Jack Butel climbed onto the podium once again in the Henderson Insurance UK LMP3 Cup, securing two second place finishes in the double-header race meeting at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk last weekend (12/13 August).

Butel endured a mixed weekend last time out at Silverstone and the Jerseyman was eager to return to the rostrum in his Speedworks Motorsport prepared Ligier JS P3 LMP3. Jack was joined by his fourth different teammate at Snetterton, with Devon Modell sharing the driving duties with the Channel Islander this time out.

Learning and developing the right set-up for the two drivers is something Butel has learnt this year and a challenge he thrives upon, as straight away the pairing were fighting at the sharp-end. Being less experienced in the car, Modell took to the helm for the first qualifying session and set a blistering pace from the off, finishing just five thousandths of a second away from pole position in the gentleman catergory.

Modell started the race and instantly mixed it with the front of the pack, handing the sports prototype over to Jack half way into the hour-long race. The 21-year-old had to dig deep to return to the overall top three once again and used all of the power from the 5.5 litre V8 power plant around the challenging Norfolk circuit. Capitalising on his strong race pace, Butel slipped past a rival to blast the Ligier across the line in a fine second place – his best result of the season.

The next day Jack was to qualify for the Speedworks team and nestled the LMP3 rocket in fourth place. Disappointed with his first qualifying session of the season, Jack was set to make amends in the race however. Using his elbows-out single-seater experience, the St Saviour resident launched off the line and at the first complex of corners shot into second – a position he wasn’t going to relinquish.

Butel couldn’t quite match the pace of the leader but stretched a gap behind to allow teammate Modell to hop into the car and re-join the race in second place. Modell hustled the sports car around the 2.97-mile circuit and building on the Jerseyman’s excellent first stint, Devon closed the gap to the leader, lap after lap to sit at one point just six tenths of a second behind. With time running out, Modell couldn’t quite pass for the race win and crossed the line to take another second place finish for Jack and the Speedworks team.

After his fourth podium of the season, Jack Butel was pleased with his weekends work.

“I am very happy with our weekend at Snetterton. To stand on the podium again was fantastic and two second places has really given us confidence and feels like another step forward in the series. I felt the pace has come on this weekend and I was able to challenge right at the very front with Devon [Modell].

“We still sit third in the series and it will be nice to try and hold onto that with just one round to go. I will be doing the driving on my own at Donington which will be another challenge as it will be the first complete race distance for me. With just one more round to go I will be giving everything to stand on the podium again and I will try and claim my first win. The continued support from my family, sponsors the team and supporters is fantastic and I really couldn’t do it without them all.”

Jack and the Speedworks Motorsport team will return to action for the season finale on the 16/17 September at Donington Park in Derbyshire.