> Result: Free Practice 2
RAM Racing enjoyed a strong second free practice session at Oulton Park where its Mercedes-AMGs sandwiched Beechdean AMR’s Vantage at the top of the times. Yelmer Buurman lapped 0.2s quicker than Jonny Adam who pipped Tom Onslow-Cole to second place in the final moments.
Behind, it didn’t take reigning GT4 champion Jamie Caroline long to readjust to the Intelligent Money British GT Championship after setting his class’ fastest lap aboard Toyota Gazoo Racing UK’s Supra.
GT3
Initially, Marcus Clutton repeated his FP1 trick of putting Enduro’s McLaren fastest right at the start, but he was soon displaced by Scott Malvern in the Team Parker Racing Porsche, before Sam Neary then took a turn at the top in the rather more stealthy than usual Abba Racing Mercedes-AMG.
The final 20 minutes brought yet more change, as first Onslow-Cole and then Buurman led a RAM raid on the times. Onslow-Cole first put his guesting Mercedes-AMG top by setting two outright fastest laps, before Buurman retaliated with a 1m34.861s to go 0.3s clear.
RAM were on course to maintain their one-two until Jonny Adam moved Beechdean AMR’s Aston Martin up to second with a late run in the 60-minute session. However, neither his nor Buurman’s times were faster than the morning’s GT3 benchmark set by Barwell’s Sandy Mitchell.
Phil Keen hauled the WPI Lamborghini he shares with Michael Igoe up to fourth late on, ahead of the Nearys and Kelvin Fletcher/Martin Plowman’s Paddock Motorsport Bentley. Nick Jones/Malvern’s Porsche slipped to seventh but remained ahead of Enduro’s early pace-setting McLaren.
Of two Barwell’s two Lamborghinis, #63 was forced to sit out the session after Leo Machitski’s FP1 accident, but the team worked wonders to complete an engine change on the #1 car shared by Mitchell and Adam Balon who was able to complete several installation laps with five minutes of FP2 remaining.
GT4
Having come close to top spot earlier in the day, Jamie Caroline rammed home both his and the Toyota Gazoo Racing UK Supra’s potential by claiming top spot in GT4.
Will Moore set the early pace in Academy’s Ford Mustang, before first Richard Williams in the Steller Motorsport Audi and then Darren Turner in the Newbridge Aston both eclipsed him. However, with just over 20 minutes to go Caroline found the space to dip into the 1m44.1s.
That would prove to be enough, with even a string of late surges from rivals failing to displace the Supra. Gus Burton and Will Burns came closest, with their championship-leading Century BMW finishing second, just over a tenth back. Turner’s best left Newbridge third, ahead of Michael Benyahia/Alain Valente’s Team Rocket RJN McLaren.
Nick Halstead/Jamie Stanley were fifth fastest in the Fox Motorsport McLaren, ahead of the other two Team Rocket RJN cars of first Katie Milner/Harry Hayek and then Jordan Collard/James Kell. Andrew Gordon-Colebrooke/Chris Salkeld’s #9 Century BMW looked quick but lost time after Gordon-Colebrooke endured an off at the Britten’s Chicane and picked up some rear-right bodywork damage while lying second. They wound up eighth.
Qualifying takes place at 16:15 today.