British GT: Morris / Parfitt Win after Crash Takes Out Leaders

Rick Parfitt Jnr and Seb Morris take a deserved victory in the first British GT Championship race of the year at Oulton Park, after the front row cars wiped each other out on the second lap.

The win for the #31 JRM Racing Bentley Continental was a masterclass by the Pro-Am pair, who inherited the lead after the early crash, breaking away after the pitstops due to clear track and an inspired stint from Morris.

Meanwhile in the GT4’s, HHC Motorsport came away with the major silverware, though nothing could seperate the Tolman and HHC pair until the closing laps. The #57 of Callum Pointon and Dean MacDonald would eventually come away with the first win of the year.

There was action from the first lap with a spin for Mark Farmer taking him immediately out the order before a safety car was called for a crash between the leaders.

In the race for first Ryan Ratcliffe lunged up the inside of Ian Loggie’s Mercedes into Hislops on the second lap, locking up his tyres and barrelling into the side of the leader, skipping over the kerb. Loggie spun back around but stalled in the middle of the chicane, causing chaos in the GT4 class approaching the scene.

Ratcliffe’s limped his #7 Team Parker Racing Bentley another 100 metres before stopping under the Bridge near Clay Hill.

It wasn’t much better for teammates as the BMW M6’s battling over third made contact, with Adrian Wilmot making it past his Century Motorsport co-pilot. Meanwhile in GT4, Tom Jackson knocked his #4 Tolman Motorsport teammate at Old Hall, dropping both out of the top five.

GT3’s earlier pitstops ensured they all had to thread their way back through the GT4’s over the middle laps, allowing Seb Morris to extend his inherited lead to over 5 seconds in JRM Racing Bentley.

One of cars he hit on his way back through the pack was the #15 Multimatic Motorsport Ford Mustang. The off track excursion cost them the battle for the lead, with the #57 HHC Motorsport McLaren leading after the chaos.

As the GT3 came into its final phase, it was clear that Morris had a convincing lead over the chasing Phil Keen in the Lamborghini Hurican. The Barwell Motorsport driver had remained out of trouble and with clear air, was setting the fastest laps, though it was not enough to catch the Bentley.

All eyes thus turned to the battle for third, as Bradley Ellis in the #96 Optimum Motorsport Aston Martin held off the advances of Jonny Cocker in the Barwell Lamborghini. The #69 Barwell had lost over five seconds in its pitbox and as a result a chance at second place. Despite the pressure and a final run to the line, Ellis held on to make it three manufacturers in on the podium.

Fifth went to the #3 Century BMW, with the team likely rueing its earlier squabbles. Ben Green held off a train of GT3’s in the closing stages, earning his worth after the promotion from GT4.

In GT4, Mustang’s lackluster race got worse as Seb Priaulx made contact with Mike Robinson’s Optimum Motorsport Aston Martin, spinning the Ford. He wasn’t the only GT4 in trouble though as Lewis Proctor’s Tolman Motorsport caught fire on thre final lap, missing out on a podium as a result.

McLaren will not be too fazed however, with their cars still locking out the podium in GT4. The #57 HHC Motorsport car took the flag at the hands of Pointon, just 1.3 seconds ahead of Tolman Motorsport’s Josh Smith, as the second #58 HHC McLaren of Luke Williams completed the trophy order.

Despite their all-conquering Saturday, Ford could not repeat their magic, finishing fourth with the #19 Multimatic Motorsports GT4. TF Sport’s Josh Price took a quiet fifth narrowly in front of the GT Pro-Am class winner of Matthew George in the Invictus Games Racing Jaguar F-Type SVR.