GT Cup Grid Continues To Impress

This weekend marks the seventh and final event of the 2021 season for the GT Cup, and the Series has made waves on the UK national scene with increased grids inter,s of both numbers and quality.

The final rounds take place at Snetterton with a grid currently listed at 36 cars.

Invitational entries are bumping up the numbers for several groups, as they have throughout the season, Groups GT3 and GTH (the GT Cup’s GT4 group) are the most well-represented.

GTH

Just one invitational entry joins Group GTH this week, Redline are entering a Porsche Cayman Clubsport GT4 for Alex Malykhin. Malykhin will be hoping for a better outing at Snetterton following an eventful weekend at Silverstone back in August.

The rest of the group is made up of the full season cohort, currently headed in points terms by Orange Racing’s Josh Jackson and Michael O’Brien. The pair have quite the lead to second and third in the title fight – though that battle is rather a lot closer. Balfe Motorsport’s Mike Price and Callum Macleod hold onto second place by less than five points from Feathers Motorsports’ James Guess and Darren Turner.

A glut of McLarens make up the core of Group GTH, as well as the Orange Racing and Balfe entries, Greystone GT has three of their own. The #22 for Richard Mason and Jon Lancaster, the #77 for Mark Hopton and Adam Carroll and the #23 for Iain Campbell and Oli Webb have all improved throughout the season and will no doubt be hoping to end on a high. Sticking with the McLaren theme, Paddock Motorsport have their two car, the #26 of Moh Ritson and Tom Rawlings and the #44 of former GT Cup champions Steve Ruston and John Whitehouse.

It’s not all McLarens though, in GTH. Valluga Racing are also representing Porsche with their Cayman Clubsport GT4 in the hands of Carl Cavers and Lewis Plato.

As well as the Guess/ Turner Feathers’ Aston Martin, Century Motorsport return with their Vantage GT4 for David Holloway and Bradley Ellis.

GTA

Group GTA is still living up to its nickname of GT-Ginetta, though with one less than usual as Scott Sport’s Craig Wilkins and Aaron Scott will be skipping this weekend.

This largely leaves Simon Orange to scamper away with the Group Title (barring no mechanical trauma) and could allow a few other players to move up the board. Currently third in the points standings is Makehappenracing with Century Motorsport’s second car not that far behind. Fox Racing and the second Orange Racing Ginetta round out the group standings, but there is still plenty to play for.

GTB

GTB has an invitational entry of its own. Chris Murphy who has frequented Group GTH this season returns to Group GTB this weekend alongside Michael Coker in their Aston Martin GT N24, run by the folks at 24-7 Motorsport.

The Aston will have no bearing on the championship as Charlotte Gilbert in the #3 Topcats Racing Marcos Mantis tries to close the gap on current GTB points leader Nick Phelps.

GT3

GT3 has several new faces joining the grid.

Greystone GT are back with their McLaren 720S that debuted last time out for Andrey Borodin and Ed Pead, while Enduro Motorsport are sticking with their GT3 machinery for Morgan Tillbrook and Marcus Clutton.

Two British GT teams join the fold for Donington Park – G-Cat Racing’s Shamus Jennings and Greg Caton are entering their Porsche 991 GTR GT3 and Ultimatespeed’s Matt Manderson will be running the Aston Martin Vantage GT3.

FF Corse have brought back their Ferrari 488 GT3 for Laurent de Meeus and Jamie Stanley, while Lucky Khera pops back into the group with his Lamborghini Huracan GT3.

All of the above should provide plenty of on-track competition for the full-season runners.

Team Abba Racing has already sewn up the group title, thanks to some excellent results for Sam and Richard Neary.

Things though are still fairly close between second and third though so it could be a good fight between Lamborghini and Nissan. Triple M Motorsport/Tecserve’s Grahame Tilley has British GT regular Sennan Fielding alongside him again this weekend in the GT-R GT3 and Scott Sport’s John Dhillon and Phil Quaife will no doubt be looking to keep the pair at bay to retain their second-place spot.

GTC

Five cars will line up on the grid at Snetterton.

Group points leaders Jensen Lunn and Warren Gilbert will face on-track competition from two invitational entries. Roy Millington and Benny Simonsen are clearly enjoying their time in the GT Cup as they’re back for another set of races, and FF Corse are running a Ferrari 488 Challenge for Ron Johnson and British Touring Car ace Tom Ingram.

Stanbridge Motorsport will be running their two usual two cars this weekend as Chris Kemp and Stuart Hall return to the grid.

GTO

Paul Bailey and Ross Wylie have made a substitution with the Brabham BT62 being benched. The pair will be running a McLaren GT3 Can-Am as the Brabham undergoes some work.

Raw Motorsports’ Ben Dimmack and Steve Burgess took some solid results last time out at Silverstone and will no doubt be looking for more of the same in their Radical RXC GT3.

Making a welcome return this weekend is Richard Chamberlain. The CTR Developments team has completed work on their Porsche 935 and will be bringing the fight to their Group GTO rivals.

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