Strong Performance from Porsche Teams in opening rounds of GT Cup Championship
With a strong Porsche filed running in this years series the delayed start of the 2020 British GT Cup championship finally got underway at Snetterton, Igoe backed up his strong performances at the Norfolk circuit last season by adding a brace of wins in his Lamborghini Huracan, claiming the first two GT3 class wins in the process by over a minute on each occasion.
Qualifying
The quick 15-minute qualifying session was dominated by the ever-improving Igoe. His Lamborghini Huracan GT3 was not only quickest in the new class, but was the only car to dip into the 1m49s bracket on its way to the first overall pole position of the season.
The chaser was GTC pole sitter John Dhillon in his tiger-liveried Ferrari 488 Challenge, pipping the GT3 Lamborghini of GT Cup regular, John Seale. Team HARD enjoyed a strong session, with their Porsche topping the GTB class thanks to Sam Randon and Callum Jenkins heading GTA with his Ginetta G55.
Sprint Race
Igoe showed no signs of letting up his scorching pace as he jumped clear into a healthy lead in the early stages of Saturday’s 25-minute sprint race from pole. The Lamborghini dropped the chasing Dhillon, while Seale unfortunately dropped out with left-rear bodywork damage on his Huracan after slight contact fending off a brace of attacking Porsches.
While Igoe sprinted to victory by over a minute, Will Goff charged to second past Dhillon’s Ferrari in the closing stages, after Porsche 911 man passed the Team HARD Porsche 997 of Randon in the early laps. Dhillon held onto third for GTC class honours, Randon chasing but fourth was enough for Porsche to earn a class win in GTB.
GTA also went Team HARD’s way thanks to a fine performance from inexperienced Ginetta G55 racer Ollie Brown, surviving a track limits penalty to beat their sister Ginetta. GTH also saw the British manufacturer win in the hands of Craig Wilkins, meaning a second class win for Scott Sport Racing alongside’s Dhillon’s success.
Endurance race
Igoe proceeded to double his tally with a lights-to-flag success in the 50-minute enduro that followed in the afternoon. The WPI man went alone without co-driver Dennis Lind and set a consistent pace up front to extend the lead cushion until the mandatory pit stops began cycling through.
The gap was kept to under 40s by the charging fellow GT3 entrant of Goff, who later fell adrift of the GTC-winning Ferrari 488 of Dhillon and a rapid Aaron Scott. The latter would finish a distant bit hard-earned second overall behind the winning Lamborghini driver as Igoe stretched his legs in the latter stages.
The Team HARD Porsche again shone in the GTB class. Randon and Ben Clayden flew to fifth overall after running inside the top three initially, Randon doubling his success after sprint race honours. The GTA class went the way of Team HARD also, this time for Simon Orange and Josh Jackson and they overtook the Jaguar of Immanuel Vinke just before stops took place.
The real dice came from the GTH runners. Reigning champions JM Automotive took the shock early lead in the championship-defending McLaren 570 GT4, having passed the Feathers Motorsport Ginetta G55 of James Guess at the first turn. Wilkins chased the lead McLaren hard before stops, only for the class win to be snatched by the faster stop and in-laps of Guess who took it by less than a second in a tight finish.
Sam Randon
“It’s been an awesome day for us and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve had very little time in the car what with the circumstances and other factors out of our control, so to turn up and bond with it already is awesome. I’d never driven the Porsche, so it’s good that we’re getting on really well and we keep finding time out there. We’re making a strong partnership and it’s onwards and upwards.”