Barwell Extends Championship Lead with Race 1 Win

Photo: British GT

Barwell Motorsport drivers Phil Keen and Jon Minshaw have extended their British GT Championship points lead by winning the first race at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday morning.

The pair claimed their fourth victory of the season in the No. 33 Demon Tweeks-backed Lamborghini Huracan GT3, benefitting from not having to serve a pit stop success penalty.

Keen inherited the lead as he took over the car in the pits, after Minshaw had ended his stint in fourth position.

Polesitter Rick Parfitt had led most of the race during his opening stint in the No. 31 Team Parker Racing Bentley Continental GT3 but had an extra ten seconds to serve in the pit lane as a result of his win last time out at Silverstone.

Co-driver Seb Morris could only hold on to sixth position by the time he exited the pits, with Keen the main beneficiary.

Stuart Leonard took second place in the Team WRT Audi R8 LMS he shares this weekend with Alain Ferte in a Spa-only entry for the local team.

Kessel Racing’s Ferrari 488 GT3 secured the final podium position meanwhile, in another one-off entry with drivers Piti Bhirombakdi and Carlo van Dam.

The Thai driver briefly inherited the lead from Parfitt on the opening lap.

An impressive drive from Charlie Fagg and Matty Graham gave Ebor GT the GT4 class win on its return to the series, following troubles for the Maserati GT MC GT4 which forced it to miss qualifying.

As a result, Fagg started the race from last position, but came through the field to win the 20-car class by 4.2 seconds.

This came after leader Joe Osborne picked up a puncture in the final 30 seconds, dropping his Tolman Motorsport McLaren 570S GT4 down the order. 

Title contenders Lanan Racing and HHC Motorsport finished second and third with their Ginetta G55 GT4s.

Two safety car periods were called in the opening half of the race, firstly to retrieve Steve Fresle’s Ginetta from the barriers and then a lengthier one following a collision between Anna Walewska and Nick Jones.

The incident resulted in Jones’ Team Parker-run Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR on top of Walewska’s Century Motorsport Ginetta.

Race 2 will start at 1 p.m. local time with Keen starting on pole.

RESULTS: Race 1

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.