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Consistency pays for Paddock across challenging British GT season opener

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:45:03 GMT

Mark Smith and Martin Plowman beat the odds to bank a healthy points score across the opening race of the British GT season at Silverstone last weekend, with the Paddock Motorsport team overcoming a string of challenges to make the result possible.

An overnight turbo change was required to get the #9 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo race-ready for Sunday and, despite an ongoing battle to get the car back into its optimal performance window, Smith and Plowman fought their way from the back of the grid to finish ninth overall and an impressive fifth in the GT3 Pro-Am category.

The showpiece three-hour Silverstone 500 weekend began with the team adapting the McLaren's setup to the 3.6-mile track's fast sweeps. Despite strong pace in pre-season testing, a change of conditions on the day made this more difficult, forcing the Paddock engineers to revise a host of settings to try and restore a solid handling balance. While they succeeded, a different issue hamstrung the team’s qualifying efforts when a turbo cracked and required a full replacement.

The change of components meant the #9 would be dumped to the back of the GT3 field for race day, meaning Smith and Plowman would need to produce a mighty charge if they were to salvage anything from the weekend. Fortunately, Silverstone’s three hours are rarely straightforward, and some flawless strategy and consistent stints helped put Paddock back at the sharp end.

Smith took the start from 18th and immediately made progress, working his way up to 15th by the end of the first lap before settling into a tight battle with the Rodin Motorsport Ferrari and both the #90 Optimum and #69 Mahiki Racing McLarens. Smith got the better of all of them, surging up to 12th before handing to Plowman with a perfectly timed first stop under a safety car period.

While Plowman was installed and sent out on fresh Pirellis, the McLaren was still carrying an issue that sapped its straight-line speed. The team instead had to focus on maximising what performance it had, and Plowman continued the forward momentum until another caution period presented a golden opportunity for a second short stop.

The team timed the driver change perfectly and after some great pit work Smith rejoined in fifth, a place he held until relaying Plowman one final time inside the final 40 minutes. Had it not been for one final safety car benefitting rivals who had gambled on staying out, and a gaggle of slower GT4 cars baulking Plowman when racing resumed for a final time, the team could have walked away with what would have been considered an incredible result given the circumstances. As it was Plowman fought home ninth overall and fifth in Pro-Am. However, with some cars ahead being guest entries and not scoring points, Smith and Plowman actually bagged overall points for seventh, and fourth in Pro-Am, representing a solid score from an otherwise challenging weekend.

Mark Smith said: “Considering our car was probably the slowest GT3 on track, the result is incredibly positive. We’re not really sure what the issue is, and it certainly isn’t something we’ve had before but I know the team will investigate it and get to the bottom of it. The balance actually felt great, it was just that we couldn’t get the lap time that we’re a little confused about. But we did OK for not being able to go fast! It was an exercise in producing a clean race. We weren’t penalised for anything and the team did a great job on every pit stop, and that helped us bank some good points.”

Martin Plowman added: “It’s a positive result given what we had today. But we need to go back to the drawing board to work out why the car was out of the window. We started the weekend competitive and then little things snuck up on us and we struggled for race pace. We need to investigate as we had to swap engines before the season started anyway as a precaution, so we’ll leave no stone unturned in finding the weakness. While the speed was disappointing, the way we executed the race was superb. Operationally, it was probably the best we’ve done in our years of competing in this race, so we’ll happily take the points and move forward.”

Paddock Motorsport is next in action for the second British GT round at Oulton Park over May 23-25.

Paddock prepared for launch as British GT’s new season begins at Silverstone

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:59:26 GMT

Paddock Motorsport will get its 2026 British GT Championship season underway this weekend, with Mark Smith and Martin Plowman raring to go for the showpiece Silverstone 500.

The Northamptonshire track will host the opening British GT round for the first time since 2001 this weekend. The prestigious three-hour ‘500’ event always being a highlight of the calendar with the winners receiving the historic 1932 RAC Trophy for their efforts.

