which Jonny Adam, about to start his 90th race for the manufacturer, set 1:27.858 on penultimate lap.

Third quickest overall was the sister TF Sport Aston Martin, the #11 car, in which Nicki Thiim set a 1:27.997 on his final lap.

Quickest of the GT4 class was the #66 Team Parker Racing Ltd Aston Martin of Nick Jones and Scott Malvern which set a 1:35.908.

The drivers championship-leading GT4 entry of Dean Macdonald and Jack Mitchell was third quickest in the GT4 class with a 1:36.137.

Photo: Ian Cutting

Southport-based Ben Wallace is approaching the final round of the 2018 British GT Championship determined to finish the season on a high note with a top ten result in the GT4 class.

Wallace, currently lying twelth in the GT4 Silver Drivers’ standings, will be racing alongside Graham Roberts for the two-hour season finale at Donington Park in the #88 Team HARD 2016-spec Ginetta G55 GT4.

Despite lacking some driver aids, Ben Wallace is looking forward to the challenge of the 4 km Leicestershire circuit.

“I’ve driven the Ginetta G55 GT4 at Donington for the 2018 Media Day but, for this round, I’ll be driving a 2016 car so we won’t have traction control and ABS and it will require a different driving style,” said Ben Wallace. ”It will be something to get used to as I won’t be able to brake as late as I would have with the 2017 car and I’ll have to be easier and more progressive with the power. It will be a challenge, for sure, but I’ll get used to it and overcome it.”

Ben will be carrying the logo of Diabetes UK on his Ginetta, as he has throughout the season, supporting the work of the leading UK charity for people affected by diabetes. Ben is proud to be a role model for aspiring professional athletes who work with diabetes.

“With any condition, nothing is impossible,” said Ben, who supported fund-raising for Diabetes UK at the Ormskirk Motorfest in August. “If you want to achieve something you can, no matter what the illness. Anything is possible.”

Photo: Paren Raval

Ben is targeting a strong finish at Donington Park on September 23.

“If we could get a top ten for this weekend I’ll be finishing on a massive high,” said Ben. “We’ve only had one top ten result this year so to get another would be amazing. I’m not sure the pace will be in the car to aim for the top five or a podium so realistically a top ten would be really good.”

Track action for the final round of the 2018 British GT Championship gets underway at 09:40 on Saturday September 22 with qualifying beginning at 15:45.

The lights go out for the two-hour race at 13:35 on Sunday September 23. Live timing can be found at www.tsl-livetiming.com throughout the weekend with qualifying and the race being live-streamed via the British GT Championship Facebook page.

Image: ProTechnika Motorsport

ProTechnika Motorsport Team Principal Anna Walewska has announced that the team will be presenting its brand new Mercedes-AMG GT4 at the final round of the 2018 British GT Championship at Donington Park on September 22 -23, ahead of preparations for 24 hour races that the now-University Of Bolton-based team intend to enter over the winter.

“It’s a very exciting time for ProTechnika,” said Anna Walewska. “Our purchase of a new Mercedes-AMG GT4 from HWA Mercedes has happened at the right time we hoped for, enabling us to test the car at the British GT Championship race  at Donington this weekend and it arrived in the UK yesterday.”

Photo: BritishGT.com / Jakob Ebrey Photography

“(It has been) an exceptional effort from the team and I’m looking forward to driving it with Tom Canning this weekend.”

ProTechnika Motorsport made its debut at the Spa round of the 2018  British GT Championship where Walewska and Canning finished second in the GT4 Pro-Am class.

Track action for the final round of the 2018 championship begins at 09:40 on Saturday September 22 with the lights going out for the two-hour race at 13.35 on Sunday September 23.

Photo: BritishGT.com / Jakob Ebrey Photography

The 2018 British GT Championship enters its final round at Donington Park on September 22 – 23 and with the retirements announced of 2016 GT3 champion Derek Johnston and reigning GT3 champion Rick Parfitt Jnr, there will be plenty to make the weekend memorable and emotional.

In the GT3 category, Flick Haigh and Jonny Adam, teammates in the #75 Optimum Motorsport Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3, hold a 27.5 point advantage over rivals Jon Minshaw and Phil Keen in the #33 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracán GT3 with the #11 TF Sport Aston Martin pairing of Mark Farmer and Nicki Thiim just one point back on 121 points. With 37.5 points up for grabs, all three pairings have a shot. The substantial lead, however, of the Optimum Motorsport pairing means that barring a complete disaster for the #75 crew and a win for Minshaw and Keen, Haigh and Adam will be crowned GT3 champions on Sunday afternoon.

The race for second place in the GT3 drivers’ standings is covered by only eleven points. Mark Farmer and Nicki Thiim, driving the #11 TF Sport Aston Martin and currently lying third in the standings on 121 points, have Lee Mowle and Yelmer Buurman just ten points behind in the #116 ERC Sport Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Photo: BritishGT.com / Jakob Ebrey

Were Adam and Haigh to win the GT3 title at Donington, history would be made. Flick Haigh would become the first female driver to win a British GT title and Jonny Adam would claim a record-breaking three GT3 titles with different teams.

