The British GT season started at Oulton Park
with two one-hour races over the Easter weekend. There were four Ferraris
in the field with Hector Lester and last year's champ Tim Mullen in
the "Christians in Motorsport" 430 GT3. Phil Burton and
Adam Wilcox were in a similar tipo under the the "VRS Motor Finance"
banner, but with Shiltech actually doing the spannering. David Dove
was in a 360 Modena and Andrew Howard/Aaron Scott in the Beechdean
Motorsport ex-VRS/JMH 360 Modena hybrid, these last two cars running
in the small GTC class.
The 430 GT3s proved to be highly competitive with Lester/Mullen winning
Round 1 (seventh in R2) and Burton/Wilcox sixth in R1 and showing
flashes of speed and setting the second fastest race lap in Round
2 before being interfered with by an Ascari. The GTC cars fared less
well with Howard/Scott finishing second to last in both races and
David Dove not classified in either race.
Things didn't go so well at the next meeting at Donington Park (20/21
April). The 430 GT3s of Lester/Mullen and Burton/Wilcox were fourth
and fifth in free practice on the Saturday. There was then a crash
in which both 430s were involved, damaging them heavily. The Burton/Wilcox
car was rebuild using parts appropriately donated by the "Christians
in Motorsport" team, who's 430 took no further part in the proceedings,
but Wilcox put the donee Ferrari on pole for Round 4.
They started from the back of the grid in Round 3, coming home 14th
and led Round 4 for the first five laps before being mugged by both
Barwell Motorsport Aston Martin DBRS9s. The Ferrari eventually came
home sixth, though it is not known if the damage it sustained caused
a problem.
The Beechdean 360 of Scott/Howard won the three car GTC class in both
rounds.
Next Round: Snetterton:3/6/07.