This live blog will be updated during the final, title deciding, race for the 2012 Avon Tyres British GT Championship from Donington Park.
11:08And the safety car is out at the end of lap three – that’ll be for Johnston’s missing #41 METCH Ferrari
11:06Jason Minshaw – retired – walks up the pitlane after his turn one crash, sarcastically applauds Andrew Howard as the Aston driver pits
11:05GT Cup champion Derek Johnston has spun the MTECH Ferrari from sixth place on lap two and is stopped on track by all reports.
11:04Benji Hetherington leads from pole for Fortec Motorsport in the Merc SLS, Jon Minshaw second after lap one
11:03After an uncertain start the #British GT field is released and Andrew Howard and Jason Minshaw tangle at turn one, lap one
17:44Ryan Hooker and Gary Eastwood win the GTC championship for FF Corse
17:43MTECH finish 10th, Ecurie Ecosse a lap down in 11th
17:42Champions Caine and Perfetti finish 4th, Ashburn and Keen 5th ahead of the Preci-Spark Merc.
17:41Zak Brown and Alvaro Parente take the race win, Peter Kox 2nd in the Reiter Lambo with Bell and Bateman in the second UA McLaren 3rd
17:40Michael Caine and Daniele Perfetti are 2012 British GT Champions!!!
17:39I think Dave Bartrum is holding out the Motorbase pit board!!
17:36bryant back in the race lap down
17:35points as they stand – Motorbase 130.5, Ashburn 127, MTECH 122
17:34Bryant pits to serve his penalty
17:32Caine and Perfetti are suddenly in line to win the championship!!!
17:31The Ecurie Ecosse BMW Z4 is given a 1 minute stop-go penalty!!!
17:31Kox is past Bell for second – he has 4.7 seconds between he and Parente
17:30Aaron Scott limps the Scuderia Vittoria car in from 12th place
17:29Alvaro Parente leads a United Autosports 1-2 from Matt Bell with Peter Koxs Lambo in 3rd
17:28Ecurie Ecosse team manager is summoned to race control. Uh-Oh
17:26Now, will Bryant be punished for that move?
17:2514 minutes to go – another deep breath
17:23Peter Kox takes third on track but neither he now Parente will score championship points…..
17:23points as it stands Ecurie Ecosse 135, Motobases 130.5, David Ashburn 122.5, MTECH 119
17:21Daniele Perfetti and Michael Caine might win the title because of that!
17:21Trying to pass Jones and Griffin Olly Bryant spins Griffin at Goddards!!!!
17:20Peter Kox is 4th, passing Godfrey Jones out of Coppice
17:19Caine has second place off the Jones Merc
17:19Bell takes second from Godfrey Jones to take 2nd and set up a United Autosports 1-2
17:17Peter Kox takes 6th from Olly Bryant
17:16Alvaro Parente take the lead, but who will take the championship
17:16Bell passes Caine for third with a little contact to the front of the Porsche
17:15Parente and Caine sibe by side through Redgate bu Caine repels the move, but Parente takes the place at the Old Hairpin
17:13Oliver Bryant is on Matt Griffin’s bumper for 5th place
17:12Godfrey Jones is escaping from the battle for 2nd
17:12Simonsen says the Rosso verde car went into limp mode.
17:11Alvaro Parente in 3rd has a look as passing Caine at the hairpin
17:09Griffin in 5th is 1,3 seconds clear of Oliver Bryant in 6th
17:08Simonsen pits
17:08Simonsen’s dropped well back with a problem – has that spared Griffin
17:08The leaders go three into Redgate but the order (somehow) remains the same
17:07Safety Car is in with 33 minutes to go
17:06top 10 – Preci-Spark, Mbase #11, UA #24, UA #27, MTECH, Rosso Verde, Ecosse, TSpeed #31, LNT, Reiter
17:04points as they stand – MTECH 131, Motorbase 130.5, Ecurie Ecosse 127.5, Ashburn 113.5, RJN (out) 108.5, United Autosports 106
17:02Safety Car is deployed!! Safety car is deployed!!
17:01griffin forces his way back ahead at Goddards on lap 51 with 38 minutes to go
17:00Questions as to whether there were yellow flags for the Speeworks Corvette there
17:00Griffin runs wide at the Old Hairpin and Allan Simonsen takes the place at McLeans
16:57Simonsen is now just 1.5 down on Griffin in a battle that could decide the title
16:55Godfrey Jones lead is now just 5.2 seconds, Caine 1.1 clear of Bell for 2nd place
16:54Joe Osborne gets a 1 second stop go penalty for too short a pitstop
16:53Allan Simonsen is catching Mat Griffin – if Griffin finishes fifth, Caine and Perfetti only need a 2nd place for the title!
16:51Matt Bell is just 0.8 behind Caine in 3rd place.
16:50Deep breath – still 50 minutes to go
16:49The Jones brothers have a 10 second lead over Michael Caine in the Motorbase Porsche
16:47It’s a broken shock absorber on the Nissan
16:47Points as it stands – MTECH 131, Motorbase 130.5, Ecurie Ecosse 124.5
16:45Mardenborough pits – Godfrey Jones leads!
16:44Jann Mardenborough has a left-rear tyre problem/suspension failure!!!!!!!!!
