The Avon Tyres British GT Championship claimed another motor-sporting first (Sun) at Brands Hatch when twin brothers David and Godfrey Jones took championship victory in the final round; it's not only the first British GT championship win shared by siblings but is believed also to be a UK first for twins.
The Jones brothers, 56 and from Newtown Linford in Leicestershire, clinched the crown by a single point thanks to their victory yesterday in round 13 and their third-place finish today at the wheel of their Team Preci-Spark Ascari KZ1R, which is prepared by Midlands-based Team Pyro. They scored three race wins during the season and a further six podium finishes.
Said Godfrey Jones: "I have been dreaming about this. I have dreamt good things and bad, it's nice to have it over and that it's gone the way we wanted it. We knew what we had to do... the one way that we could lose it was to not finish the race. The team has done a great job with the car and it's worked out very well."
"I think Godfrey drove superbly in the first half of the race," said David. "He kept it on the pace and I just had to bring it home third, which I did."
Today's outright race winner was the Invitation Class Barwell Motorsport Ginetta of Phil Quaife and Leo Machitski, which stole victory from the Allan Simonsen/Hector Lester Rosso Verde Ferrari two laps from the end after it had led all the way from the pole, Simonsen lowering his own circuit lap record as he went. Lester finished just eight-tenths behind to take maximum points and secure championship second.
The GT4 class was won for the 11th time this season by the Team WFR Ginetta of Nigel Moore and (new class champion) Jody Firth.
Avon Tyres British GT ChampionshipProvisional results round 13Brands Hatch 19/9/200938 laps / 87.43 miles1 GT3 Preci-Spark Ascari KZR1, David Jones/Godfrey Jones 1h 0m 07.467s2 GT3 VRS Ferrari 430, Adam Wilcox/Phil Burton +7.037s3 GT3 Rosso Verde Ferrari 430, Allan Simonsen/Hector Lester +15.164s4 GT3 ABG Dodge Viper, Aaron Scott/Craig Wilkins +21.085s5 INV Barwell Ginetta G50Z, Phil Quaife/Leo Machitski +28.081s6 GT3 MTECH Ferrari 430, Duncan Cameron/Mike Edmonds +51.040s7 GT3 Chad Ferrari 430, Chris Hyman/Paul Warren +53.182s8 GT3 RPM Ford GT, Philip Walker/Alex Mortimer +57.479s9 GT3 Beechdean Aston Martin DBRS9, Andrew Howard/Jamie Smyth +1m 06.479s10 INV KTM X-BOW, Reinhard Kofler 37 laps11 GT4 WFR Ginetta G50, Jody Firth/Nigel Moore 36 laps12 INV Moore Racing Mosler MT900, Dave Shelton 36 laps13 GT4 Stark Ginetta G50, Ian Stinton/Gary Simms 27 laps14 SS Piranha Motorsport Lotus 2-11, Chris Bialan/Simon Mason 22 laps
Not classifiedINV MBR Morgan Aero 8, Howard Spooner 26 laps
Fastest lapsGT3 Mortimer 1m 31.101s / 90.92mphINV Machitski 1m 32.740s / 89.31mphGT4 Moore 1m 37.685s / 84.79mphSS Mason 1m 38.747s / 83.88mph
Provisional results round 14Brands Hatch 20/9/200939 laps / 89.73 miles1 INV Barwell Ginetta G50Z, Phil Quaife/Leo Machitski 1h 01.216s2 GT3 Rosso Verde Ferrari 430, Allan Simonsen/Hector Lester +0.821s3 GT3 VRS Ferrari 430, Adam Wilcox/Phil Burton +17.209s4 GT3 Preci-Spark Ascari KZR1, David Jones/Godfrey Jones +36.379s5 GT3 Beechdean Aston Martin DBRS9, Andrew Howard/Jamie Smyth +38.558s6 GT3 RPM Ford GT, Philip Walker/Alex Mortimer +51.962s7 GT3 MTECH Ferrari 430, Duncan Cameron/Mike Edmonds +52.326s8 GT3 Chad Ferrari 430, Chris Hyman/Paul Warren +52.448s9 INV KTM X-BOW, Reinhard Kofler 38 laps10 GT4 WFR Ginetta G50, Jody Firth/Nigel Moore 37 laps11 INV MBR Morgan Aero 8, Howard Spooner 36 laps12 SS Piranha Motorsport Lotus 2-11, Chris Bialan/Simon Mason 36 laps13 GT4 Stark Ginetta G50, Ian Stinton/Gary Simms 36 laps14 GT3 ABG Dodge Viper, Aaron Scott/Craig Wilkins 28 laps
Fastest lapsGT3 Simonsen 1m 29.940s / 92.09mph RECINV Machitski 1m 30.460s / 91.56mphGT4 Moore 1m 36.440s / 85.88mphSS Mason 1m 37.982s / 84.53mph
Provisional final championship placingsGT3=1 Jones & Jones 87 points; 3 Lester 86; 4 Simonsen 76; =5 Wilkins & Scott 69 etc.GT41 Firth 76; 2 Moore 67; 3 Stinton 48 etc.
