> TEAMS' AND DRIVERS' TITLE TROPHIES AWARDED AT 2021 SEASON OPENER
> REIGNING CHAMPION MITCHELL ALSO COLLECTS ALLAN SIMONSEN AWARD
2020’s Intelligent Money British GT title winners finally received their championship silverware during the opening round of the new campaign at Brands Hatch last weekend.
Coronavirus restrictions prevented SRO Motorsports Group from staging its annual global awards evening before Christmas. Instead, British GT’s organisers held on to the trophies that would have been handed to 2020’s first, second and third place driver crews and teams until suitably auspicious surroundings could be found.
Naturally, a blustery May weekend at Brands Hatch proved the ideal time and place to gather the majority of last year’s winners!
Sandy Mitchell, Rob Collard and Barwell Motorsport received their GT3 Drivers’ and Teams’ Championship trophies alongside Adam Balon and Phil Keen who finished third in the standings, while Sam De Haan – who shared second in the overall classification with an absent Patrick Kujala – was also present.
His 2020 teams-mates Ian Loggie and Yelmer Buurman collected their Pro-Am honours, RAM Racing team principal Dan Shufflebottom the runners-up Teams’ trophy, and Michael Igoe (WPI Motorsport) the cup for finishing third overall in Pro-Am.
GT4 was also well represented thanks to respective reigning overall champion and runner-up Jamie Caroline (TF Sport) and Jordan Collard (HHC Motorsport), as well as Pro-Am title winners Mia Flewitt and Euan Hankey (Balfe Motorsport). The Teams’ standings’ third place trophy went to Nathan Freke on behalf of Century Motorsport.
Meanwhile, British GT’s highest non-championship accolade – the Allan Simonsen Award – was presented to Sandy Mitchell by fellow Scot and two-time winner, Jonny Adam. The award is traditionally won by a driver with the same speed and spirit as epitomised by the late Dane who tragically lost his life at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2013.
PHOTOS (TOP TO BOTTOM)
Barwell’s Rob Collard & Sandy Mitchell (1st GT3 Overall & Silver Cup), Mark Lemmer (1st GT3 Teams’), Phil Keen & Adam Balon (3rd GT3 Overall & 2nd Pro-Am)
TF Sport’s Jamie Caroline (1st GT4 Overall & Silver Cup)
Sandy Mitchell, Allan Simonsen Award winner
RAM Racing’s Dan Shufflebottom (2nd GT3 Teams’), Ian Loggie & Yelmer Buurman (1st GT3 Pro-Am) and Sam De Haan (2nd GT3 Overall & Silver Cup)
Balfe Motorsport’s Mia Flewitt & Euan Hankey (1st GT4 Pro-Am)
Rob Collard and Jordan Collard (2nd GT4 Overall & Silver Cup)
Century Motorsport’s Nathan Freke (3rd GT4 Teams’)
WPI Motorsport’s Michael Igoe (3rd GT3 Pro-Am)