16:42Godfrey Jones emerges from the pits in second place behind the Nissan
16:41Matt Bell rejoins just behind Michale Caine in the Porsche started by Daniele Perfetti
16:40After leading a lap at the end of the stint David Jones comes into the pits as the Nissan leaves with Jann Mardenborough driving
16:39Bateman also in to hand over to Matt Bell, but they’ll have a longer stop after their Silverstone win
16:38end of lap 38 and Buncombe pits from the lead….
16:37Top three still staying out, and Bateman’s pace has recovered after that one slow lap.
16:36Matt Griffin has done the fastest lap of the race – 1:30.690
16:35Top 3 through for another lap – itll be lap 37
16:35Alasdair McCaig pits for Oliver Bryant to take the BMW over
16:34Bateman falls away to 12 seconds behind Buncombe on lap 35. Traffic? Mistake?
16:32Both Buncombe and Bateman continue on for another lap as does 3rd placed man David Jones
16:31Nico Pronk comes in, a lap down, for poleman Peter Kox to take over
16:30David Ashbrun also in for Phil Keen to take the #31 Porsche over
16:30Pit window opens and Duncan Cameron is the first stopper for Matt Griffin to take over the MTECH ferrari
16:27Top 10 – RJN, #24 UA, Preci=Spark, #11 Mbase, #27 UA, Ecosse, MTECH, LNT, Rosso Verde, Trackspeed #31
16:263 minutes away from the pit window opening now
16:25The lead gap is now just 5.7 seconds, the leader now into the back of the GT3 class lapping slower traffic
16:23Jones is 17 seconds off the lead, 11 down on Charles Bateman’s McLaren
16:23lap 29, David Jones passes Perfetti for 3rd at Melborne Hairpin
16:21Unsurprisingly Jody Fannin leads GT4 for Team WFR by over 40 seconds
16:17Buncombes lead down to 7.7 seconds now – but Batemans progress is slow with their longer pitstop for winning at Silverstone to come
16:17David Ashburn has fallen back to 10th place behind both Tomlinson and Hector Lester
16:13David Jones takes the fastest lap of the race at 1:31.238
16:11David Jones is a long way clear in 4th, despite losing time with his trip through the gravel earlier
16:10Ashburn has got back ahead of Hector Lester into eighth place, Tomlinson 9th in the Ginetta
16:09Points as they stand – RJN, 146, Motorbase, 126, Ecurie Ecosse, 124.5, MTECH 122, United Autosports 121, Ashburn, 107.5
16:08Lap 19 Ashburn runs wide at the chicane Cameron and Ashburn get past, Ashburn now 9th
16:06Bateman has been able to take a little off the Nissan’s lead, but its still 9.5 seconds
16:04Cameron now looking to relieve David Ashburn of 7th place
16:02Lawrence Tomlinson takes ninth from Hector Lester
16:00Ashburn and McCaig battling over 6th place. Buncombe leads by 9.7 seconds with Bateman gaining
15:58David Jones outbrakes himself at the chicane and bumps through the gravel
15:57Bateman takes second from Perfetti.
15:57Top 10 after 15 minutes, 10 laps: RJN, #11 Mbase, #24 UA, #27 UA, Preci-spark, #31 TSpeed, Ecosse, MTECXH. Rosso verde, LNT
15:55Charles Bateman is all over Perfetti for second place, 7.7 seconds behind Buncombe
15:54Phil Dryburghs in the gravel at McLeans – beached.
15:53Alasdair McCaig is the next man past the Aston after the Jones car also gets by
15:53Ashburn passes Howard at Goddards and David Jones takes both Cameron and McCaig round the outside up to 7th
15:52Zak Brown takes 4th from Andrew Howard at the chicane
15:51Charles Bateman up to 3rd, but they need a minor miracle to take the title
15:50Buncombes lead now over 6 seconds!
15:49Points as they stand – RJN 146, Motorbase 130.5, Ecure Ecosse 121.5
15:48Alasdair McCaig passes Duncan Cameron to move ahead of the ferrari driver in the points and Perfetti takes 2nd!
15:47Buncombe meanwhile has cleared off in a 2.2 second lead over Andrew Howard
15:46Perfetti, still capable of winning the title takes third from Brown at the Melborne Haipin on lap 4
15:45Ashburn falls to 5th, abck behind Brown and Daneile Perfetti
15:44By the Chicane Buncombe leads! Ashburn 2nd and most everyone else 3rd
15:44Howard mugs Ashburn for second at Redgate on L3, Alex Buncombe takes 3rd from way back on the grid
15:43broken steering on the #33 Trackspeed Porsche after the lap one clash
15:42Pronk leads Ashburn after one lap. Andrew Howard 3rd, hector Lester 4th
15:41Jon Minshaw and Ian Stinton make contact at Melbourne Hairpin
15:41David Ashburn is up to third after half a lap. Duncan Cameron back to 9th
15:40And they’re off. Zak Brown takes the lead from second place but tthey’re all round Redgate safe and sound
15:39And it’s just starting to rain….Fun, fun, fun
15:37Cars are away from the grid on the formation lap behind the Juke R safety car
15:32Five minute board is displayed……
15:28Pitlane opens and the cars set out on track
15:27…Nico Pronk and Zak Brown will pilot the front row cars ahead of Hector Lester and Duncan Cameron on row two
15:26It’s almost exclusively the ‘gentlemen’ drivers of the pairing starting the cars so…..
15:19British GT cars are out in the pitlane ready to form up the grid for the final round of the season
15:05We have been told the approximate start time of the race is 3:30pm.
15:04After the pair of big accidents in the FIA GT1 race we’re very delayed at Donington Park.
