AT DONINGTON
Ginetta G50 Cup championship leader Nathan Freke is set to make his debut in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship next Sunday (19 Jul) at Donington Park, where he is scheduled to take part in the first of the season's two-hour endurance races.
Freke will partner 17-year-old single-seater racer Ben Hetherington in a Ginetta prepared by Freke's own team, Kidderminster-based Century Motorsport. Their aim is to take the fight to the dominant team in the GT4 class of British GT, the Team WFR pairing of Jody Firth and Nigel Moore, who have won seven times in 10 outings.
"We had hoped to do several rounds this season," said Nathan's father, Clive Freke, "but date clashes have meant we have had no opportunity until now. It's going to be a good experience for both of them, and we are hoping that Nathan might be able to provide a little difficulty for the class regulars. That said, the two-hour race is a tough one to tackle and we've never tried the car without the wing, so it will be a steep learning curve."
EOS Productions-backed Freke, 25, was British Formula Ford Champion in 2006 and a BRDC Young Driver of the Year finalist last season. He's won six times this season in the G50 Cup to build a handsome championship lead. Club Formula Ford campaigner Ben Hetherington is the brother of Ginetta G20 Cup racer Freddie.
Meanwhile, at the sharp end of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship grid, things are starting to get very serious indeed for those with title aspirations. Donington's race is the first of the season's two endurance races, a two-hour marathon which will sort the weak from the strong and, inevitably, the lucky from the not-so-fortunate.
Appropriately enough it is the Leicestershire brothers David and Godfrey Jones who lead the championship to Donington. Their Preci-Spark Ascari is prepared by Leicestershire's Team Pyro, and Godfrey is the Donington lap record holder; all the signs are favourable for home success. The brothers have enjoyed an excellent season so far - twice second at Oulton Park and then second again in the first of the Spa races, a win (their first) at Knockhill and then another brace of GT3 victories at Snetterton a fortnight ago.
However, their championship lead amounts only to seven points, with 18-year-old Momo Mosler pilot Daniel Brown leading their pursuers. With three different co-drivers so far, Dan has racked up a brace of wins and several podium finishes.
The ABG Viper of Aaron Scott and Craig Wilkins is another double winner this season; they went to Snetterton with high hopes of another good result but a variety of mechanical maladies ruined their races; Donington ought to suit the Viper, and the West Midlanders know the track well. The beautiful Beechdean Aston Martin of Andrew Howard and Jamie Smyth was a podium finisher in round five at Rockingham and is overdue another top-three finish, while the RPM Ford GT, handled by Michael Bentwood and Philip Walker, is gaining pace with every outing.
Ferrari 430s claimed a 1-2-3 at Donington last year. The Rosso Verde car of Hector Lester and Allan Simonsen has proved consistently the quickest and most reliable this season, with the Duncan Cameron/Matt Griffin car, which is prepared by Tamworth-based MTECH, snapping at its heels. Another Midlands team, Walsall-based Rowan Racing, wields the spanners on the VRS Ferrari of Phil Burton and Adam Wilcox. The Chad Racing Ferrari, usually handled by Chris Hyman and Paul Warren, has been quick too this season.
The championship is sponsored by Avon Tyres and is further supported by motorsport insurance specialist AON, by Sunoco Racing Fuels and by Anglo American Oil Company.
Provisional GT3 championship placings after round 101= David & Godfrey Jones 673 Daniel Brown 604 Hector Lester 525= Craig Wilkins & Aaron Scott 497 Allan Simonsen 428= Adam Wilcox & Phil Burton 4010 Gregor Fisken 36 etc
GT41 Jody Firth 562 Nigel Moore 473 Ian Stinton 374 Hunter Abbott 28 etc
