Morning Free Practice Session
15 cars on track in the new look British GT Championship, in more sunny UK weather. Early days yet for the new class structure (where have we heard that before?)

The Moslers were amongst the first to find pace, lapping in formation and getting down to the 1:12s very quickly. But in early trouble was the #27 CDL Racing TVR T400R, a broken propshaft halting its run after just one flying lap. Worse news though was that the flailing remains of the shaft took with them most of the TVR’s oil lines – spares are available in Birmingham, but the car is unlikely to run in qualifying this afternoon.

Also in trouble, but after the session - was the stunning #31 Jaguar XK8 of Allen Lloyd and Gerry Wainwright. After gradually improving throughout the half hour, the team found an engine problem that will mean a return to the workshop overnight. They’re confident of being back by tomorrow morning. Let’s hope so the car is a visual and aural treat: Jaguars have been away from GT racing for far too long.

So the timesheets were firmly in the grip of the Moslers with the times dropping to the 1:10s for both of the MT900Rs Rob Barff and Tom Herridge in Blue #22 heading Shaun Balfe and Jamie Darbyshire in Red #33.

Next up were the two remaining TVR T400Rs, the Harman / kardon backed #69 Eclipse Motorsport version ahead of the Hartshorne / Mundy pedalled #23 Racesport Salisbury car. With just a few minutes to go it was Mosler, TVR, Mosler, TVR as Piers Johnson steered the #69 car to a 1:10.289, 0.2 seconds shy of the Barff / Herridge MT900R. There’s more to come from the Moslers for sure, but Piers Johnson is confident that the TVRs have something more to give too. Qualifying could be quite a battle.

The #7 CMS Viper’s Girl Power driving squad were lapping consistently, and more quickly (1:16), still a little way off the pace but getting there steadily.

In the brand new GT Cup class it was the #46 Morgan of Keith Ahlers that showed early pace before Pat Pearce and Nick Griffin’s #76 GruppeM Tech 9 Porsche found their rhythm to top the times.

The second Morgan Aero 8 ‘Cup’ car is here too, Neil Cunningham joining Steve Robinson in the blue and silver car. It’s been a real rush to get this car ready for the start of the season and there were inevitable last minute problems. The car took to the track sans hardtop when the clips on the new design roof section failed: then a minor oil leak prevented an extended run. The car was back out on track before the end of the half hour.

With the expected Brady Motorsport Ultima looking doubtful after continued problems at the team’s workshop, it’s a small but very different looking grid. 15 cars, 10 different marques and lots and lots of new driving talent on display. Just the start of something?

Afternoon Qualifying Session
Championship Class
With luck (and a large number of spare parts) the wounded CDL TVR T400R and AJL Racing Jaguar XK8 will be race ready for tomorrow morning, but for the time being it looked like a Mosler vs TVR battle for pole.

We weren’t to be disappointed. With Martin Short away on Ferrari baiting duty in Barcelona, the task of qualifying the #22 Rollcentre Racing Mosler fell to Tom Herridge. He didn’t disappoint, taking the battle to a determined Piers Johnson in the #69 Harman/ Kardon TVR after 10 minutes of the half hour session, with a lap around the National Circuit of 1:10.585.

But Johnson was keen to push the big American V8 powered supercar very hard and within minutes had retaken the advantage with a 1:10.544.

It was TVR, Mosler TVR with the #33 Balfe Motorsport Mosler still waiting to join in the fun and John Hartshorne going very well indeed holding third spot in the Peninsular TVR T400R. Fourth at this stage was Ricky Cole in the Xero Motorsport Chevrolet Corvette as disaster struck the fifth placed #21 Glenn Eagling Motorsport Marcos Mantis GTO. Just as the car improved on its best lap time its hopes disappeared in a huge cloud of smoke. The car pulled off erratically but safely into the gravel on the outside of Redgate. The initial diagnosis was a thrown rod, the engine ruined and the opportunity for Tom Shrimpton to become the youngest ever starter in a British GT round (at 17 years and 5 months) was gone.

Almost in trouble too was Ricky Cole, the exit to Goddards caught him out and the big Corvette was launched into a lurid but ultimately harmless spin.

Back into the pole battle, Jamie Derbyshire finally rumbled down the pit lane with 12 minutes gone and immediately made his mark, third on his first flying lap. At the halfway point in the session Tom Herridge showed his, and the Rollcentre Mosler’s class with a time of 1:09.659. “He did exactly what he needed too,” said team-mate Barff. “A good, fast controlled series of laps. The TVR is always tough to beat and I’m delighted we managed to do it.”

