Continuing Britcar’s 2026 theme of first-time overall winners, this time it was the popular duo of Nick Hull and Richard Avery, in the SGM/Full Throttle Motorsport Porsche 992.1 that triumphed. Taking advantage of a BoP adjustment, it was clear from the outset that the pair were on it for this race, and even taking a third pit-stop (both necessary and for atonement) their margin at the flag was 18 seconds over newcomer Sam Howarth’s 991.2 machine.
Colin White’s solo drive of the CWS Ginetta landed him the GT class win, third overall
There were just two laps of racing after the rolling start before the Safety Car was deployed – Mark Cunningham had streaked away from pole in the SG Racing Porsche 991.2, pulling out a gap over youngster Sam Howarth’s similar Flat6 Racing machine, and Richard Avery signalled notice of intent, stealing third place from Simon Clark’s McLaren into Redgate, while Nick Casey had the bit between his teeth too, making up three places in the Box3 Ginetta on the opening lap, but further back, at the start of the third tour, Axel van Nederveen’s Ginetta clashed with Bill Addison’s Aston Martin, the Aston crashing heavily into the Redgate tyre wall, initiating a caution that would eke just into the pit window. First to take the bait from the Safety Car crocodile was Avery, from third, then Michael Knibbs in the Hills Motorsport Ginetta, though these were just a few seconds too early; Knibbs was waved through by the team, but Avery stuck with it and pulled up at 45 degrees outside the pit box, handing the car over to Nick Hull, later explaining “the Safety Car unexpectedly picked up the pace a little, and caught us out by a few seconds”.
Dylan Hotchin’s Invitation-entry McLaren at Redgate
With the window well and truly open, the others pitting on that lap were safe, and a further tranche pitted next time around, just as the caution was lifted, though sadly not rejoining was the JWA Ginetta of Andy Cummings, retired due to being stuck in sixth gear. Sticking to strategy though, was wily old Colin White, now leading the race in his Ginetta, ahead of Greg Saunder’s Cupra, Richard Amos in the new-spec Project 29:7 Ginetta, the Army Sports Car Supercup of Jon Candler, and Dylan Hotchin, who had impressively hauled his Invitation-entry McLaren up from the back of the starting grid. Nick Hull was on fire in the Porsche, cutting through the non-stoppers to take the overall lead, and equally impressive was Sam Howarth, unlapping himself from the flying Hull. It wasn’t long before another Safety Car period though – at one-third distance, Peter Moulsdale’s BMW M2 was in the gravel at Coppice, and the Fynn Jones/Rob EllIck TSR Performance Cupra was off at the Old Hairpin. A raft of second mandatory stops ensued, and with no refuelling allowed under S/C conditions, it was felt by the Ginetta and Trophy contingent that the two cautions would negate a replenishment of the tanks, but taking no chances were the Army Sports team, a churnful added when Will Ashmore replaced Josh Gilding earning them a stop/go penalty.
Ash Woodman returned to class-winning ways in his distinctive Ligier
Julian McBride had double-stinted his Geoff Steel-run BMW M3 up to the halfway mark of the race, and handed over to pro-driver Phil Keen , with the potential for an overall podium finish. Peter Cunningham had held steady in the erstwhile leading SG Racing Porsche, but once again a wrong place/wrong time track position during the caution had stymied progress, and once Mark Cunningham got in for a final stint, refuelled but not new tyres, there was a mountain to climb. A third stop for the leading SGM Porsche atoned for the earlier out-of-synch stop, and Richard Avery was on a final run to the flag. Simon Clark’s McLaren inherited the lead, then when he took his final stop, it was Phil Keen at the front – in for the win perhaps? No – there were three Challenge-class Porsches on a mission – Mark Cunningham was tearing up the track, setting fastest laps, anxious to get back on the lead lap, with Avery upping the ante to stop that happening, while Howarth was cutting through too. Keen had to let Avery past, but didn’t quite have the pace to overtake the BMW of Chris Murphy, running two laps down, but unwilling to allow the GT class leader to protect the position. Keen eventually decided that discretion is the better part of valour, and backed off, though drive shaft failure saw the Geoff Steel-run M3 crawl out of the final chicane on the last lap, not quite making it to the line, but classified in second place in the GT category. So it was a popular win for Nick Hull and Richard Avery and the SGM team, which earned them the Outstanding Achievement award too, while Nick Howarth also excelled on his Britcar debut, a portent of things to come for a full season next year.
Pro driver Phil Keen persues Chris Murphy down the start straight
Mark Cunningham was faster than anybody, fourth overall and third in Challenge, nearly a lap down, was scant reward. Third overall, and the last-gasp winner of the GT Class, was Colin White, the old-hand flagbearer for the Ginetta marque had always been in the hunt, and despite a late-race drive-through for track limits, grasped the class win when Phil Keen’s BMW suffered drive-shaft failure on the final lap- Keen and McBride had done enough to claim the class runner-up place though, and Simon Clark, in the re-BoPed Form Evo Racing McLaren had to fend off the Project 29:7 Ginetta GTP8 of Sam Smith / Richard Amos in the closing laps, the gap at the flag being less than three-quarters of a second. Chris Murphy, driving what seemed the widest E46 in existence, entertained us to fifth place in class, less than three seconds ahead of the Army Sports Car Ginetta, Will Ashmore fulfilling his ambition to see the chequered flag after earlier stints by Jon Candler and Josh Gilding. After showing early promise, the Datum Ginettas had a disappointing finish, late-race issues for both saw the Marco Anastasi/Maurizio Sciglio car drop to seventh, five laps down, while Nick Casey’s machine suffered rear-end damage in the closing laps and pulled off. Dylan Hotchin had a impressive debut in the DH Racing McLaren 570s, but a fire in the engine bay during the final pit stop signified the end of his involvement, while erstwhile class front-runners Michael Knibbs and Aiden Hills retired the Hills Motorsport Ginetta with suspension damage. The Trophy class was an up and down affair – Greg Saunders’ Capture Motorsport Cupra led at the start, and in fact finished first on the road at the flag, but he picked up a post-race penalty for a yellow flag infringement, dropping him to the runner-up spot, handing the win to Ash Woodman, now getting to grips with the EDF-run Ligier JS2R after both driver and car have benefitted from expert input from EDF’s Dave Farrow.
Filp Engdahl and Ayok Iyengar landed a respectable Trophy class fifth in the second Capture Cupra
Wiliam Lynch, in the orange Geoff Steel-run BMW M3 looked set for class victory in the final third of the race, but his pace dropped off in the closing laps, third place nevertheless an impressive result, while early front-runner Archie Buttle was visibly disappointed to finish off the podium in the Vortice Ginetta, with the Pro-am pairing of Filp Engdahl and Ayok Iyengar a respectable fifth in the second Capture Cupra. Late race fuel issues interfered with a promising debut for Dave Tyson’s Race Car Experience new VW Golf, with Henry Swanson and a visibly jubilant Olly Allen pleased with their performance, while, once again, a good early run by Carl Garnett in the Project 29:7 Ginetta was interrupted by drive shaft failure –the team did sterling work to get Jonathan Moore back out to be the last classified finisher.
Overall top three podium
Colin White won the Sunoco Driver of the Day award
Simon Gree Motorsport took home the Britcar Oustanding Achievement award for running Richard and Nick’s winning Porsche
Words: Steve Wood; photos: Chris Valentine, Paul Cherry and Steve Jackman