Paddock Motorsport had a top-five result ripped from its grasp at Brands Hatch last weekend, with a late-race punt from a rival preventing the team for equalling its best British GT finish of the season. Mark Smith and Martin Plowman enjoyed their strongest endurance race outing of the season in the penultimate two-hour race of the year, with Paddock’s McLaren looking nailed-on for fifth place in Kent before being harpooned and spun out in the closing laps. Despite the collision, Smith and Plowman still battled to ninth place overall, adding yet more points to the team’s tally, even if it was scant reward for an otherwise superb performance. Paddock has made huge strides with the setup and operation of its McLaren GT3 across the course of this season, culminating in a season-best finish of fifth last time out at Snetterton. However, at Brands the team showed it had taken yet another step, with Plowman topping Saturday’s Pre-Qualifying session outright, pipping McLaren factory driver Marvin Kirchhöfer to the top time. That signalled good things for Qualifying that afternoon, however a shift in both track temperature and brake balance meant Smith and Plowman would line-up ninth, but knowing they would have a quick car beneath them come Sunday when temperatures would play back into their hands. This was evidenced when Smith got a superb start, passing the Orange Racing McLaren, picking up another spot when the race-leading Aston Martin was handed a penalty for a grid infraction, and then swooped past the Beechdean Aston Martin to grab sixth. And all this around a heavily disrupted opening half which featured two safety car periods, and on a track notorious for its lack of overtaking opportunities. Smith brought the #9 in to switch with Plowman at the first opportunity, with the car filtering back out in fifth after some superb work from the Paddock technical crew to get the McLaren up and running on fresh tyres bang on its minimum pit time. Plowman then found himself defending from the Team Parker Racing Porsche in the hands of factory driver Sven Müller. The German repeatedly attacked but Plowman covered off his advances at every turn. Things came to a head when the Porsche tried to steam up the inside at Surtees, clipping the rear-left of the McLaren and spinning Plowman to the side of the track. Fortunately, Plowman was able to re-fire the car and rejoin, but the damage had been done. The team opted to roll the dice during one final safety car period and pit an extra time for fresh tyres, hoping the extra grip could help Plowman make up some ground over the closing minutes. But ninth would be the limit. It still brought a handful of points, but the excellent team effort had deserved more.

Paddock Motorsport scored its best result of the British GT Championship season last weekend with a hard-earned fifth place for Martin Plowman and Mark Smith during the Snetterton 300 double-header. Under a baking heatwave for much of the weekend, the #9 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo of Plowman and Smith backed up its best Qualifying performance of the year with a superb top-five finish in Race 1 around the three-mile circuit, then adding to that with eighth in a scrappy second contest. The Paddock duo arrived in Norfolk hopeful of lowering their previous best result of seventh, earned from the year’s first sprint race meeting at Oulton Park in May. While temperatures on track soared, the pace was equally hot for the #9 crew as they climbed into the top five in Pre-Qualifying on Saturday afternoon, giving them room for optimism ahead of the two short 10-minute Qualifying sessions. It would be a star performance from seven-time GT Cup race winner Smith that made the headlines, setting a lap quick enough for fifth on the grid for the opener and finishing as the fastest McLaren in the GT3 field. Plowman then followed up with 10th in Q2 despite sitting only a second shy of pole after a breathless contest. It all set the scene for Sunday, with Smith taking the rolling start for the opening encounter. Although he lost a spot initially, the American maintained a consistent pace to close onto the leading pack, holding station in sixth before diving in for Plowman when the pit window opened. A superbly executed stop from the team got Plowman installed and back out in fifth, the car elevated by some others ahead serving longer mandatory pit stops. Plowman emerged ahead of Hugo Cook’s Barwell Lamborghini, and the Huracan began to pressure Plowman over the final 15 minutes before Cook himself came under attack, releasing the Paddock McLaren to pull clear and bring home a best result of the campaign for himself and Smith in fifth place overall. It also maintained Paddock’s place as the top McLaren team in the opening contest. Riding high, Plowman took the start of Race 2. Their efforts to gain ground were aided by on off for a rival McLaren ahead of them, leaving Plowman in a tight battle with Marcus Clutton’s Orange Racing McLaren. Plowman got the run on Clutton in traffic late on in his stint, but was rudely shoved onto the grass when attempting to run around the outside of the Orange car through Riches. Plowman did well to hold the car as it skipped across the grass and through a marker board at high speed, rejoining the track losing just one spot. Smith took over shortly after the incident and rejoined still running in ninth. His pace brought him into the battle for a possible sixth, but with overtaking opportunities limited, the American instead kept his nose clean and banked solid points for eighth. Their combined results meant Smith and Plowman enjoyed their best-ever weekend score as a pairing, elevating them to ninth in the GT3 Drivers’ Championship.

