2009 GT Cup Round Two
Wed 22 Apr 2009
Round One of The GT Cup was originally meant to have been at Donington but the whole event had to be moved to Silverstone at very short notice when the future home of the British GP failed to get a track licence in time. The entire GT Cup entry made it's way to Silverstone at very short notice, and it turned out to be a fantastic weekend. Now the teams are getting ready for what many regard as ‘The Big One' ... supporting A1 GP on the historic Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit. People reckoned that a thirty six car entry at Silverstone was pretty impressive, but at Brands we can look forward to at least forty cars. The quality of the cars, teams, drivers and presentation is superb. The Outer Paddock will look more like a round of FIA or British GT! Not only is the quality superb but the variety is also very interesting. The Organisers, Bute Motorsport, have attracted thirteen Porsches, eight Ferraris, four Aston Martins, two BMWs, a couple of Lotus Elise and Exige, a Marcos Mantis, TVR Cerbera and that is not counting the Group One FIA GT3 cars like the Lamborghini Gallardo, Aston Martin DBRS9, two Dodge Vipers and a BMW M3 GTR. It is the sort of grid many National and International Championships would be proud of.
The GT Cup comprises four ‘Groups' based on a power/weight formula which encourages close racing throughout the whole field. The most powerful cars can be found in Group One and the less powerful ones in Group Four. Success ballast plays an important part in closing up the front runners in each Group, 60 kgs , 40 kgs and 20 kgs are allocated to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each class.
Marc Haynes, who conceived the GT Cup format, spent most of the winter looking at power and weight of the various cars. Equalisation is a tough job in any ‘multi-marque' series. After Round One at Silverstone the formula looked to be working pretty well, Group One might need some ‘fine tuning' but elsewhere the racing was close, clean and competitive.
So, what to expect at Brands Hatch? There is no doubt at all that Mike Gardiner and his monstrous Dodge Viper will be a pace setter again but if the other Group Four cars can keep him in their sights until the tail-enders come into play then Mike Donovan in his Porsche 997 GT3S and the others will come into the frame. Paul Hogarth will have no success ballast to worry about in Race One and will want to get onto the podium after a disappointing weekend at Silverstone. Paul Whight in the Chamberlain Synergy run Aston Martin was looking quicker and quicker as the weekend progressed so he will definitely be in there mixing it with the BMW and Porsche.
In Group Two at Silverstone Pete Morris in his Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car was caught out by Glen McMenamin in a similar car in Race One, but redressed the balance in Race Two. Jeff Leadley in his Ferrari 430 Challenge GT is right on the pace as well. Andy Ruhan is now getting to grips with his new Porsche and with Glynn Geddie joining the GT Cup hot from the Porsche Carrara Cup there is a good chance of a classic scrap amongst the front runners in Group Two.
Group Three looks no less competitive! Peter Heinzelman, was new to the GT Cup this year but he has sold his car after round on which leaves the way clear for yet another newcomer Richard Denny also in a Porsche. But don't ignore Marco Pullen in his Ferrari 360 GTC and there is the very experieced Henry Firman in his Porsche 996 GT3 Cup car. There is every chance that this will also give us some great racing.
Will Goff in his Aston Martin GT4 had a field day at Silverstone with two wins , but he did admit that his team mate Matt Cummings in his very rapid and nimble Lotus Exige gave him a hard time in Race One. But watch out for the Ferrari of David Tomlin, the Aston of Chris Scragg and the other Lotus, this time an Elise, driven by Michelangelo Segatori. The GP Circuit may not suit the smaller Lotus' which might bring Sarah Bennett-Baggs into the equation in her beautifully liveried Aston Martin N24.
We hope to see forty four GTs streaming round Clearways for the spectacular rolling start.. Several things are certain.. lots of close racing, lots of stunningly prepared cars, rounded off with plenty of good humoured banter in the GT Cup Race Center afterwards... this is the essence of GT Cup racing in 2009.
