Optimum Motorsport awarded Team of The Weekend at British GT’s Bank Holiday Oulton Park bonanza
No British Bank Holiday is complete without rain, right? The latter of May’s long weekends delivered exactly that come the start of the second sprint of the day. We’re used to rain racing on home soil, but the added element of starting from the back of the grid makes Marc and Jack’s victory all the more desirable.
Although not on Easter weekend, Oulton Park maintained its typical format of qualifying on Saturday, racing on Monday, albeit later in British GT’s calendar as the Cheshire-based circuit played host to rounds three and four instead.
The clouds rolled in thick and fast as qualifying got underway on Saturday afternoon. Dry but windy for three, 10-minute qualifiers quickly turned wet for Q4. Having clocked a lap that was a mere 0.001 seconds off pole, Jack, alongside the sister #17 Artura were investigated, and later penalised for only setting one timed lap where regulations stipulate at least two per qualifying session must take place. As a result, both Optimum’s pair of GT4s were moved to the back of the grid for the start of race 2.
A clean getaway for all four of Optimum’s British GT McLarens saw the GT4s move up from P2 and P4, respectively, to the battle for the lead with Century’s title contending #71 BMW GT4. A decisive move on the entry into Shell Oils saw Luca challenge for the lead, only for Marc to gain on the two front runners.
As the GT3 leaders passed through, as did Marc, following the 2 Seas’ #42 Mercedes-AMG as he passed Optimum’s #17. Even with the Safety Car intervention midway through the race, and overcoming their success penalty from Silverstone, it was a clear run for Jack in the #90 once the team had cycled through their stops to score race one’s victory.
Although not claiming silverware in the Morning’s action for the pair of GT3s, both #77 and #3 finished inside the top 10 to gain valuable championship points.
Race two rolls around, and as did the drama. Starting behind the Safety Car due to the intermittent rain, many teams gambled and boxed to change from wets to slicks in the drying conditions. Optimum’s duo of Artura’s along with the pair of GT3s opted to stay out.
Contact from behind for Macleod in Optimum’s ‘Green Machine’ saw an early exit for the #3 GT3 EVO entry. A gamble on slicks saw Kirchhöfer, along with most of the GT3 field, box for slicks as the track dried out. Optimum’s GT4s remained on wets.
And it seemed this was the better of the two strategies - as a heavy, but short downpour occurred, as not only was Brown now in the lead, having started from the back, but also passing GT3s who had earlier boxed for the wet tyre.
Having taken over from Kirchhöfer, Tillbrook was lapping quicker than any other on the slicks with the earlier downpour now drying out. Both the #17 and #90 had made their driver change, and choice of tyre onto slicks during the pit window to cross the line first and second and ultimately be awarded British GT’s Team of the Weekend.
The endurance format resumes later this month as the series heads on its international venture to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for the second three-hour race of the season on June 22.
No British Bank Holiday is complete without rain, right? The latter of May’s long weekends delivered exactly that come the start of the second sprint of the day. We’re used to rain racing on home soil, but the added element of starting from the back of the grid makes Marc and Jack’s victory all the more desirable.
Although not on Easter weekend, Oulton Park maintained its typical format of qualifying on Saturday, racing on Monday, albeit later in British GT’s calendar as the Cheshire-based circuit played host to rounds three and four instead.
The clouds rolled in thick and fast as qualifying got underway on Saturday afternoon. Dry but windy for three, 10-minute qualifiers quickly turned wet for Q4. Having clocked a lap that was a mere 0.001 seconds off pole, Jack, alongside the sister #17 Artura were investigated, and later penalised for only setting one timed lap where regulations stipulate at least two per qualifying session must take place. As a result, both Optimum’s pair of GT4s were moved to the back of the grid for the start of race 2.
A clean getaway for all four of Optimum’s British GT McLarens saw the GT4s move up from P2 and P4, respectively, to the battle for the lead with Century’s title contending #71 BMW GT4. A decisive move on the entry into Shell Oils saw Luca challenge for the lead, only for Marc to gain on the two front runners.
As the GT3 leaders passed through, as did Marc, following the 2 Seas’ #42 Mercedes-AMG as he passed Optimum’s #17. Even with the Safety Car intervention midway through the race, and overcoming their success penalty from Silverstone, it was a clear run for Jack in the #90 once the team had cycled through their stops to score race one’s victory.
Although not claiming silverware in the Morning’s action for the pair of GT3s, both #77 and #3 finished inside the top 10 to gain valuable championship points.
Race two rolls around, and as did the drama. Starting behind the Safety Car due to the intermittent rain, many teams gambled and boxed to change from wets to slicks in the drying conditions. Optimum’s duo of Artura’s along with the pair of GT3s opted to stay out.
Contact from behind for Macleod in Optimum’s ‘Green Machine’ saw an early exit for the #3 GT3 EVO entry. A gamble on slicks saw Kirchhöfer, along with most of the GT3 field, box for slicks as the track dried out. Optimum’s GT4s remained on wets.
And it seemed this was the better of the two strategies - as a heavy, but short downpour occurred, as not only was Brown now in the lead, having started from the back, but also passing GT3s who had earlier boxed for the wet tyre.
Having taken over from Kirchhöfer, Tillbrook was lapping quicker than any other on the slicks with the earlier downpour now drying out. Both the #17 and #90 had made their driver change, and choice of tyre onto slicks during the pit window to cross the line first and second and ultimately be awarded British GT’s Team of the Weekend.
The endurance format resumes later this month as the series heads on its international venture to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for the second three-hour race of the season on June 22.
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