That adds an extra motivation for the 18-strong GT3 entry which will duke it out for both the silverware and valuable early championship points. In total, the British GT grid has swelled to 29 cars, with a healthy GT4 entry also adding an extra challenge for the quicker GT3 cars to navigate.

Entering their fourth British GT campaign together, Smith and Plowman are no strangers to the task ahead, and the #9 Paddock Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo has been fully refreshed ahead of the start of the new campaign.

American driver Smith, who made his debut with Paddock in the 2022 British GT finale, has progressed to become one of the most promising amateur drivers in the series over recent years. He and Pro driver Plowman enjoyed a string of top-five results last year, scoring points in every race bar one, while Paddock’s McLaren successfully completed every racing lap of the 2025 campaign with a flawless mechanical record.

It is experience and preparation such as this which will pay dividends in a race like the Silverstone 500, which presents some unique challenges. With no set pit windows and teams instead limited by having to make three mandatory driver changes across the race while not exceeding a strict maximum drive time of 65 minutes per stint and 100 minutes total per driver, it leaves strategy wide open.

Paddock enjoyed its strongest Silverstone 500 yet last season, finishing eighth overall and with Smith featuring in the outright lead of the race at one point. To warm up, both Smith and Plowman enjoyed a recent test around the 3.6-mile track, and feel fully prepared for what lies ahead this weekend.

Mark Smith says: “I am looking forward to a great weekend at Silverstone. With some strong results in pre-season testing, I can't wait to see how that translates to our pace this weekend. We haven't been happier with the car, and we are ready to race!”

Martin Plowman adds: “It feels like it’s been a long winter and the entire team is raring to get back into the action this weekend. The Silverstone 500 is the biggest race of the year and always draws in some extra entries, so it will be high pressure from the start of the weekend to make sure we begin on the front foot with a competitive setup. I have no doubt the team is ready, and the recent test was very helpful in allowing us to evaluate where we stand and check all our systems. Silverstone can be a crazy race with all the different strategies teams deploy, but if we can keep things consistent and stay out of trouble, we could be on for a great result to start the year.”

Pre-event testing takes place on Friday April 24, with the race weekend beginning in earnest with twin practice sessions on Saturday morning. Qualifying is scheduled for 15:45 on Saturday, with the three-hour Silverstone 500 set for 13:00 on Sunday. Both Qualifying and the race will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 plus streamed over the GT World YouTube channel . Live timing will be available for all sessions via TSL Timing .

Paddock launches McLaren Trophy Europe season with rising stars

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:58:47 GMT

Paddock Motorsport has completed its initial two-car line-up for this year’s McLaren Trophy Europe, with two exciting driver combinations ready for action.

Having already announced the arrival of the highly-rated Luca Magnussen – son of Le Mans legend Jan and younger brother of F1 ace Kevin – anticipation ahead of Paddock’s second season of European competition has been high for the first two cars, with a potential third entry also in the pipeline.

Partnering Magnussen in the Pro class McLaren Artura Trophy Evo will be British racer Callum Davies, who switches across from a successful stint in the GT4 European Series for this year.

Paddock will also be gunning for the Pro-Am title, with rising star Matthew Higgins joined by GT racing newcomer David Coelho in the team’s second Artura Trophy Evo.

Between the first two cars, Paddock Motorsport aims to build on an impressive debut McLaren Trophy Europe season last year when its cars secured multiple class wins and the Am class title with Tim Docker handling its #78 Artura.

Davies already boasts significant experience of racing McLaren GT cars, having recorded podium finishes in both the British GT Championship and GT4 European Series. He began his car-racing career with Ginetta, finishing second in the 2023 Ginetta GT Championship before graduating through the GT Cup and into British GT, scoring his breakthrough podium finish at Brands Hatch in 2024. Last year he stepped up to the European stage with an Artura GT4, celebrating a podium finish at Barcelona and securing a top-10 finish in the world’s toughest GT4 championship.

