24 Hours of Le Mans 2018 - GTE-AM

Porsche and Ferrari GTE-AM cars at the Esses early on Saturday evening.

Porsche didn't just win the GTE-Pro class at le Mans in 2018, they also won the GTE-Am class - a double victory.  The GTE-Am class was courtesy of Dempsey Proton Racing.  The winning car was driven by the youngest driver in the field at 18 yers old - French rookie Julien Andlauer.  He was partnered by Australian Matt Campbell and German Christian Ried.  The latter had previously come second in the class in 2014.  They beat some good teams and drivers.  Past Formula One drivers in this class included Giancarlo Fisichella, Olivier Beretta and Pedro Lamy.

Patrick Dempsey was there to see his team take a win, something he never achieved aa a driver.  They had to hold off late charges from the Spirit of Race and Keating Ferrari teams and the Spirit of Race car finished on the same lap after 24 hours.

It was not a great year for Aston Martin with both cars in the GTE-AM class retiring.

In case you didn't know, the main differences between GTE-Am and GTE-Pro is that the GTE-Am cars must be at least one year old and include a bronze rated driver on their team.

1st in class, 26th overall - 77 - Dempsey Proton Racing - Porsche 911 RSR - Andlauer/Campbell/Ried.

The winning car on the run down to Tertre Rouge during the warm up.

The winning car in the Esses.

The Dempsey Proton Porsche in the Esses late on Saturday afternoon.

2nd in class, 27th overall - 54 - Spirit of Race - Ferrari 488 GTE - Fisichella/Flohr/Castellacci.

The Spirit of Race Ferrari about to be lapped by the Pink Pig GTE-Pro Porsche.

The Spirit of Race Ferrari in Tertre Rouge on Saturday afternoon.

Tertre Rouge at night.

3rd in class, 29th overall - 85 - Keating Motorsports - Ferrari 488 GTE - Bleekemolen/Keating/Stolz.

The Keating Motorsports Ferrari leads an Aston Martin through the Esses.

The Ferrari in the Esses.

4th in class, 30th overall - 99 - Proton Competition - Porsche 911 RSR - Long/Pappas/Pumpelly.

The good looking Proton Competition Porsche in Tertre Rouge.

Porsche exiting the Dunlop Chicane.

5th in class, 31st overall - 84 - JMW Motorsport - Ferrari 488 GTE - Griffin/MacNeil/Segal.

JMW Ferrari in Tertre Rouge.

6th in class, 32nd overall - 80 - Ebimotors - Porsche 911 RSR - Nielsen/Babini/Maris.

Ebimotors Porsche at the Esses.

Cutting the Apex at Tertre Rouge. 

7th in class, 35th overall - 56 - Team Project 1 - Porsche 911 RSR - Bergmeister/Lindsey/Perfetti.

Project 1 Porsche heading toweards Tertre Rouge.

Leading the JMW Ferrari at the Esses.

Entering the Start Finish Straight on Sunday morning.

8th in class, 36th overall - 61 - Clearwater Racing - Ferrari 488 GTE - Griffin/Mok/Sawa.

The Clearwater Ferrari leads a Porsche out of the Esses.

On Sunday morning at Raccordement.

Being chased by a LMP1 car through the Esses.

9th in class, 38th overall - 70 - MR Racing - Ferrari 488 GTE - Beretta/Cheever/Ishikawa.

MR Racing Ferrari exiting the Dunlop Chicane.

GT-AM battle at the Esses.

Ferrari entering the Start Finish straight.

10th in class, 41st overall - 86 - Gulf Racing - Porsche 911 RSR - Barker/Davison/Wainwright.

Gulf Racing Porsche on its way down to Tertre Rouge.

Gulf Racing Porsche at night.

Retired - 90 - TF Sport - Aston Martin Vantage - Eastwood/Hankey/Yoluc.

TF Sport Aston Martin exiting the Dunlop Chicane.

Aston Martin in Tertre Rouge.

Entering the Start Finish straight on Sunday morning.

Retired - 88 - Dempsey Proton Racing - Porsche 911 RSR - Al Qubaisi/Cairoli/Roda.

Porsche exiting the Dunlop Chicane.

Leading a LMP2 car through the Esses.

The No.88 Porsche parked up beside the track early on Sunday morning.

Retired  - 98 - Aston Martin Racing - Aston Martin Vantage - Dalla Lana/Lamy/Lauda.

Cutting the Apex at Tertre Rouge.

Aston Martin being harried through the Esses.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page. 

2018 BTCC Round 1, Brands Hatch Indy

Turkington goes for the lead around the outside of Druids late in the race.

Last weekend I reacquainted myself with both Brands Hatch and the British Touring Car Championship after a gap of many years.  In fact far too many years.  With 32 cars at this round, the BTCC is obviously very healthy.  A single class championship of 350 bhp 2 Litre Next Generation Touring Cars but lots of variety with more than 10 manufacturers.   Very competitive racing with most of the field finishing on the same lap after 27 laps racing.  Brands Hatch was also doing well with a huge crowd in attendance on the Indy Circuit despite the poor weather.