Adam is quietly confident but taking nothing for granted ahead of the title decider.

“British GT almost always goes down to a Donington decider, and it’s a phenomenal way to end the season,” said the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans LM GTE Pro winner. “Flick and I are in a good situation with a 27.5 points lead, but we have to overcome a 20-second pit stop penalty from our win at Brands Hatch. We know what we need to do, but the key is to make sure we go into the weekend ready to deliver just like the season as a whole.”

“Flick has been driving very well lately and has put so much into this season in preparation behind the scenes with testing and simulator work, winning the championship would be a great reward for her.”

If Adam and Haigh have a substantial lead in the GT3 standings, then the reverse is true in the GT4 category. 23 points separates the top six in the drivers’ standings with the #43 Century Motorsport pilot Jack Mitchell leading the way on 118 points followed by Bens Tuck and Green, teammates in the sister #42 entry, in second, just 10 points behind. The #55 HHC Motorsport pairing of Callum Pointon and Patrick Matthiesen complete the top six on 104.5 points. Pointon and Matthiesen will be looking to repeat their Rockingham showing and take victory in the GT4 class to give themselves the best chance of finishing the season as champions.

32 cars will take to the grid at Donington – 13 in the GT3 class and 19 in the GT4 category. Changes to the entry list for the previous round at Brands Hatch include the addition of three additional cars on the GT3 grid. RJN Motorsport is bringing its #24 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 to be piloted by Chris Buncombe and Struan Moore while Balfe Motorsport returns to the premier category with ex-GT4 champions Graham Johnson and Mike Robinson sharing the driving duties in the #101 McLaren 650S GT3 ahead of a possible 2019 full GT3 campaign. JMH Auto / John Seale is campaigning its Ferrari F444 Challenge with John Seale and Marcus Clutton behind the wheel.

In the GT4 category Cicely Motorsport has entered its #25 Mercedes-AMG GT4 to be driven by David Fairbrother and Adam Morgan while UltraTek Racing team RJN will campaign its #54 Nissan 370Z GT4 to be driven by Stephen Johanssen, the second driver yet to be confirmed.

Ben Barnicoat and Adam Balon will drive the #72 Balfe Motorsport McLaren 570S GT4.

Track action opens for the British GT grid at 09:40 on Saturday September 22 for FP1 with the lights going out for the two-hour race at 13:35 on Sunday September 23. With the weather forecast predicting rain and lower temperatures, it could be a fascinating weekend. Don’t miss it!

Photo: BritishGT.com

Derek Johnston who, with TF Sport and teammate Jonny Adam, won the 2016 British GT Championship GT3 Drivers Championship title, is to retire after the final round of the season at Donington Park.

Johnston has admitted that a little of the driving motivation that saw him take the premier GT championship title two years ago has left him and that, after selling his business, MSW (UK) Ltd, and retiring, he is content to step away from racing.

“There is more than one reason why I’m retiring,” said Johnston. “I’ve sold the business, retiring from MSW and I’m very happy with my life away from racing. I no longer have the fire in my belly and racing is now a chore rather than a pleasure. I think that’s worth half a second a lap.”

“I like John Gaw (Managing Director Motorsport at Prodrive), I like Aston Martin Racing, they’re a great organisation and TF Sport are just like family, ” continued Johnston. “I’ll miss them and it will be sad for sure at the end in Donington. TF are such good friends but I know I’ll stay friends with them all.”

“Derek Johnston was our first headline signing at TF Sport,” said Team Director Tom Ferrier. “As a driver he has evolved with us as a team and we are very happy to have helped him win the championship in 2016. Derek is a racer at heart and we will miss him!”

The final round of the 2018 British GT Championship takes place at Donington Park on Sunday September 23.

Photo: BritishGT.com

2016 GT4 champions Graham Johnson and Mike Robinson have announced that they will race in the GT3 class for the season finale of the 2018 British GT Championship at Donington Park on September 23.

Johnson and Robinson will take over the Balfe Motorsport McLaren 650S GT3, previously campaigned in 2018 by Shaun Balfe and Rob Bell.

Johnson and Robinson are excited at the prospect of racing in the premier category, possibly preceding a move into the GT3  class for 2019.

“When you’ve spent almost four years watching, being overtaken by and drooling over GT3 exotica from the cabin of your GT4, it’s perhaps inevitable that one day the temptation to race in the top league will prove too much!” said Johnson.

“Everything fell into place for the guest appearance,” continued the 2016 GT4 champion. “Balfe had a McLaren GT3 going spare, and Mike and I can’t feature in the top-two of the GT4 championship for the first time since we started competing in British GT, so we’ve nothing to lose by jumping ship and everything to gain because, yes, we are evaluating GT3 with a view to potentially making the jump for the 2019 season.”

“We’re not expecting to be on pole at Donington but, at the same time, we’ve never turned up just to make up the numbers. As the race draws closer, Mike and I are like kids looking forward to Christmas Day, but when the lights go out, we’ll be looking for a decent result.”

Track action for the final round of the 2018 British GT Championship gets underway for FP1 at 09:40 at Donington Park on Saturday September 22 with the lights going out for the two-hour race at 13:35 on Sunday September 23.