Higgins joins the team as a highly exciting prospect. A professional karting driver with a string of successes – including becoming a two-time British champion and European champion, plus finishing third overall in the world championship – he graduated to GT racing in the GT Cup in 2024, winning the GTH category title at the first attempt. Success in Europe soon followed and he was also part of the winning GT4 team at last year’s 12 Hours of Mugello as well as impressing in selected GT4 European Series outings. The son of 10-time Rally America champion and Subaru factory ace David Higgins, Matthew will undoubtedly be one to watch in the Trophy this year.

Coelho is another driver with rallying links, having competed in events around Europe and in his native Trinidad and Tobago. He has gained circuit racing experience in a Mazda MX-5 across recent seasons and has established himself as a frontrunner in the Caribbean Spec Miata Series. He will be making both his GT and European circuit racing debut this year alongside Higgins.

Callum Davies says: “This will be my fourth year of racing a GT4-based car, and I feel the McLaren Trophy Europe is a good step up on the ladder. It’s halfway to a GT3 in terms of power and aero, and the grid looks like it’s going to be very strong this year so we’ll be in for some great competition. I had a few days testing in Portimão and the car is similar to the Artura GT4 in driving style but you’re arriving at the corners a lot quicker due to the extra power, so that takes some preparation and you have to be a bit more sensitive with the throttle as you have GT3 levels of power without GT3 rear tyres. I’m looking forward to racing with Luca. We’re both young, quick drivers and I think we’ll learn from each other. We want wins, poles and fastest laps and the aim has to be to go for the Pro class championship.”

Matthew Higgins says: “I’m really excited about this season and joining Paddock Motorsport for the McLaren Trophy Europe. After previous success in karting, I am excited to take that to the next level in GT racing and show what I can do on a highly competitive grid in front of a world-class manufacturer. I’m looking forward to competing in a sprint-style weekend where I can have my own qualifying and show my raw speed. It’s also very equal, with everybody in the same cars, it’s a raw drivers’ championship. Obviously, it’s a different world to kart racing where you have everything to yourself, but I really enjoy sharing a car with a team-mate and the Pro-Am element will be new to me this year, but I’m excited for the challenge. I already do a lot of coaching with young drivers through my Matthew Higgins Driver Academy programme, so I’m looking forward to transferring those skills into this programme. David and I have already built a good relationship, and I can’t wait to get going.”

David Coelho says: “This year is going to be a real challenge and something very different for me, but I can’t wait. I know David Higgins from rallying and he suggested the McLaren Trophy may be a good option for me, so we arranged a test at a cold and damp Silverstone and I loved it. It’s like a dream come true to drive a car like the Artura Trophy. It has so much power and so much straight-line speed, it’s quite a machine. Matthew is a hugely talented young driver and a great coach. We already get on very well and he’s training me with data and in the sim and I’m learning so much already. I gelled very quickly with Martin [Plowman] and the entire team and feel at home already. My goal is to be at the sharp end of the Am field and if we can be quick and consistent, we could end the year with a really great result.”

Paddock Motorsport head Martin Plowman adds: “I’m delighted to confirm our two McLaren Trophy Europe crews for this season and I’m massively excited to see what they can achieve. We learned a lot from our first season in Europe and how to get the best from the new Artura Trophy Evo, and we’ll be bringing those lessons into this year and looking to improve in all areas and fight for overall race wins from the start of the season

“In Luca and Callum we have two hungry young drivers with great track records. They will no doubt have their eyes set on making a mark this season. Matthew is a standout young driver with huge ambition, and I have no doubt he’ll prove himself to be a real pro across the course of this year. David has impressed us with his attitude and skill in testing so far. Obviously, the Artura is a fair bit different to what he’s been used to but he’s learning fast alongside Matthew and could well be one to watch.”

The McLaren Trophy Europe season consists of five rounds, beginning at Monza in Italy over the weekend of May 29-31 before taking in the legendary Spa-Francorchamps, Misano and Barcelona before the season finale at Portimão in October. News on Paddock's third McLaren Trophy Europe entry will be shared soon.

Paddock plots progression on British GT return

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 09:00:48 GMT

Paddock Motorsport aims to continue its progress toward the front of the British GT Championship grid after confirming Mark Smith and Martin Plowman will return for the full 2026 campaign aboard the team’s McLaren 720S GT3 Evo.

