British GT Championship

Haigh / Keen Take Poles In British GT Championship GT3 Qualifying (31.03.18)

Photo: BritishGT.com

Flick Haigh drove the #75 Optimum Motorsport Aston Martin V12 Vantage to pole position for Race One of the Bank Holiday Monday double-header for the 2018 British GT Championship. After practice sessions which were frustrated by damp, cold conditions and stoppages, Haigh lapped the 4.307 km Oulton Park circuit in 1:34.769, .130 seconds quicker than defending GT3 drivers champion Rick Parfitt Jnr in the #1 Team Parker Racing Bentley Continental GT3.

Third quickest in the ten-minute session was the sister Team Parker Racing entry, the #7 Bentley driven by Ian Loggie, with a 1:35.096.

In the Pro qualifying session, which determined the GT3 grid for Race Two, it was defending Teams Champion Barwell Motorsport who took pole after Phil Keen lapped  in 1:32.869 in the #33 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 he shares with Jon Minshaw. Optimum Motorsport made it a 1 -2 after Jonny Adam finished second quickest in the session in the #75 Aston Martin with a 1:33.028.

Third quickest, and the second of the factory Aston Martin drivers in the top three, was Marco Sorensen in the #17 TF Sport Vantage after he lapped in 1:33.037.

Flick Haigh was delighted to be able start Monday’s first race from pole.

“All of our pre-season testing paid off and I’m really happy with the result,” said Flick Haigh. “With Jonny there was always going to be pressure but I’m glad that, so far, I’m living up to expectations.”

The lights go out for Race One of April 2’s two 60-minute races at 11:10.