After the drama of a two-hour endurance race at Silverstone in the previous round the British GT Championship returns to its more familiar format of two hour long races for this weekend (29-30 August) and the August Bank Holiday meeting at Snetterton.
However, the result from Silverstone could still play a major part in the weekend in Norfolk, after a third successive win for David Ashburn and Glynn Geddie in the Trackspeed Porsche mean their car will have to carry success ballast at Snetterton.
“Having such a lot of success ballast on the car is a bit of a concern and I’m sure the Ferrari [title rivals MTECH] won’t make it easy for us,” said Geddie. “But the team have done an outstanding job in preparing a car that allowed David and I to win twice at Rockingham and the two-hour at Silverstone. The car has been competitive and reliable all season but we have to take into account that we are carrying 75kg, and with Snetterton being a power circuit, it will hurt us.”
“It’s difficult to predict just how much of a disadvantage it will be for us until testing on Saturday, and more importantly in qualifying, so we'll work our hardest to make sure we are in with a decent shot.”
The ballast presents a new opportunity not only MTECH drivers Matt Griffin and Duncan Cameron, but to the similar Ferrari 430 Scuderia of Rosso Verde, and the Jones twins' Ascari KZR1 – both entries returning to the double header fold having missed the meeting at Rockingham last month. The premier GT3 class will also include RPM Motorsport's Ford GT, an Aston Martin and (according to series organisers the SRO as many as three Moslers.
The G4 class once more welcomes new comers as the category continues to grow and improve. Snetterton will welcome the fifth different manufacturer to the class with an Aston Martin entered by David Appleby Engineering for drivers James Appleby (the eponymous David's son) and Ant Scragg. “We are dipping our toe in the GT racing water at Snetterton,” said James, a 21-year-old motorsport engineering, “with a view to a full season, in Britain or in Europe, in 2011.” Both Appleby and Scragg regularly race in the Aston GT4 Challenge, partnering their fathers in different cars. “We've had some fierce battles,” the younger Appleby relates, “but we have great respect for each other and are well matched for speed. Joining forces and stepping up to British GT is an exciting prospect.”
The class will also include the brotherly effort of Benji and Freddie Hetherington. The youngsters, driving for Century Motorsport has the Silverstone round all by won, before a succession of penalties led to their disqualification. Returning again for Century in Ginetta G50 the siblings will be looking to avenge their ill luck from the last round, while Benji tries to continue the form from a victorious weekend into the G50 Cup at Silverstone last weekend.
