Danny Winstanley and Matt Seldon Master the Conditions

The sun and heat of Saturday’s free practice and qualifying were distant memories at a distinctly drab Brands Hatch on Sunday, but the GT Cup Championship again produced two dramatic races, and thoroughly entertained the ranks of spectators around the GP circuit.

Race One
The weather was a key variable in both of Sunday’s GT Cup Championship races at Brands Hatch, but it was the rain that began to fall just as the first of the two encounters began that had the biggest impact on the fates of the assembled runners.

It had been spotting for some time as the noontime start approached, but it was only as the cars headed out onto the parade lap that it began to fall sufficiently hard enough for it to be officially declared a wet race. All of the cars were still on slicks, however, and when the pace car headed for the pits, the track surface had become treacherous.
The more powerful Group 1 runners were particularly tentative at the start as they struggled for grip, but the first casualty of the race was the Group 3 Chevron of Andy Yool; the GR8 entering a spin all of its own and hitting the tyre wall on Paddock Hill Bend on the first lap with sufficient force to ensure that it would be taking no further part in proceedings.
The track was so slippery that poleman Michael Saunders considered parking his TVR Cerbera in the opening couple of laps, but he persevered and headed a line of twitchy cars round the 2.43 mile GP circuit. He had lost the lead, though; first, to the #71 Porsche 997 GT3 of Stephen Ritchie; and then – after Ritchie spun at Surtees – to the #45 Group 2 KTM X-Bow of Benjamin Harvey, who appeared to be the only driver enjoying the conditions.

After Rupert Martin’s race in the #49 Ferrari 430 GTC ended with a spin into the pitwall at the end of Lap 1, the officials decided that conditions were such that a caution period was warranted and summoned the safety car onto the track as Harvey began the third lap. With there being such a small amounts of precipitation, only two cars stopped to change to wets, leaving 14 cars on the lead lap when the race went green again with 16 minutes remaining. Harvey in the X Bow made a good restart and started to pull away from his pursuers.

Saunders’ battle with the conditions ended on Lap 6 with a spin into the Paddock Hill gravel, leaving the bright green TVR Sagaris of Danny Winstanley as the new second-placed runner. Soon, however, the first inkling of a dry line was beginning to emerge and the lap times were beginning to fall; and two quick laps from the Sagaris saw the gap from first to second fall to 0.318s.

Tom Andrew had by this point taken the Morgan Aero 8 past Colin Broster’s #15 Porsche to take second in Group 2, but now he was himself being pushed by Gary Eastwood, who was eager to take the Group 1 fight to Winstanley; the TVR having just taken the overall lead from the X-Bow. At the start of Lap 9, Eastwood saw his route past the Morgan and was up to third. Unfortunately, he didn’t see the yellow flag which was being waved while the Cerbera was moved to a place of safety and this would have consequences later on.
More immediately, however, Stephen Ritchie had another spin and dropped his Porsche into the Clarke’s gravel, necessitating a second caution period.

At this point, with seven minutes to go, Harvey’s KTM was the only non-Group 1 car in the top six, but he still held second overall. His six-second advantage over Eastwood had now disappeared, however.  Andy Ruhan, meanwhile, had just set the fastest lap of the race so far to close up to third in Group 1. Further back, Mark Radcliffe had just taken advantage of a slow lap from the BMW E46 of Adam Hayes, to snatch the Group 3 lead in his #19 M3. 

The safety car pulled off with less than three minutes on the clock, meaning only two more laps would be possible. Eastwood pounced too soon on the restart and passed Harvey before the line, but this time realised his error and back off to allow the positions to reset themselves. But with the track now quickly drying, it wasn’t long before a legitimate pass was completed; Ruhan and the #66 Ferrari 430 of Michael Symons also going by the X-Bow.
Danny Winstanley began Lap 13 with a 1.2 second lead and took full advantage of the clear track ahead to finish the race with a new fastest lap of 1:33.973, and taking the flag for the second time this season 2.096s ahead of Gary Eastwood. Andy Ruhan finished third, a further two seconds back. A steward’s decision post-race would, however, see Eastwood penalised 20 seconds for passing under yellows and this dropped him to fifth in Group 1 and tenth overall, Symons being promoted to third in the process.
Despite losing another place on the final lap, Benjamin Harvey had enough in reserve to take the Group 2 win, with Tom Andrew a close second in the Morgan. Colin Broster took third in Group 2, finishing behind the Invitation BMW E92 of Wayne Gibson.
Mark Radcliffe completed his final two green laps in strong fashion to claim Group 3 honours, with Adam Hayes taking second. Barclay Dougall had had a difficult time in the obviously under-par #37 BMW E46, but his refusal to give up saw him rewarded with third in the group and more valuable championship points.
 
Race Two
Between the first race ending and the second beginning, the rain began to fall over Kent more forcefully, but this at least meant that wets were the only option as the 16:00 start time approached.