Paddock Motorsport returns to a happy hunting ground this weekend, as the British GT Championship heads to Snetterton in Norfolk for its second, and final, sprint event of the season. Mark Smith and Martin Plowman will tackle two one-hour races on Sunday around the three-mile Snetterton 300 Circuit, a venue they have achieved a lot of success at in recent times. In fact, just last month American driver Smith dominated the GT Cup event at the venue, winning three of the four races solo aboard the team’s McLaren 720S GT3 Evo. While British GT is an entirely different competitive proposition, both the data and the confidence earned from that GT Cup event will be a boost for the team, which has shown top-five potential for the entirety of the campaign so far. Had it not been for damage blocking a cooling pipe and forcing an off-beat strategy in the previous three-hour race at Spa, Smith and Plowman could well have challenged for some big points in Belgium. This weekend the two one-hour thrashes pose a different challenge, with the shorter race duration leaving zero margin for error both on track and during a team’s mandatory pit stop and driver change. The twin-race format also gives each driver the chance to qualifying for, and start, a race, with Smith setting the grid slot for race one, and Plowman up against the fellow Pros at the start of race two. With the McLaren gaining in pace with every weekend, hopes are high that this weekend’s double header can yield a solid result for the team.

Mark Smith and Martin Plowman battled extreme temperatures at Spa-Francorchamps in their McLaren GT3 to score British GT points

Paddock Motorsport will head back to mainland Europe this weekend for the British GT Championship’s annual away day to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, where the team will be aiming to continue its impressive progression in the year’s final endurance round. This season is turning out to be Paddock’s best yet, with American driver Mark Smith excelling at the wheel of the team’s McLaren 720S GT3 Evo. In the feeder GT Cup series, Smith has won seven of the last nine races outright driving the car solo. He will once again be partnered by Paddock founder and professional driver Martin Plowman for the return to British GT action. Smith and Plowman have also shown impressive form thus far in British GT, establishing the #9 McLaren as a regular contender for the top six. The team has also shown marked improvement in its operation across the more demanding three-hour races, finishing a strong seventh on the road during the previous endurance round at Silverstone, and could have been even higher had damage not held them back late on. The longer races do not feature a set pit window, with every team instead having to make three mandatory pit stops with driver changes, and no single driver can exceed a single 65-minute stint, or a total of 100 minutes of drive time. This opens the door for a lot of inventive strategy where teams must react to the ever-changing flow of the race to try and find the fastest way to the chequered flag. McLarens have traditionally performed well at Spa, with the car’s solid mixture of aerodynamic efficiency and impressive top speed suiting the leggy track. Indeed, a McLaren has finished on the podium in each of the last three British GT events held there, scoring one win, raising hopes of a strong weekend for the Paddock Motorsport crew. 

