McLaren Driver Development Programme Scores First British GT Victory Of 2019 During Action-Packed Race Weekend

•Tolman Motorsport secures first win of the season as McLaren Driver Development Programme drivers take triple podium; HHC Motorsport retains championship lead

•Balfe Motorsport scores the maiden British GT podium for the McLaren 720S GT3

•Andretti Autosport takes double GT4 America Sprint class victories with the McLaren 570S GT4 to lead Am standings

McLaren Customer Racing teams enjoyed a successful weekend on UK and North American soil, as examples of the 570S GT4 and 720S GT3 secured podium finishes and important championship points in the latest rounds of the British GT and the Pirelli GT4 America championships. Each of the three customer teams running at Snetterton took a place on the podium over the course of the weekend, with the 570S GT4 securing a GT4 class race win with Tolman Motorsport and the 720S GT3 achieved a maiden British GT podium with Balfe Motorsport. Further successes were seen at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, where both Blackdog Speed Shop and Andretti Autosport each secured a brace of podiums.

The second race saw Tolman take a further step up on the podium, with Collard and Proctor taking the overall GT4 race victory in dramatic fashion, moving into the lead in the closing stages of the 60-minute race. HHC Motorsport impressed during qualifying for both races, with the #57 of Dean Macdonald and Callum Pointon the quickest of the McLaren 570S GT4s throughout. Having narrowly missed a podium in Race 1, the pairing secured P3 in Race 2 to maintain the lead in the GT4 driver and Silver Cup championship standings, while the team's #58 sister car finished P4. After four races, the results see HHC Motorsport leading the GT4 team championship from Tolman Motorsport.

Completing the successes for the McLaren Customer Racing teams on the British GT grid was Balfe Motorsport. In GT4, the duo of Graham Johnson and McLaren Young Professional Michael O'Brien repeated their Pro-Am P3 finish from the last round in Oulton Park to strengthen P2 in the championship. Having shown real potential in the early sessions of the weekend, contact with a back-marker while battling for a top-3 position ended hopes of a strong finish in Race 1 for the 720S GT3. However, a strong performance in Race 2 saw team owner Shaun Balfe take the maiden British GT podium with the 720S GT3 alongside Factory Driver Rob Bell. Balfe emerged from the pits in P5 with a gap to the lead group, but closed up during his stint and a bold move saw him crossing the line in a hard-fought P3.

The Pirelli GT4 America championship made its trip north of the border for the season, visiting the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for round 4 of the Sprint series. Customer team Blackdog Speed Shop arrived at the circuit off the back of a strong opening to the season, with Factory Driver Michael Cooper looking to close the gap to the championship leaders, while Andretti Autosport went into the race weekend with a commanding lead in the Am standings.

After qualifying the #10 Blackdog Speed Shop 570S GT4 was on the second row of the grid for the first race, with Jarett Andretti just behind in P6, claiming the Am-class pole position. Cooper managed his pace well throughout, moving up into P3 by the chequered flag, while Andretti followed him home in P4 overall, taking the overall honours in the Am class with a lights-to-flag victory. The sister #11 Blackdog Speed Shop entry of Tony Gaples finished P5 in class, while the KPR entry of Mark Klenin brought the #62 home in P6.

Lining up alongside each other on row 4, Cooper's pace saw him quickly up into the top-3 and, after 50 minutes of racing, the 29-year old eventually crossed the line in P2, less than 1.5 seconds off the leader. Andretti also made gains, battling for a position within the lead pack before eventually claiming P5, less than four seconds off the overall race winner. Gaples in the sister #11 Blackdog Speed Shop entry took the final podium in the Am class, while KPR and Mark Klenin took P5. The results marked a fifth consecutive podium finish for Cooper and Blackdog Speed Shop, who now sit third in the championship, and another impressive class victory for Andretti further extending his lead in the Am standings.

Jarett Andretti and Andretti Autosport were also in action in the two GT4 America SprintX races at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The Indianapolis-born 26-year old matched his strong Sprint performances of the weekend during the opening race, converting pole position to class victory.

Photo credit: McLaren Automotive
posted on conceptcarz.com

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