Rory Butcher and Jonny Adam set identical lap times during the second free practice session for the Avon Tyres British GT Championship, lapping the two mile Rockingham circuit in 1:24.088.
Butcher, sharing the Oman Racing Team’s #6 Vantage with Liam Griffin was the first to hit the mark before Adam emulated his fellow Scot later in the session aboard the Beechdean AMR entry. Three Astons finished the 50 minute session in the top five, that number rounded out by the TF Sport Car of Derek Johnston and Matt Bell.
Bell had set the early pace, making sure that Mike Simpson’s benchmark from the first session (1:24.522) was quickly toppled, Bell taking his charge around in 1:24.501. Neither Bell, nor Johnston, were able to better that time through the rest of the session, falling behind the Team LNT Ginetta, Simpson making sure the G55 GT3 was represented at the top of the order once again, and the Ecurie Ecosse BMW which Alexander Sims moved into fourth with a lap of 1:24.436.
Euan Hankey was sixth fastest in the #12 VonRyan Racing McLaren, he and Salih Yoluc returning to the championship after the latter was excluded at Oulton Park.
The Triple Eight BMW, RAM Racing Mercedes, #2 Oman Racing Aston and Demon Tweeks liveried Barwell Motorsport Z4 completed the top ten.
As in the first session the issues were almost entirely limited to the GT4 runners, though Liam Griffin did spin the #6 car at Kirby, though thankfully without any damage to the machine.
The Twisted Team Parker Ginetta G55 GT4 was limited to just two laps by an engine problem, while the Stratton Motorsport Lotus Evora of Tim Eakin and Jamie Wall completed only seven laps before an electrical problem brought an end to their session.
In was a lap by Jake Giddings in the JWB BIRD Motorsport Aston Martin that set the pace – by a distance in the class. The defending class champion was eight tenths faster that the drivers at his former team – Beechdean AMR.
Oulton Park race one winners Graham Johnson and Mike Robinson were third fastest in their Optimum Motorsport Ginetta G55 with the GPRM Toyota fourth in class after leading the category in the opening session.
The British GT weekend continues with qualifying starting 3:35pm. The grid for the two hour race will be decided by the totals of the best lap of each driver in the car.