Paddock Motorsport was at the heart of the action during last weekend’s British GT Championship round at Oulton Park, twice challenging for a potential top-five result across two tricky Bank Holiday Sprints. The combination of a tightly packed field and constantly changing weather conditions made the twin hour-long races in Cheshire challenging, but Paddock’s #9 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo shared by Mark Smith and Martin Plowman was ever-present in the fight, with both drivers pushing for strong points across the two rounds. Although some bad luck denied them a score in the opener, a sound strategy and calm heads put the team well in the frame for the top five in the weather-afflicted second race, once again ramming home the progress Paddock has made towards becoming a consistent presence at the sharp end of one of the world’s toughest GT championships. With all of Saturday’s running taking place in dry conditions, the weather lottery for Monday would make much of the day a very different experience. Monday’s opening race would at least be dry, but would also bring frustration with a solid points finish being snatched away in the closing stages by a racing incident. Smith was pleased to qualifying the #9 seventh on the grid, dramatically lowering his best time from the same venue last year and being only 0.6s away from outright pole. A real display of the level of progression both driver and team are making this season. When the lights went out for the opening race on Monday, Smith got a decent start but was then bottled up in the pack as the cars ran through the pinch point that is Old Hall corner, clouds of dust being thrown up as some slid wide beyond the kerbing. The #9 emerged from the melee in eighth, behind the Bridger Motorsport Honda NSX. Try and he might, Smith could close up to the Honda through the corners but the sheer grunt of the car in a straight line made actually passing the Japanese machine a different matter. Smith continued to attack until the race was neutralised by a long full course yellow period prompted by a heavy accident for a GT4 car. Smith pitted under the caution to hand to Plowman, who rejoined once again staring at the rear wing of the Honda. The NSX’s defence delayed Plowman and allowed the Team Parker Racing Porsche driven by Sven Müller to close in and soon the three ran nose-to-tail. Knowing he had to make a move, Plowman attacked the NSX into the Hislops Chicane, just as the Porsche dived to the inside of both. Unable to turn into the corner without risking heavy damage, Plowman was forced to take to the escape road, with the lost time dropping the Paddock McLaren to 11th. That was the limit, but Plowman did set the second-fastest race lap of any McLaren on the grid, ramming home the potential of the Paddock setup. Race two would prove a different sort of challenge, with rapidly changing weather conditions making tyre strategy a complete gamble. Plowman took the start from 11th and opted to fit wet-weather Pirellis with the track still soaked following a shower before the start. However, within a few laps of the green flag the circuit was already close to the crossover points between slick and wet rubber, sparking a number of runners to make early pit stops to change boots. However, with the weather looking increasingly unsettled on the radar, Paddock opted to keep Plowman out as long as possible, and sure enough the rain returned, vindicating the decision. Plowman steadily made his way up the order, eventually pulling a fine pass on the Beechdean Aston Martin to secure fifth by the time the pit window opened. With rain still in the air, the team made the sensible call of keeping the car on wets when Plowman relayed Smith for the run to the flag, prioritising the stability of a strong result over the gamble on what could become gripless slicks. Smith rejoined in fifth, but with the train of the Beechdean Aston, Spirit of Race Ferrari and Bridger Honda NSX, which had opted to a slicks, right behind. Further rain did not arrive, and when the Honda’s tyres switched on Smith was powerless to defend as he nursed his own overheating wets. The Optimum Motorsport McLaren driven my Morgan Tillbrook would also make its way past on dry tyres, but Smith defended superbly from the other cars in a similar situation, taking the flag a fine seventh with the Aston and Ferrari in his mirrors. The result means Paddock has now finished three of the year’s opening four British GT rounds inside the top eight overall, with Smith and Plowman running 11th in the GT3 Drivers’ Championship and the feeling that a breakthrough result for the pair may not be far away.

Paddock Motorsport will return to British GT Championship action this Bank Holiday weekend, aiming to continue its recent hot-streak with the year’s first sprint races being held at Oulton Park. Mark Smith and Martin Plowman head to the Cheshire parkland track in superb form, with American driver Smith enjoying a dominant weekend in the GT Cup just last weekend. Driving the team’s McLaren 720S GT3 Evo solo, Smith claimed outright victory in three of the four races held at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit, marking by far his most successful weekend of GT3 competition yet. Boosted by the trophy haul, Paddock will be aiming to carry the momentum over to the highest level with the resumption of British GT after a month’s break. Rounds three and four will be one-hour sprint races, held on Bank Holiday Monday, with the short-sharp format presenting twice the opportunity to fight for points. Coupled to that, Oulton Park’s fast sweeps and multiple pinch points mean British GT races there are always some of the most challenging of the season, with the track demanding bravery and skill in equal amount to string together a strong lap. Paddock has started the British GT season strongly, with Smith and Plowman scoring solid points across the opening two events at Donington Park and Silverstone, putting the pair ninth in the GT3 Drivers’ Championship. Despite differential trouble late on at Donington and fading brakes at Silverstone, Paddock’s #9 McLaren has been a regular inside the top eight of one of the most competitive GT3 grids in the world. At Oulton, each driver will take a turn to qualify, with Smith setting the grid slot for race one, and Plowman for race two, meaning every lap will count on Saturday. The return to flat-out sprint racing also removes much of the strategic element, leaving the racing as a contest of pure speed. 

