Grange Racing with FSR Scores Breakthrough Win and Podium at Oulton Park Double Header. The team returns from Rounds 2 & 3 with trophies and crucial championship points.
Weekend Overview
Only seven months since the team’s inception, Grange Racing with FSR climbed to the top step of the podium at Round 3 of the British GT Championship season, capping off a fantastic weekend that saw the team’s debut podium and race win. Following a challenging season-opening Silverstone 500, the team regrouped and prepared extensively for Rounds 2 & 3 at Oulton Park, completing a private test at the 2.69-mile circuit ahead of the race meeting.
Oulton Park may be among the shorter tracks the British GT Championship will visit this year, but it’s certainly one of the most challenging. The undulating surfaces and cambered corners never let the drivers or cars settle for more than a moment. Conservation of momentum and track position are key, with the narrow circuit making defending easier than overtaking.
Significant progress was made on the set-up for the #27 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo, with the car being in a strong performance window and topping the timing sheets in Free Practice. While the bank holiday heatwave caused challenges with tyre performance and understeer in mid-high speed corners, camber adjustments helped to dial in the car for its assault on the Cheshire countryside.
Strong Pace in Practice and Qualifying
On Sprint weekends featuring two 60-minute races, the times set by drivers Dan Lavery and Darren Turner in their respective sessions would determine the grids for Round 2 and Round 3 respectively. Dan’s time of 1:42.469 secured P2 in GT4 Pro-Am (P5 in GT4 overall), and Darren’s 1:41.569 also returned P2 in class (P4 in GT4 overall) - despite neither driver getting a completely clear lap. Regardless, both drivers felt confident in the car and getting the most out of it around the 17-corner circuit.
Monday’s 15-minute Warm-Up session allowed the team to test an increased rake on the #27. Rake describes the difference in ride height between the two axles, with a high rake set-up increasing the ride height at the rear, shifting the weight balance of the car towards the front to improve mechanical grip and reduce understeer.
Round 2: Fightback from the Back
Just before 11:00am, the call to leave the pits for the grid came, but the car suffered from a battery voltage issue and by the time the 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 fired into life the pit exit had closed, and the car would have to join the back of the field once the race began. Taking to the track on the inside of Turn 1, Dan Lavery caught a glimpse of a stationary #77 Optimum Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo which had pirouetted following contact at the start of the race.
From the back of the field, Dan Lavery quickly caught the GT4 pack and began carving through the order.
Dan quickly caught the tail of the GT4 field, and progressed through the order to fourth in GT4 Pro-Am within the first 10 minutes of the race. This became third with a decisive move to pass the #8 Toro Verde GT Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS on the inside of Old Hall Corner, followed by an emphatic defence of his new position through Denton’s and Cascades.
The march forwards continued with the #27 passing the #40 of fellow Aston Martin campaigners Townsend Racing just three minutes later, solidifying P2 in class and returning to the qualifying position. The gap to the leading #42 Ginetta G56 GT4 Evo was chipped away, with 7 seconds reducing to 5 by the time the pit window opened for the class. Grange Racing with FSR opted to visit the garage straight away, installing Darren Turner at the wheel as the race approached half-distance.
With all GT4 Pro-Am competitors pitting around the same time, Darren maintained P2 as he returned to the track, with the team hoping to capitalise on track position to pass GT4 Silver cars that had yet to pit. However, a race-ending off at Lodge Corner for the #84 Mahiki Racing McLaren Artura GT4 - and temporary trip to the gravel for the #67 Orange Racing by JMH McLaren 720S GT3 Evo - caused the race to be neutralised with a Full Course Yellow (FCY).
This allowed the GT4 Silver teams to make their stops with the rest of the field limited to 50mph and preserve their track position ahead of the Pro-Am cars. The race resumed with 12 minutes to go, and Darren Turner maintained a comfortable gap to the chasing field, eventually crossing the finish line P2 in class, although a post-race 30-second penalty for leaving the engine on during the pit stop dropped the car to P3. Still, the result marked the first podium finish for Grange Racing with FSR.
