Igoe and Wilcox hold on for double victory as Bailey and Glew fall just short
19th July 2018
- Porsche duo make it two from two on home soil.
- Downing sweeps weekend in National Motorsport Academy Mosler.
- Webb reignites Group GTA battle with second win.
Despite late pressure, Michael Igoe and Adam Wilcox held on to make it two wins at Oulton Park in the WPI Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Igoe started the race, held under glorious July sunshine, before handing over to Adam Wilcox at the pit stop. However, Phil Glew, who climbed aboard the Horsepower Racing / SB Race Engineering Ferrari 488 Challenge for Paul Bailey, hunted the latter down in the closing stages.
Gareth Downing made it a clean sweep this weekend with another National Motorsport Academy victory, bringing the resurgent Mosler MT900 home with another victory from pole position.
“It’s been an excellent day all around,” said Downing. “We were gutted not to take all three wins at Snetterton so to come here and show the speed we’ve had today, the job the team has done, and that the car is reliable is great. We’re making progress and I have to thank all the students working on the car. It shows that what we’re doing, despite being different, is working.”
Heading Group GTB was Jon Harrison and Warren Gilbert’s Topcats Racing Marcos Mantis, overcoming an early drive-through penalty. “It was really good out there,” said Harrison. “Lovely weather, no rain, it was good fun! We had a good, consistent race. It’s great to come away with a win after the start we had.”
“The whole team has been fantastic,” said Gilbert. “Jon drove a blinder after ten years away from here. If he’d have done the whole race on his own he’d have caught the others too!”
Going one better in Group GTH in this 50-minute race were JMH Automotive duo Steve Ruston and John Whitehouse, who took the victory after Chris Murphy made a late stop in the Whitebridge Motorsport Aston Martin, before handing over to race one victor Adam Hatfield. “It was a bit warm in that car,” said Ruston. “I got a good start and got a gap. Within GTH the races swing and its competitive between all of us.”
“Being the second driver today, Steve had to get past the Aston for sure,” said Whitehouse. “He came in with a big advantage and all I had to do was stay out there, keep the times down, and watch. A good day for the team.”
Rounding off the winners was Tom Webb, who also made it a perfect weekend, taking another win from pole to bring himself back into the championship battle with James Reveler and Gary Smith.
“I tried to catch Paul Bailey again, but for somereason the red lights came on for a few corners, so I backed off,” said Webb. “I came around a bit further and the light wasn’t there anymore, so I cautiously got back on it and I’d lost the Ferrari by that point. It was a bit hot out there.”
Results:
Group GTO
1 – Gareth Downing – National Motorsport Academy, Mosler MT900
Group GTC
1 – Michael Igoe / Adam Wilcox – WPI Motorsport, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
2 – Paul Bailey / Phil Glew – Ferrari 488 Challenge, Horsepower Racing / SB Race Engineering
Group GTB
1 – Jon Harrison / Warren Gilbert – Topcats Racing, Marcos Mantis
2 – Tom Barrow / Richard Corbett – Saxon Motorsport, BMW V10 150
3 – Richard Neary / Sam Neary – Team Abba, BMW M3 GTR
Group GTH
1– Steve Ruston / John Whitehouse – JMH Automotive, Ginetta G55 GT4
2 – ChrisMuprhy / Adam Hatfield – Whitebridge Motorsport, Aston Martin Vantage GT4
3 – David Holloway / Piers Johnson – Century Motorsport, Ginetta G55 GT4
Group GTA
1 – Tom Webb – Team Webb, BMW M3 GTR
2 – James Reveler / Gary Smith – Topcats Racing, Ginetta G55
Image Credit: Ben Green (Inked Hand Images)