Mark Smith and Martin Plowman scored the best-ever Silverstone 500 finish for the Paddock Motorsport team, holding off intense pressure late on to bag eighth place overall after a determined performance. Despite nursing fading brakes toward the end of British GT’s three-hour seasonal showpiece, Smith and Plowman successfully held off the attack of the title-chasing Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini to secure the result, with Plowman using every bit of his experience in the nail-biting closing stages to bring it home. It capped a fighting performance as the team enjoyed great consistency across a challenging race that featured three Safety Car periods and a heap of drama. Paddock began the weekend by dialling the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo into the Northamptonshire circuit’s fast sweeps across both Free Practice and Qualifying on Saturday. Despite changing track temperatures making it tough to refine the car’s balance, Qualifying proved a highlight with Smith producing a great lap to go eighth fastest in the opening session. Plowman then backed that up against the Pro field ensuring the #9 McLaren would start inside the top 10 for Sunday’s race. When the lights went out, Smith made immediate progress by working his way up a place to chase the Orange Racing McLaren. Despite repeatedly closing in on his rival, Smith began to struggle with front-end grip in the dirty air and was forced to hold station until the first of the caution periods cued the opening round of pit stops. A clean service by the Paddock crew got Plowman installed and the car back out in great time, with Plowman running as high as sixth during his opening stint. The race’s second Safety Car was called when a Ferrari was dumped into the gravel and the team again reacted, pitting for a second time with the race under reduced speed. Smith kept up the pressure for a top-six finish, successfully staying clear of trouble and showing consistent pace before the braking issue gradually began to rear its head. Smith drove superbly to limit the damage, before taking advantage of one final caution period to complete the car’s final pit stop. Despite Plowman being delayed by a red light at the end of the pit lane when attempting to rejoin, he filtered back out in the middle of a tight fight with both Barwell Lamborghinis. While the worsening braking problem meant hauling in the #1 car would be impossible, Plowman defended exceptionally against the #78 in the hands of Finnish driver Patrick Kujala, with the Lamborghini rarely ever more than a few tenths behind. Despite a tag from the rear also damaging the car’s diffuser, and Plowman having to constantly manage the ailing anchors, he held on for seventh at the flag. Even with the car being moved back a place by a post-race time penalty, eighth overall was a big result in the year’s toughest race. Made better by the fact the car scored points for seventh, due to the race-winning BMW being a guest entry.

Paddock Motorsport heads into the biggest race of the British GT Championship season aiming to continue its push up the grid, with the three-hour Silverstone 500 presenting plenty of opportunity for progress. Mark Smith and Martin Plowman will once again be at the wheel of Paddock’s #9 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, and head into the second round of the season on a solid footing. Despite differential issues badly hampering the McLaren’s handling across the second half of the season-opener at Donington Park earlier this month, Smith and Plowman still battled to an eighth-place finish to bag some vital early championship points. With the car now fully refreshed and ready to run, both drivers have designs on improving on that result, even if this weekend will also provide what will perhaps be the sternest test of the entire season. The prestigious Silverstone 500 regularly draws in top-line crews for one-off appearances, boosting what is already a highly competitive regular-season GT3 field. This weekend will be no exception, with 21 cars competing in the headline GT3 category amid a 33-car entry. The very nature of the Silverstone race is a challenge in itself, with the three-hour endurance format providing much more strategic freedom for teams to find the fastest way to the chequered flag. The usual set pit windows are gone, so each crew is instead free to stop whenever they wish, with the caveat that each team must make three mandatory pit visits and driver changes, and no single driver can be in the car for more than 100 minutes. Therefore, being reactive to situations, managing both drive time and fuel levels, as well as being just plain quick, makes the recipe for success more complex than usual. Regardless the team enjoyed a productive day of testing at the Northamptonshire track last week and goes into the race weekend confident of getting into the fight.