Round 3: Breakthrough Victory
Owing to the Sprint Weekend format, the team would get another chance to compete just a few hours later, as Round 3 beckoned in the late afternoon. The #27 lined up on the grid as planned, starting from P2 in GT4 Pro-Am, and P4 in the wider GT4 category. The race began in earnest behind the safety car, with the field being released after two laps and just over five minutes elapsed.
Darren quickly built a gap to the mixed contingent of Pro-Am and Silver cars behind, keeping in touch with the leading trio of GT4s, before locking on to the rear bumper of the #74 Innovation Racing Ginetta. The pair would run nose-to-tail into the second half of the race, with Darren constantly searching for a way past the #74 while simultaneously defending from the #61 WSR Flexifly BMW M4 GT4 Evo behind. The #42 Toro Verde GT Ginetta was the first GT4 to visit the pit lane with 25 minutes of race time remaining, temporarily relinquishing its overall lead and promoting Darren Turner to P3 overall.
Two minutes later, the Grange Racing with FSR garage sprung into life as the #27 arrived for its scheduled driver change. Dan Lavery emerged on the tail of the #40 Townsend Racing Aston Martin, running third in both GT4 Pro-Am and GT4 overall, before advancing to second a short while later. In the garage, all eyes were fixed on the timing screens and race broadcast, with the car on course for its best finishing position to date as the race approached its final quarter.
The relaxed anticipation was palpable, but this turned to a thick tension in the air as the leading #42 tumbled down the timing screens following a steering failure and one-way trip to the gravel trap. No FCY period was called. Dan Lavery took the lead of the race for Grange Racing with FSR.
Ascending through Deer Leap, the chequered flag greeted Dan Lavery as he crossed the finish line in first place.
A fast-charging #21 MK Racing Aston Martin with Jess Hawkins at the wheel approached as the minutes ticked away, but Dan was resolute with his consistency and using passing GT3 leaders to his advantage to defend the GT4 lead. The garage was almost silent, with the pit crew holding their breath as the minutes ticked away. Exiting Knickerbrook for the final time, the left tyres dipped over the track edge, costing Dan momentum as he climbed Clay Hill.
This allowed Hawkins to close right up to the #27’s bumper, but a definitive block kept her behind. Ascending through Deer Leap, the chequered flag was there to greet Dan as he crossed the finish line in first place. In an instant, the tension in the garage shattered, replaced with a burst of cheers, hugs and applause.
The target set pre-season for the sharp end of the field had been proven right, with the #27 leading home not only its fellow GT4 Pro-Am class competitors but finishing ahead of the GT4 Silver entrants too. Heading to the podium for the second time on Monday, the champagne was sprayed farther and with even more vigour, with smiles all around from the drivers, engineers and mechanics.
With the silverware collected, the slowest part of the race weekend began: the walk back to garage 20 with trophies in hand. The camaraderie within the British GT Championship paddock was on full display, with on-track rivals shaking hands to congratulate the team on their debut win. Photos were posed for, hugs were shared, and the realisation of the accomplishment began to set in for the team members.
Team Reaction
“It was a fantastic week all round. Seven months ago we moved into our workshop, and we had no car, no truck, no kit, just a great group of people and the backing of Grange and Cinch and all the partners to bring the journey and the vision to life. Seven months later we’ve had an outright win in British GT’s GT4 class. It’s absolutely incredible.”
Elliott Cole, Team Principal, Grange Racing with FSR
The focus is already turning towards Spa for the next round of the British GT Championship, with the iconic circuit playing host to a 2-hour endurance battle on June 21. But before the truck heads to the Ardennes Forest, the team will rightly enjoy the reward for all their hard work: their first trophies, and a healthy points haul to get the fight for the GT4 championship underway.
Weekend Summary
Qualifying results: Time - GT4 Pro-Am (GT4 Overall):
Dan Lavery: 1:42.469 - P2 (P5)
Darren Turner: 1:41.569 - P2 (P4)
Results in GT4 Pro-Am (GT4 overall):
Round 2: P3 (P7)
Round 3: P1 (P1)
Next race: British GT Championship Round 4, Spa Francorchamps, June 21
Championship positions:
GT4 Drivers Overall: P4, 31 points
GT4 Drivers Pro-Am: P5, 40 points
GT4 Teams: P5, 31 points