Piers Johnson was certainly trying hard too, but his best would be a 1:10.282, consolidating second slot but still six tenths down on the flying Mosler. He pulled into the pit lane to hand over to Shane Lynch, it would be a Mosler on pole. But which one?

Jamie Derbyshire was trying hard to make pole his own, but did succeed in edging Johnson’s TVR down to third. It would be an all Mosler front row and an all TVR row just behind. The third row will be an all American pairing of the Xero Corvette and the CMS Viper, Amanda Stretton and Annie Templeton finding more pace and thoroughly enjoying themselves in the process.

Shaun Balfe was still a happy man: “This is the first time Jamie (Derbyshire) has ever driven anything with a roof, a fantastic performance.”

“That was quicker than I managed in testing on softer rubber so I’m pleased with that,” remarked Derbyshire. “A front row slot in my first GT run has to be a good thing. I’m really looking forward to the race tomorrow.”

“I just didn’t have the grip I wanted, the car just wasn’t as comfortable as this morning,” sighed Piers Johnson. “We’re OK with third though, I’m happy to push the Moslers and get them to show more of their hand.”

A good qualifying battle and an interesting battle of the marques to come tomorrow. With a brand new 75 minute race format in prospect tomorrow, will the big TVR straight sixes and American V8s be marginal on fuel or will it be a sprint from flag to flag? Rob Barff: “The extra 15 minutes, bizarre as it may seem, really changes these races into true endurance events.”
GG

GT Cup Class
Unremarkable in size, but certainly noteworthy in diversity, the GT Cup field had its first ever qualifying session in warm, sunny conditions, allowing the viewing public its first glimpse of what the season may have on offer from this new class.

The Tech 9 911 GT3 Cup Porsche took no more than three laps to install itself at the top of the timesheets, Patrick Pearce shaving a second off his early times to leave pole secured at 1:14.542 by the time he handed over to Matt Griffin (Both drivers are here seen straight after qualifying with Tech 9 boss Phil Hindley). The Irishman wasn’t to better this time, no doubt mindful of the fate of the team’s second GT3 the previous day. He certainly had little pressure from behind, having a cushion of more than a second for much of his stint.

The challenge, when it came, was headed by Neil Cunningham in the roofless Morgan Aero 8, #66. Keith Robinson had done a few exploratory laps to make sure the car was bedded in following the troubles of the morning, before the Australian took over. In Cunningham’s hands (and once he had gotten used to the non-racing gearbox) - “I was fishing round for any gears, until suddenly BANG and I was away.” The car improved its time with almost every lap, finishing with its fastest time set as the flag fell – 1:15.016.

The other Morgan was third fastest at the flag, but also improving rapidly at the tailend of the session. This time it was Keith Ahlers, a Morgan veteran, who was doing the hustling. The gap between the Malvern battlers, which had earlier in the session stood at more than two seconds, was less than a second by the close. Ahlers also setting the car’s fastest time at the flag.

The class was completed by one very familiar car, one familiar car, and one very unfamiliar car – the Marcos Mantis, Lotus Elise and Renault Clio.

The Clio had only completed 30 laps before today’s activities, and so Enzo Mucci and Adam Sharpe were barely beginning to discover what the French car was capable of. By the flag, a 1:20.350 was the best they could manage, but crucially they were also improving towards the end.

The two Italians in the British car were having to contend with a new car and a new circuit, 1:23.313 being their best. They will start last in class, but with (potentially) a Jaguar, an Ultima, and a Tuscan R breathing down their necks.

The returning trio of the ISL Motorsport Marcos Mantis, Jeff Wyatt and Alun Edwards were contentedly sitting in fourth in class. “We’re in our comfort zone,” was Jeff’s analysis of the team’s best of 1:17.433. “The car’s in its fifth year, and we haven’t touched the engine. Last year we averaged two hours a race, so we’re happy with our pace,” added Alun. The team clearly have no worries about the longer race distances this year (following a year in the EERC) and could be the season’s dark horses.

The qualifying suggests a Porsche walkover, but the race is 75 minutes long tomorrow, and that’s bound to present a few unexpected challenges to all runners. A top six finish for a Cup car in Round One?
MH