The race began with two laps behind the safety car because of the conditions, the clock starting at the start of the second. When the cars were released, it was Matt Seldon who grabbed the lead at Paddock Hill bend in the Group 1 #23 BMW E46 and held on as the cars sped on out into the woods. Michael Saunders was second in the #99 Cerbera, with Andy Ruhan third in the #6 Porsche 997 GT3; and – there he is again – Benjamin Harvey leading Group 2 and fourth overall in the #45 KTM X-Bow.

As the leaders emerged into Clearways and rounded the Clark Curve, Seldon led by 1.3s, with Ruhan a further second back. Gary Eastwood took fourth from Harvey in the #89 Ferrari along the Brabham Straight, but Danny Winstanley was down in eighth in the Race One-winning Sagaris. Tom Andrew was second in Group 2, but there were five cars between the X-Bow and the Morgan; while Group 3 leader Adam Hayes had the luxury of only one car separating his #9 E46 from Mark Radcliffe’s #19 M3.

Eastwood took third from Ruhan with a bold move down the inside of Paddock Hill Bend at the start of Lap 3 and began the task of closing on the yellow TVR ahead. Saunders, however, had just set the fastest lap to close to within a second of Seldon.   

The Group 2 battle looked poised to close up as the Group 1 runners continued to pass Harvey’s X-Bow, but Andrew almost immediately put himself out of contention for group honours by dropping the Morgan into the Druids gravel on Lap 4 and causing the safety car to be scrambled for a third time. The Morgan was recovered and continued without pitting, but the two laps lost were never likely to be recoverable.

The race went green again at the end of Lap 6, with almost exactly ten minutes left on the clock.
Seldon held onto his lead, but the restart was not without significant incident. Andy Ruhan managed to spin the #6 Porsche at Clearways, even before the race went green again, and lost several places; while Mark Radcliffe’s BMW and the #49 Ferrari of Rupert Martin tangled at Surtees on the restart lap. Both were able to continue, but the Group 3 race was settled in favour of Adam Hayes at that moment.

Saunders was once more applying the screws to Seldon and had worked the gap to the leader down to just a quarter of a second by then end of Lap 9, but as the two dived down towards Graham Hill bend on the next lap, the BMW’s rear end seemed to snap out a bit and Saunders took avoiding action. Fortunately for Seldon, he held on and retained the lead; unfortunately for Saunders, he spun and dropped to fourth.  

With three minutes remaining, we had two Group battles closing up – Seldon v Eastwood in Group 1 at 1.154s after ten laps, and Harvey v Broster in Group 2 at 2.024. These gaps halved on the next lap, meaning that changes were possible on the final lap.

All eyes were on Clearways as the clock ran out, but it was the BMW that came through first; the Ferrari clearly too far back to make a move in the distance remaining. Matt Seldon took the win by 0.472s from Eastwood, with Danny Winstanley taking third in the #99 TVR Sagaris.

Moments later, it was the X-Bow that emerged from the GP loop with enough of an advantage to take the Group 2 win; Colin Broster falling just 0.546s shy of Benjamin Harvey after a great battle. Francis Galashan took third in the #57 Porsche 996.

Things were less dramatic for Adam Hayes, who took the Group 3 win by 25 seconds from Mark Radcliffe. Barclay Dougall again nursed his ailing E46 to a distant third.

Results:

Race One
Group 1
#78         Danny Winstanley       TVR Sagaris               13 laps                        25:45.174                    
#6           Andy Ruhan                Porsche 997 GT3       13 laps                        25:49.402
#31         Michael Symons         BMW GTR E46           13 laps                        25:49.597
Group 2
#45         Benjamin Harvey         KTM X-Bow GT4         13 laps                        25:52.654
#7           Tom Andrew               Morgan Aero 8 GT       13 laps                        25:54.497
#15         Colin Broster               Porsche 996 GT3       13 laps                        25:55.010
Group 3
#19         Mark Radcliffe             BMW M3                     13 laps                        25:59.505
#9           Adam Hayes               BMW E46 M3              13 laps                        26:07.497
#37         Barclay Dougall           BMW E46                    12 laps

Race Two
Group 1

#23         Matt Seldon                 BMW E46                    12 laps                        25:43.980
#8           Gary Eastwood           Ferrari 430 GTC          12 laps                        25:44.452
#78         Danny Winstanley       TVR Sagaris               12 laps                        25:47.864
Group 2
#45         Benjamin Harvey         KTM X-Bow GT4         12 laps                        26:06.132
#15         Colin Broster               Porsche 996 GT3       12 laps                        26:06.678
#57         Francis Galashan       Porsche 996 GT3       12 laps                        26:17.752
Group 3
#9           Adam Hayes               BMW E46 M3              12 laps                        26:26.555
#19         Mark Radcliffe             BMW M3                     12 laps                        26:52.021        
#37         Barclay Dougall           BMW E46                    11 laps
Round four out of nine of the 2011 GT Cup Championship takes place at Snetterton 300 on June 25th/26th.