This evening saw perhaps the most confusing Qualifying process that you would ever expect to see within the British GT Championship as the GT3 and GT4 powered crews of this SRO series shared track time with the French FFSA GT4 Series around the track circuit of Spa Francorchamps.
Being the start of their Speed Week and the annual build up to the Spa 24 Hours, the British series would literally share the track alongside the GT4 of lower powered classes of the French FFSA Series for the first time as each competed within their respective third round to their season making for a combined entry of fifty-five cars.
That entry has already dropped by one thanks to a Free Practice off for a guesting GT3 car so as far as we were concerned, that still left us the now renumbered #7 Beechdean AMR Vantage GT3 of championship leaders Andrew Howard and Ross Gunn as well as the four AMR Vantage GT4 runners from the Grange Racing, Townsend Racing, MK Racing and the GBR Stratton Motorsport crews.
The additional bonus was from the French side of the equation and the #005 Mirage Racing AMR Vantage GT4 car of Jodie Sloss with Nicolas Siebenschuh as team regular (David Levy) now featured within one of the series Porsche’s.
Getting time for just three decent laps of the Spa Circuit during Qualifying, the GT3 Ams were out first with Howard coming back with a lap time worthy of a P6 start. Then in quick succession, the British GT GT4 Ams were out next, quickly followed by the French series runners leaving the two series on track together for the first time. Issues both on and off track saw the #21 MK Racing Vantage GT4 of Jessica Hawkins have an off track experience which damaged the underside of her car (leaving co driver Will Orton unable to put in a lap time during his later session) whilst Sloss had unseen contact within pit lane which also saw her or her new co-driver enter an times so each will be starting tomorrows race from the rear of their respective grids.
Gunn was out next within GT3 and a stellar lap from the factory driver saw the #7 planted firmly at the head of the timing screen which on aggregate saw the #7 crew rise up the order for a P4 starting position for tomorrows two-hour race.
For the remaining three British GT GT4’s from the AMR stable, the one off lap time simply wasn’t there as all three finished their session line astern to one another with the #27 Grange Racing AMR of San Laverty and Darren Turner best placed in P8, the #40 Townsend AMR of James Townsend and Joe Wheeler next in P9 with the #97 GBR Stratton Motorsport AMR of John Hartshorne and Ronan Pearson now preceding the #21 MK Racing AMR on the grid.
With both series starting the race separate upon the grid tomorrow, the #005 Mirage Racing AMR crew will find themselves right at the very back of the grid.
Photo credits – Jacob Ebrey / Phil Hay / FFSA / social media