The leaders at Paddock Hill Bend.

The first race was wet enough at the start for the runners to be shod with the  blue wet weather tyres.

I spent all the race at either around Druids or Paddock Hill bends.  My new second hand Cannon EFS 17-55 F2.8 lens performed very well on the inside of Druids.

The leaders exiting Paddock Hill Bend.

31 of the 32 cars are featured below.  They are presented in the order they finished the first race of the season.

1st. 31 Jack Goff - Honda Civic Type R 

Jack Goff took his third BTCC win at Brands Hartch by leading from start to finish in this opening round.

2nd. 2 Colin Turkington - BMW 125i M Sport

Colin Turkington kept the pressure on the whole race but had to settle for second place.  Here he chases at Druids.

3rd. 77 Andrew Jordan - BMW 125i M Sport

Third on the podium was Andrew Jordan.  

4th. 80 Tom Ingram - Toyota Avenaia

Tom Ingram leads the BTCC after Brands Hatch.  He won the third race of the day.

5th. 3 Tom Chilton - Ford Focus RS

Fifth place in race one was the best result on the day for Tom Chilton.  Here he exits Druids.

Very close at Druids on lap one with Tom Chilton leading this group.

6th. 33 Adam Morgan - Mercedes Benz A-Class

Adam Morgan took a second place in the third race which has a reverse grid element.

7th. 1 Ashley Sutton - Subaru Levorg GT

The 2017 BTCC Champion, Ashley Sutton, was fifth in the standings after the first weekend of 2018.

Ashley Sutton started from a middle of the grid position but moved up in the race.  Here he is at Druids on lap one.  A very nice performance.

8th. 27 Dan Cammish - Honda Civic Type R

Dan Cammish left Brands in the top fifteen of the championship.

9th. 20 James Cole - Ford Focus RS

Ninth in race one was a good as it got at Brands Hatch for James Cole.

10th. 22 Chris Smiley - Honda Civic Type R

Chris Smiley finished all the races but tenth was his best position.

11th. 39 Brett Smith - Honda Civic Type R

Brett Smith exiting Paddock ahead of a Mercedes and Audi.  The first race was his best finish.

12th. 48 Ollie Jackson - Audi S3

Ollie Jackson took third place in the second race after gambling on tyres in the wet/dry conditions.

13th. 6 Rory Butcher - MG6

Rory is ninth in the championship following Brands Hatch.

14th. 16 Aiden Moffatt - Mercedes Benz A Class

Aiden Moffat on the inside of an Alfa Romeo as they battle it out exiting Paddock Hill bend.  He ended the weekend in fourteenth place in the Championship.

15th. 5 Robert Collard - BMW 125i M Sport

Fifteenth in race one was the best of the weekend for Rob Collard.

16th. 15 Tom Oliphant - Mercedes Benz A Class

No top fifteen positions at Brands Hatch for Tom Oliphant,

17th. 14 James Nash - Honda Civic Type R

James Nash managed a fourteenth position in race two.   He he leads a close group coming out of Paddock Hill bend.

18th. 12 Tom Boardman - MG6

Tom Boardman managed to get a fouth place in race tweo.

19th. 19 Bobby Thompson - Volkswagen CC

Bobby Thompson didn't improve on this nineteenth place in race one.

20th. 99 Jason Plato - Subaru Levorg GT

Two time BTCC champion, Jason Plato, was out of luck at Brands hatch.

21st. 44 Michael Caine - Volkswagen CC

Michael Caine finished outside of the top twenty all weekend.

22nd. 60 Stephen Jelley - BMW 125i M Sport

The BMW of Stephen Jelley under close attention on the exit of Paddock.

23rd. 28 Josh Price - Subaru Levorg GT 

Josh Price at Druids.

24th. 23 Sam Smelt - Audi S3

The Audi of Sam Smelt entering Druids.

25th. 24 Jake Hill - Volkswagen CC

Jake Hill managed a second place in race two after gambling on tyres in a wet/dry race.

26th. 600 Sam Tordoff - Ford Focus RS

Sam Tordoff did better in the other two races, with a best of thirteenth.

27th 18 Senna Proctor - Vauxhall Astra

Senna Proctor took a win in race three after gambling on tyres in a wet/dry race.

NC. 66 Josh Cook - Vauxhall Astra

Josh Cook took a tenth place in race three.

DNF. 11 Rob Austin - Alfa Romeo Giulietta

Nice to see an Alfa in the field but it retired in the first race after an incident.  However, the Alfa came back to finish third in the third race.

DNF. 25 Matt Neal - Honda Civic Type R

Triple BTCC Champion Matt Neal had just one twelfth place to show at Brands Hatch.

DNF. 303 Matt Simpson - Honda Civic Type R

Matt Simpson did much better in the other two races, finishing seventh in both.

DNF. 21 Mike Bushell - Volkswagen CC - No photo as he didn't last a lap.  However, he did better in the other two races and is tenth in the championship after Brands.

The tail of the field heading down from Druids into Graham Hill Bend on lap one.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

Ashley Sutton leads a group into Graham Hill Bend.

The Toyota of Tom Ingram at Druids.