British GT: Igoe and Keen win at Brands Hatch. Century Motorsport make it 1 – 2 in GT4

The #18 WPI Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3 driven by Michael Igoe and Phil Keen won the opening round of the 2021 Intelligent Money British GT Championship, the Lamborghini factory driver taking the chequered flag nearly ten seconds ahead of the #7 Beechdean AMR Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 of Jonny Adam in the car he shared with Andrew Howard.

Completing the overall podium positions was the #63 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini of Leo Machitski and Dennis Lind.

Century Motorsport made it a 1 – 2 in the GT4 class with a win for the #57 BMW M4 GT4 of Will Burns and Gus Burton which finished just over 12 seconds ahead of the sister #9 entry of Chris Salkeld and, taking the chequered flag, Andrew Gordon-Colebrooke.

The top three in the GT4 were completed by the #2 Team Rocket RJN McLaren 570S GT4 of James Kell and Jordan Collard.

Igoe took the overall lead after the race was started under the safety car and by the half-way mark had built up an advantage of over four seconds from Leo Machitski in the #63 Lamborghini. Keen emerged from the driver change having maintained a similar advantage over the now second-placed Jonny Adam in the #7 Aston Martin. Keen was never put under any serious pressure from the four-time British GT champion who himself was being chased down by Dennis Lind in the #63 Lamborghini over the closing laps.

Keen and Igoe were delighted to have taken their first win together.

“It was a great drive by Michael (Igoe) and I couldn’t be prouder of the team who have done a fantastic job,” said Phil Keen. “We’ve worked really hard over the winter and it’s just nice to see it pay off.”

“I just followed the instructions from Phil!” said Michael Igoe. “All the hard work we’ve done over the winter is starting to pay off so we’re looking forward to the next round.”

Victory in GT4 seemed to be going the way of Assetto Motorsport and its new-for -2021#56 Ginetta G56 driven by Mark Sansom and Charlie Robertson, a Pro-Am pairing who had moved into the lead courtesy of the longer pit-stops mandated for the Silver crews. A puncture, however, within the last ten minutes forced the #56 car to pit and allowed the Century Motorsport BMWs to move into first and second, positions that they held to the chequered flag.

“I can’t believe it – to come back into the British GT Championship and come away with the win is just a fantastic result!” said Century Motorsport’s Will Burns. “Obviously commiserations to Ginetta and their puncture but, at the same time, the safety car hampered us at the start so it was frustrating for them but to come away with the win is amazing.”

Full race review to follow