Danny Gower wrapped up the inaugural Forza Motorsport-based TORA British GT Winter Series title in style at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday by maintaining his and the LimitlessRacingTeam McLaren 12C GT3’s 100% success rate.
Gower underlined his intent during the final regular season races before claiming all four Winter Series wins at Brands Hatch and Silverstone. And that trend continued in the Ardennes where another brace, this time achieved in dry conditions, gave him maximum points across the six-round campaign.
Qualifying has also been a strength this year so it was no surprise to see Gower annex pole by almost half-a-second from Scott McCraken’s HCR Ecosse Lamborghini, which shared the front row. The Scot was just ahead of another pair of McLarens, driven by Gower’s LRT team-mate Gavin Chinery and the ever-improving Alien Motorsport entry of American, Matt Marshall.
However, any thoughts of an easy afternoon for Gower were dashed at the start when Chinery muscled his way from third to first. The LRT pair ran together throughout the opening stint before the champion-elect overhauled his team-mate after the pit-stops.
McCraken continued his run of form with third place for HCR having shadowed the two McLarens throughout the race after losing out to Chinery at the start.
A little way back a battle was raging for fourth between Marshall, Hawkins’ United Autosport Audi, O’Shaughnessy for Red Bull and Senior’s PTG Ferrari. The order would change a number of times throughout the race before Marshall finally claimed fourth at the flag.
The day’s second race saw Gower close out the season in style, while fourth place for Chinery helped LRT easily claim the GT3 teams’ title.
This time the remaining podium spots went to McCraken’s Lamborghini and Alien Motorsport’s Marshall, who claimed third in his Ferrari.
Meanwhile, the GT4 title was also decided at Spa. The task of Silverstone winner Adam Watson was undoubtedly made easier by Josh Sampoll’s absence as a result of racing elsewhere, but the Generation AMR driver still had Riccardo Coroneo’s Wolf Racing Lotus to worry about.
As it was, the Italian remained within touching distance of the Aston Martin throughout the first race but was never close enough to take advantage. Watson drove a sensible race from start to finish and took the win that sealed the championship for Generation AMR.
Coroneo at least secured the GT4 championship’s runner-up spot by claiming race two’s spoils after a promising debut season in TORA competition.
The officially sanctioned regular season TORA British GT Championship will return in 2017.