+ Optimum on top in both classes; Maiden GT3 pole for Warren
+ Beechdean makes it three from six
+ Toro Verde denies Optimum GT4 sweep
Marc Warren scored his maiden British GT3 pole position at Snetterton where Ross Gunn (Beechdean), Josh Stanton (Optimum) and Jack Mitchell (Toro Verde) also topped their respective qualifying sessions ahead of Sunday’s two races.
The reigning GT4 champion’s best time was 0.156s faster than Morgan Tillbrook who completed Optimum’s Race 1 front row lockout just before points’ leader Alex Martin hit the Armco, triggering a late red flag.
Gunn, meanwhile, bagged his and Beechdean’s third GT3 pole in six attempts by heading Orange/JMH’s Marcus Clutton before Stanton pipped championship leader Hadley Simpson (Innovation) by one hundredth of a second in the first of GT4’s two sessions. Optimum’s McLaren then appeared on course to clean up before Mitchell beat impressive returnee George Gamble – who made his last appearance in 2017 – by two tenths.
GT3: WARREN BREAKS THROUGH
Warren has been amongst this season’s quickest Am drivers and proved it again by claiming his maiden GT3 pole from team-mate Tillbrook and Barwell’s Rob Collard.
Unusually, his 1m47.494s pole time was set first time around and before the bulk of GT3’s other contenders registered a lap. Collard appeared on course to improve on his second flyer but lost a chunk of time in the final sector before then being pushed down to third by Optimum’s other McLaren.
Fourth went to Paddock’s Mark Smith who underlined the 720S’s pace around Snetterton by securing a career-best British GT starting spot.
Martin was fifth before losing the car on the exit of Hamilton, sliding wildly across the grass and making heavy contact with the outside barrier on the entry to Oggies. Incredibly, initial reports suggest the Lamborghini has sustained no significant damage despite lifting clean off the ground upon impact.
It shares row three with the Orange/JMH McLaren of Simon Orange, while Kevin Tse – a Snetterton winner in each of the last two years with 2 Seas and Mercedes-AMG – has work to do from seventh. Jonathon Beeson completed the top eight.
Barrier repairs necessitated by Martin’s crash delayed the start of Q2. But when it began, Gunn was quick on the draw.
Beechdean’s Aston had claimed both poles at Oulton before Gunn also set the fastest individual qualifying lap last time out at Spa. That streak continued at Snetterton where he set the pace on his first flyer before lowering the benchmark again next time around.
And that was just as well: Josh Buchan, who ultimately set the Silver-Am pace, was just 0.006s down after the first run before Ben Barnicoat and then Marcus Clutton both moved up to P2. Gunn, however, had already improved to a 1m45.737s – 0.159s and 0.230s faster than the Orange/JMH and Optimum McLarens could manage behind.
Rodin’s Ferrari and Buchan emphasised their raw pace in fourth, while Ben Green (2 Seas) and Martin Plowman (Paddock) completed row three ahead of Dean Macdonald (Orange/JMH) and Charles Clark (Century).
But there was further frustration for Barwell whose Lamborghinis start at the very back. A wheel speed sensor issue denied Hugo Cook the use of traction control and ABS, while Waberski was unable to turn a lap following Martin’s earlier off.
GT4: OPTIMUM AND TORO VERDE TOP TWO THRILLERS
Two absorbing GT4 qualifying sessions produced two different pole sitters as both Josh Stanton and Jack Mitchell prevailed in multi-car battles to secure top spots for Optimum and Toro Verde, respectively.
In Stanton’s case, Revie Lake’s Paddock Artura initially provided the sternest opposition before Hadley Simpson almost spoilt their Q1 party.
The McLarens traded top spot five times during a thrilling back and forth session. But Simpson’s Ginetta was also a factor, initially in third, and ultimately fell just 0.01s shy of securing Innovation’s third pole of the season.
Instead, Stanton’s 1m55.228s was just fast enough for the #59 car to score its second pole in as many races, and also finish just over a tenth clear of Lake who was unlucky to wind up third.
Daniel Lavery secured Pro-Am pole in fourth with the Grange Racing by FSR Aston Martin, while Luke Shaw (Toro Verde) and Jack Collins (Century) rounded out the first six.
Optimum’s McLaren was also a major factor in Q2 but ultimately had to settle for second behind Mitchell’s flying Ginetta, which bagged Race 2 pole at Oulton earlier in the season.
Colin Turkington set the initial fastest time in WSR’s BMW before Gamble moved 0.6s clear with his first effort. Mitchell then briefly went ahead before Gamble reestablished a two-tenth advantage.
Mitchell, however, wasn’t finished, and went purple in sector one before backing that up in sector three to snatch top spot from Gamble who had to settle for Silver class bragging rights.
Tom Bradshaw put in an impressive performance to rise to third in the Toro Verde Porsche ahead of Will Orton’s MK Racing Aston Martin. Turkington wound up fifth, just ahead of Jonny Adam in GBR Stratton’s Vantage as the two went head-to-head in the same category for the first time since their BTCC days.
Today’s hour-long sprint races go green at 11:35 and 16:00 BST on Sunday. Both are live on SRO’s GT World YouTube channel.
