Falken Tyre Sports Car Championship: Round 1 (Oulton Park)

Just like how I was absolutely obsessed with the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 from the second it came out until January last year - the Aston Martin Vantage GT4 has absolutely taken over my life - and I want to drive it every last available second I have - in leagues, in official racing - hell, I'd give Week 13 in an Aston a go! To my delight, there was now four different GT4 Series I could get my teeth into

- GT4 Challenge Raced in: -S2, 2022 (Aston Vantage) -S3, 2022 (McLaren 570s)

Michelin Pilot Challenge

Attempted to race alongside IMSA Endurance - but never found availability

FalkenTyre Sports Car Championship

New for 2023, this series pitched GT4 cars up against LMP3's for 30 minutes.

Creventic Endurance Series & Nurburgring Endurance Championship

Already started before Season 3, 2023, these two are endurance series featuring the Aston.

My plan was to continue league racing with the Aston (DML & VRG) but also race in both the FalkenTyre Sports Car Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge.

FalkenTyre Sports Car Championship: Round 1 (Oulton Park)

Upon lining up on the grid for the rolling start, I don't think a single driver on that grid quite realised how crazy the race would turn out to be.

I qualified 7th/17th in class - right in the thick of the "meat-grinder" (middle of the pack) and I was excited to see how the race would go and was aiming for a modest Top 10 in class.

Half-way around the Lap, the Kabort strategists ripped up their papers and threw them into the air - there was no absolutely point in predicting a thing as 6/18 of the LMP3's got wiped out in a start-pile up - this putting a pair of LMP3's deep in the GT4 pack.

For the GT4's, it was slightly less chaotic.

8th started in front of me and on the opening lap, I only dropped to 9th - before dropping to 10th on the following lap - which became 9th as a second competitor ahead had an off.

Other than an LMP3 within the GT4 pack "removing himself from the circumstances" the race slowly started to calm down and simmer...

Well - almost, the GT4 leader flew off the circuit and rejoined a few cars ahead of me, but other than that, there was a lul in the field - I just knew I had to bring her home in 9th.

unbeknownst to me, the following Lap, (Lap 4), Chapter 2 had just begun.

Chapter 2 required the LMP3 field to lap the GT4 field.

Being only Lap 4, bar the stragglers, the majority of the GT4 field were still closely packed together - the LMP3 drivers having to juggle finding a way past whilst not disturbing the battle under way.

On Lap 5, it would be my turn - and I was fortunate enough to have the first one breeze past me on the straight.

This gave me an advantage as the others scrambled to get out of the way of the LMP3's, I could inch closer to the cars ahead (I was lucky enough to have the first LMP3 on a straight)

Lap 6 was probably my best lap of the race - I pulled a very nice move on P8 ahead - getting a tighter line for turn 3, and having a better run down the straight - passing him before the next corner - before then launching into 6th as two GT4's ahead came to grief (one got braked on the grass, the other collected him) - further collecting 5th as P3 (at the time) messed up a fast chicane and ploughed into the tyre wall.

Through...keeping it clean, I had somehow managed to nip inside the Top 5.

My journey from 9th to 5th - the Porsche in the first picture was off-line, so I just used the racing line and a bit of slip-stream to nip past - the other two were a little more self-explanatory.

Despite the massive boost in morale - I had one slight issue - Since the previous lap (Lap 5), I had a rather large BMW on my gearbox - eager to try and make the pass - my mirrors being filled with the blue and white BMW logo - but I knew I had to remain resilient.

Traffic on Lap 6 helped me (massively) build a gap - but I knew that it wouldn't be long before he'd be investigated my exhausts again...

I'd manage the gap for 4 laps, making it to Lap 10, before messing up the exit of a chicane...which completely ruined my run down the next straight - the BMW having a solid exit meant that he could instantly close the small gap I had pulled out.

The same happened on Lap 11 - I pulled out a gap - but had an atrocious exit out of the chicane - one more mistake at that chicane and the BMW would be past...

Third time lucky. On Lap 12, I nailed the exit - and with two LMP3's behind me, I was almost "pushed" along by their presence.

The good news kept coming - on Lap 14 - P4 who I was slowly catching went off in spectacular fashion at the hardest corner of the track (claimed many victims) - and I was into the Top 4. With 5 laps to go, I just needed to bring it home.

This was definitely easier said than done - as the laps counted down - P7 (spun earlier) was also catching both the BMW and I ahead - By Lap 15 - it turned into a 3 way fight for 4th.

Fans were treated to an absolute classic...

Both would find a way past on the following lap (I went deep into turn 1 trying to out-brake the BMW) - but sadly, the battle would end that very lap, as an LMP3 would try to get down the inside of the BMW at a tight left hander, sucker-punch the BMW off and out of the race.

With less than 5 laps to go - at this point, I just had to bring it home - I saw what happened to the BMW - and this late on? That would be tragic.

Once clear of GT4 traffic, Mercedes ahead pulled away - it was inevitable - I was just lucky to be able to keep hold one of the positions I was defending against.

The final 3 laps were VERY quiet - especially considering how the race went up until that point.

It was a bloody, bloody race.

Only the Top 4 LMP3's (18 total) finished on the lead lap.

Out of a total of 35 entries, 22 finished

(13 Retirements - 10 DNF | 3 DSQ)

it was absolute carnage Every. Single. Lap and I absolutely loved it - and am very excited to see what the rest of the season brings.