The Avon Tyres British GT Championship heads into its final round of the season and Wrotham based Oman Racing Team will be in the thick of the action at Donington Park.
Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 drivers Ahmad Al Harthy and Michael Caine currently lie third in the championship standings and arrive at Donington with the sole aim of winning the two hour race.
Only the Motorbase Performance pair can stop BMW Z4 driver Marco Attard from claiming the title and Al Harthy and Caine know that they must win with Attard and co-driver Alexander Sims finishing lower than seventh to snatch their second title in three years.
Straight off the back of a second podium finish last time out, the #5 Aston Martin will again be handled by Rory Butcher alongside the returning Liam Griffin and the pair are eager to replicate the car’s podium finish from the previous round at Brands Hatch and help the Motorbase-run squad on its quest for the Teams’ title.
David Bartrum’s squad currently leads the Teams’ Championship by 12 points and has its eyes firmly set on claiming the title for a second time. Having gone into the last two years’ final with a fighting chance of winning the championship, the Kent-based team is more than aware that anything can happen and is fully committed to taking it down to the wire. Despite both Oman Racing Team Aston’s having time penalties to overcome, with two excellent driver line-ups, two great cars and a brilliant team in support, there is every chance that the Oman Racing Team can scoop at least one title this weekend.
Speaking ahead of the weekend racing Team Principal David Bartrum, said: “We’re going to the final round at Donington with a 12-point lead in the Teams’ Championship and we’ve got a good chance at that but we’ve got to be careful. There are a couple of teams that could catch us so we’ve got to keep our cars consistent and make sure we do a good job.
“In the drivers’ championship I guess you could say that it is for Attard and Sims to lose because they’ve got one hand on the trophy. We’ve got to win and they’ve got to finish no higher than seventh, so we need a massive stroke of luck to win.
“In the three years we’ve been in British GT, we’ve gone into the final round with a chance of winning the Teams’ Championship and here we are again. I think our record has been first class. It is a testament to the reliability of the cars, the consistency of the drivers and the good work that we’ve done as a whole team.”
After qualifying at 15.50 on Saturday (13 September), the two-hour race will start at 12.55 on Sunday. The action will be covered in an edited highlights programme on Channel 4, MotorsTV and BT Sport 2.