With just two hours to go the MP Motorsport squad lead the 2012 Britcar 24 Hours in pouring rain, the conditions worsening almost throughout the entire hour.
The wet conditions balanced the performance of the car, leaving a handful of drivers to shine, notably Ivo Breukers in the Class Four leading Red Camel/Jordans.nl and Martin Short in the Rollcentre Racing Toyota GT86, Short slicing his way towards a top ten that looked almost impossible on Friday evening.
The appalling conditions played at least a part in yet another delay for the Optimum Motorsport Ginetta G50 – long out contention for anything other than a class two podium – the car stranded out on track. Even more so the weather contributed to another of the blessedly rare coming together.
Gary Dunning in the Mission Motorsport Nissan told of trying to keep out of the way of two faster cars at Brooklands, only for the Intersport BMW to hit the Nissan pushing both cars into a spin.
The Intersport car, previous running in the podium spots in Class Three pitter with broken front-right suspension and bodywork damage, the Nissan with complementary damage to the left side of the 370Z.
Intersport’s problems mean that the Corum Sport Chevron – early class leader – is gaining ground on taking back a place on the Class Three podium.
After a lengthy remedial stay in the garage the Strata 21/Neil Garner Motorsport Mosler returned to the track, though well down on its previous standing, though guaranteed second in Class One after the de facto retirement of the Team LNT Ginetta G55, though they may return to the track to see the checkered flag.
However, in charge of the lead battle MP Motorsport hold a three lap over the MB Racing GT3 Aston Martin Vantage.
2012 Britcar 24 Hours Standings After 22 Hours
Class One:
1 – MB Racing – West/Wall/Brown/Cripps
2 – Neil Garner Motorsport – White/Cintrano/Morcillo/Sharpe
3 – Team LNT – Tomlinson/Kimber-Smith/Dean/Simpson
Class Two:
1 –
MP Motorsport – Poole/Symons/Bardwell/Abra
2 – Optimum Motorsport – Osborne/Mowle/Fletcher/Rattenbury
3 – GT Classic – Fairbairn/Littlejohn/McLean
Class Three
1 – Perfection Racing – Spires/Jensen/Johanson/Holmgaard/Klosterman
2 – MMC Motorsport – Spencer/Cassar/Lewis/Pettit
3 – Intersport – Clarke/Gibson/Hayes/Radcliffe
Class Four
1 – Red Camel.nl – Breukers/Thijssen/de Heus
2 – Brunswick Automotive – Griffiths/Green/Kirkpatrick/Forsbrey
3 – Team Toyota GB – Hodgetts/Hodgetts/Primrose/Meaden
