Witt wins title in tense Pirelli-backed GT Cup finaleJordan Witt clinched the overall GT Cup title in his Bentley Continental GT3 in a dramatic final round at Snetterton.
Witt was only three points ahead of BMW M3 GTR duo Tom and James Webb going into the final round of the Pirelli-equipped series, and this difference remained the same through the opening race, as Witt won overall and in GTO and Tom Webb triumphed in GTB, with both posting the best laps in their class. Both achieved the same feats in race two, extending the stalemate.
On Sunday, Witt gained a further point with pole position – something the Webbs missed out on in their class – but he made things difficult on the first lap with a spin that relegated him down the order. He was able to work his way into the lead before his pitstop, where he faced a success penalty. He eventually managed to finish sixth overall and third in class, enough to take the title with the Webbs 12th and fourth in GTB.
The race three win went to Bonamy Grimes and Jonny Mowlem in their Ferrari 458 GTC, with sportscar veteran Mowlem passing the Lotus of Gareth Downing and then the Aston Martin of Pete Littler to get the victory.
Daniel O’Brien secured the GTA title in his Ginetta over Porsche Cayman rivals Esmee Hawkey and James Birch.
Tockwith triumphs in inaugural Prototype Cup race on Pirelli tyresTockwith Motorsports won the first race of the brand new Prototype Cup held at Snetterton last weekend with drivers Phil Hanson and Nigel Moore.
Hanson claimed pole position in the team’s Ligier JS P3, which like the rest of the field was equipped with Pirelli tyres. He then quickly opened up a 10-second advantage at the start of the race, before Christian England began cutting that gap for Team West-Tec. Moore took over the car at the pit-stop and eventually finished 22 seconds clear of England’s team-mate Bradley Smith after an hour of racing.
Third place went to one of four entries from United Autosports, with Jay Palmer and Wayne Boyd leading the cars of Jacques Duyver/Charlie Hollings and Patrick Byrne/Guy Cosmo. Australian youngster Thomas Randle – a winner with Pirelli in BRDC British Formula 3 this year – showed good speed but served a penalty for a pit stop infringement on his way to sixth alongside Mike Newbould for Douglas Motorsport.
Line claims F3 Cup title with PirelliGeorge Line claimed the F3 Cup crown in a seven-way title decider at Snetterton.
Line finished second in race one close behind newcomer Paul Dagg, with his main rival Shane Kelly down in sixth place behind James Heffernan, Stuart Wiltshire and Daryl Jones, who also all came into the event with a chance of winning the Pirelli-supplied series.
Dagg took the win again in race two, with Robbie Watts second and Line in third. Heffernan was fourth in front of Jones, Jacopo Sebastiani and Kelly.
A second place in the finale for Line was enough to secure him the title. The race win went to Watts, with Jones third ahead of Sebastiani, Kelly and Heffernan.
British GT4 champions to defend title in Pirelli-equipped GinettaGraham Johnson and Mike Robinson will return to the British GT Championship next season to defend their GT4 crown.
The pair finished second in the category in 2015, then went one better in the first season with Pirelli as the exclusive tyre supplier. They will continue next season in their PMW Expo-supported, Optimum Motorsport-run Ginetta G55 GT4.
“This year Graham and I have had an amazing season and 2016 will be hard to beat,” said Robinson. “The competition in GT4 is going from strength to strength and not only are there some incredibly talented drivers to compete against but there are new manufacturers joining the grid with some very fast cars.
“We’re coming back in 2017 with the intention of starting the first race in the same way we have done in the past two seasons. After two years in the Ginetta we know the car inside out and so does the team. Everyone working with us at Optimum Motorsport knows exactly how to win championships in the GT4 category and Graham and I will be working hard on and off the track during the winter to help each other lift our performance even further in 2017.”
