British GT Championship – Snetterton 27-05-18

Academy Motorsport and Aston Martin Racing returned to the podium during the third round of the British GT Championship at Snetterton last weekend (26th-27th May). Despite problems during each race, the team battled on, to secure two superb third place finishes.

Whilst Academy Motorsport front man, Matt Nicoll-Jones, and team mate Will Moore soared towards the podium, the weekend was not without its woes.

Set under glorious blue skies, a strong qualifying performance from all four drivers, saw Matt and Will line up third on the grid for the first race, whilst second pairing, Tom Wood and Jan Jonck started in fifth spot.

Amongst fierce competition, Will and Tom raced their way through the opening hour-long outing, before handing control of their respective Aston Martin Vantage GT4 machines over to Matt and Jan. A lengthy safety car period meant the race was still neutralised as the pit window opened, causing chaos in what swiftly became a busy pit lane.

As others succumbed to penalties and problems, Will and Matt kept out of trouble, to steer to an eventual third place finish. Sadly issues arose for Tom and Jan, leaving them with 15th place at the fall of the chequered flag.

An outstanding performance once again, saw Matt and Will claim pole position for race two, with Jan and Tom just behind in third place on the grid.

With Matt in control for the first half of this second hour long contest, he maintained the momentum from the front row of the grid, to lead the way. As he made his way around the three mile circuit, problems befell his Aston Martin challenger, when he lost the down change gear paddle on lap two. As he battled to maintain his position, Matt managed to pilot his way around the circuit albeit in automatic mode.

After handing control back to Will for the final stint, tensions mounted as he navigated his way around the final few laps. As the chequered flag flew, a sigh of relief from the team dispersed into cheers, as he scored another third place result. Superb efforts from Jan and Tom again saw them cross the finish line to score a respectable finish.

Following a brace of first-class results, Matt Nicoll-Jones said: “What an eventful day for us. Each car has had its issues today, but we made it through to the end virtually unscathed. All three drivers drove exceptionally well yet again, I’m so proud of my boys.

“Race two was one of the hardest hours of racing for us, but they’ve all performed brilliantly once again.”

After three rounds, Matt and Will sit third in the championship standings, whilst Tom and Jan are in 16th place.

There is little rest for the Academy Motorsport boys and girls, with the next round set to take place during the weekend of 9th – 10th June at Silverstone. The longest contest on the calendar, this three hour race is a highlight for the British GT Championship, and one the team are very much looking forward to.