Smith completes quality quadruple and Donington GT Cup sweep
After a double triumph on Saturday, Mark Smith completed a fantastic return to the GT Cup Championship with another brace to confirm the perfect quadruple at Donington Park on Sunday (21 September).
The Paddock Motorsport driver was indomitable in both races in the McLaren 720S GT3, while in GTC and GTA, Topcats Racing and SVG Motorsport also claimed two group wins over the day. GTH honours were shared between Innovation Racing and Feathers Motorsport.
Qualifying
Blue skies and dry asphalt was a welcome change as the first competitive action on Sunday got underway.
The action began from the outset as GTH and GTA crews came out to set their times first, and yesterday's battle between Feathers Motorsport and SVG Motorsport was reignited. Swapping provisional pole throughout the session, the driver on top of the pile come the chequered flag was Feathers' Archie Clark with a 1m34.407sec. SVG had other reasons to smile, though, as its BMW M4 topped GTA ahead of Brent Millage's Innovation Racing Ginetta G55.
In GT3, Smith picked up the one result he couldn't yesterday as the Paddock Motorsport driver secured pole by 0.766sec ahead of Peter Erceg and Darren Kell. Topcats claimed a one-two in GTC as the #23 beat Jack Gadd to keep the Lamborghini crews up at the sharp-end in the group.
Endurance Race
Sunday's first race continued Smith's run of form at the front of GT3, as he mastered not one but two starts to pull clear and take another Endurance race victory.
Although if the race had been another lap or two, he'd have been in the clutches of a flying Marcus Clutton. The PB Racing by JMH driver was on a charge, having taken over the Audi R8 from Peter Erceg. Leaving the pits in fourth overall, Clutton pulled off a masterful double-overtake of Fraser Fenwick and Darren Kell to move up to second overall and in GT3.
Cutting down Smith's advantage by chunks every lap, the Audi racer cut down a 16sec lead to just five at the flag to take yet another runner-up spot for the squad. Kell rounded out Group GT3 to ensure more silverware for Track Focused.
In GTC, Charlotte Gilbert fended off early pressure from the sister Topcats Super Trofeo of Jack Gadd to hand off to Fraser Fenwick in the lead, who from there on was untroubled to the flag. Gadd took third, as he lost out in a duel with Phil Keen, who took second alongside Michael McInerney for Team Parker Racing (Porsche).
GTH went the way of Feathers Motorsport's Clark and Tom Canning, whilst GTA was once again dominated by SVG's Neil Wallace and Ian Astley.
Sprint Race
The final race of the weekend was a case of lights-to-flag for the flying Smith, who instantly made his break from the chasing Erceg, and would be ultimately untroubled all the way to the chequered flag to make it four wins from four in East Midlands.
Erceg's second place was denied by contact with the GTH SVG Motorsport Ginetta at the final hairpin, gifting the runner-up spot overall and in GT3 to Kell in the McLaren, and third on the podium to the Porsche of Greg Caton and David Shaw for G-Cat Racing.
The GTC fight was this time headed by the sister Topcats Lamborghini of Gadd, who confirmed a superb group triumph in a one-two for the team, ahead of Gilbert's #23 entry. A sweep of GTA was confirmed by Wallace meanwhile in the SVG BMW, beating Millage to the flag in doing so.
The ever-entertaining GTH fight this time went the way of a resurgent Simon Griffiths, who put his earlier disappointment of race one behind him to charge to a mightily impressive group win in the #30 Innovation Racing Ginetta G56. He got the better of Clark's Feathers Aston Martin, while Rupert Williams completed the GTH podium for Jolt Racing.
The final rounds of the season take place at the Snetterton 300 circuit over the weekend of 11-12 October, where we will crown our champions for 2025.
#23 Charlotte Gilbert
“I haven't had much chance to be out this weekend. I was supposed to do the Endurance race yesterday but unfortunately the car broke down on the out lap and it was something that we couldn't fix in time for today so fortunately we've got Warren's car in the back of the lorry. I've never driven the Evo2 before, it's not too different but it was a different car to get used to and obviously I hadn't done too many laps round here so I'm just getting myself back into it!"
#82 Tom Canning
“The Endurance race was our first proper dry session of the weekend so it was nice to just get some dry laps in - we've had a bit of everything this weekend! It's been very up and down, it's nice to get a win on the last day. I think we've done a lot of work [on the Aston], the balance feels good and watching Archie's races are always fun!"
#37 Rupert Williams
“I’m really pleased, I got Driver of the Day too! It’s been an up and down weekend, we had some mechanicals yesterday with John - he unfortunately got caught up in the big shunt in the first corner but it’s turned out better. That’s motorsport, it’s ups and downs and today has been much better for myself, for the team, and for John. I’m getting more used to the car, it’s just seat time, we’ve been constantly testing and I think the training comes in stages and I just pushed through today with another stage of my journey.”
#88 Darren Kell
“It was good fun, unfortunately Mark had a little moment going into turn one and the car snapped sideways so I had to back out of it and that allowed Peter to get inside me, then I got bottled up behind him for the rest of the race. So really, the job became to put pressure on him and just looking for an opportunity. Unfortunately he had an incident, but the race was enjoyable from my perspective and just a nicer, dryer, race than yesterday, so all good fun and nice to end on a slightly better position on the podium - albeit not the P1 I’ve been looking for yet, but hopefully next time.”
