Barwell Motorsport boss Mark Lemmer believes winning the British GT3 Teams’ title at Donington Park was ‘the least they deserved’ after another standout campaign.
Jon Minshaw and Phil Keen once again suffered disappointment at the season finale after missing out on both the Drivers’ Overall and Pro/Am titles for a second year running despite winning more races and leading more laps over the course of 2017 than eventual champions Rick Parfitt Jnr and Seb Morris.
Nevertheless, their efforts combined with those of Liam Griffin and Sam Tordoff in the sister Lamborghini helped Barwell seal its third British GT Teams’ title after reclaiming the crown it lost to TF Sport in 2016.
“It was a difficult end for us again but the fact is that Jon and Keeny gave themselves and the team a chance of winning the double,” said Lemmer. “Their early-season form was really important to building our advantage. It’s just a pity they couldn’t get over the line at the end.
“But, from the team’s perspective, of course I’m absolutely delighted. Collectively we’ve basically been flawless throughout the season and nailed it. The Teams’ title is the least we deserve and a huge reward for everyone’s hard work.”
TF Sport’s pace at Donington, which resulted in its Aston Martins finishing one-two, suggest the #33 Huracan would have been hard pushed to win, even without the early mistake that gave Parfitt Jnr and Morris a chance to breathe a little easier. Lemmer, though, is less sure.
“I actually think we had the pace to win, which would have been enough for Jon and Phil to take the title whatever the Bentley managed,” he said. “Jon was second before his mistake having jumped ahead of Derek [Johnston] at the start, and he only needed to shadow Mark [Farmer] before the stops to take advantage of his success penalty.
“Jon was also very quick after his spin and I know Phil thinks he had the pace to stay clear. But you never know how much Jonny [Adam] had in reserve, and of course it was all irrelevant in the end!”
As for next season, Lemmer hinted that Barwell could increase its British GT3 involvement following another successful campaign.
“We’ve already received a lot of interest for next year - I think drivers have realised British GT is one of the best GT3 Pro/Am championships around and that they have a good chance of winning races overall. Right now, and even though 2017 has only just ended, I’m already confident we’ll be fielding three full-season Lamborghinis.”