This year will mark Smith and Plowman’s fourth full British GT campaign as a pairing, with their #9 McLaren now wearing a revised version of the black and pink colour scheme the team first adopted in 2024.

Paddock Motorsport made great strides in performance across last season, with Smith and Plowman becoming regular contenders for the top five. With the acquisition of top engineer Toby Phillips to bolster the technical team, plus extensive additional mileage through a parallel GT Cup programme, the team was able to make significant steps in the setup and operation of the McLaren that reflected with increased competitiveness on track. Paddock’s McLaren also scored points in every race but one last year and completed every racing lap of the season with a flawless finishing record.

In the GT Cup Smith enjoyed a stunning season, scoring 15 outright race wins from 19 starts, claiming the championship’s GT3 class honours and marking himself out as one to watch every time he took to the track.

For this year the team continues unchanged in British GT, and hopes are high that starting from a solid foundation can bring an early boost as Smith and Plowman look to pick up where they left off in 2025. Smith will also continue to add to his mileage with a select GT Cup programme, and there is also potential to take the team into further European competition at some point following Paddock’s successful first McLaren Trophy Europe campaign last year.

Paddock Motorsport is also launching a new partnership with Prostate Cancer UK, aiming to raise significant funds for the charity through its British GT programme. As well as prominent signage on the car’s livery, there is a full fundraising programme in the works which includes donating a portion of proceeds from hospitality services, exciting charity auction lots and on-event campaigns to raise both funding and awareness of the disease. It is a cause close to the hearts of the entire Paddock Motorsport team.

Mark Smith says: “Ever since we took the chequered flag at Snetterton to clinch the win in the GT Cup last October, I have been thinking about British GT in 2026 and finally starting to fight for the podium. Throughout our 2025 campaigns we showed significant improvement, with both better qualifying performances and better race pace developing throughout the year. Toward the end of the season, I felt like we made significant gains in our setup, and this was never more obvious to me than at the GT Cup Snetterton finale. The car felt better than it ever had, and to drive the point home I forced a purple lap out of it on beat-up tires for the final lap of the season. If we can reproduce how the car felt in that race, I have no doubt that we will be fighting near the top in British GT this season.

“As a team, Paddock just keeps getting stronger with a flawless mechanical record last year, and Plowey continues to put in competitive performances as he and our coach, Jayde Kruger, get me up to pace. We will again be competing in some rounds of the GT Cup to help with development of both car and driver, and there’s potential to test the waters in additional championships around Europe if we can make the schedules work. In all, I am very hopeful for 2026 and can't wait for our first test of the season at Portimão in February.”

Paddock Motorsport founder Martin Plowman adds: “This year feels like a big one for us. Last season we made huge progress with both the car and our driver development. You only need to look at the fact Mark won so many GT Cup races – 15 from the 19 he entered – to see exactly how much he improved across the year. When it came to British GT, we found ourselves well in the mix for the top five at many rounds, even if a few instances of bad luck meant the results weren’t always there on paper.

“We want to push forward this year and be fighting for podium finishes, and I have every confidence we have the team and the expertise in place to do exactly that. Once again the additional mileage in series such as the GT Cup will only help, and we have greater ambitions too with a potential plan to push into more European competition, so it’s shaping up to be a very exciting year ahead.

“I’m also delighted about the partnership with Prostate Cancer UK for this year, which is a cause very close to the hearts of the team and my family. It’s such a privilege to be involved in motorsport and a championship like British GT, so it seems an ideal chance to give something back. We have an ambitious fundraising aim and will be doing a number of different activities both on and off track this year to attract donations, raise awareness and hopefully help as many people affected by the disease as possible.”

Seren Evans, Head of Events and Community Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with 1 in 8 getting diagnosed. We are so grateful for the dedication of Paddock Motorsport and so many others across the UK, who help Prostate Cancer UK fund lifesaving research to stop this disease damaging the lives of men and their loved ones.

“Everyone who supports Prostate Cancer UK has their own story, some heart-breaking and others heart-warming, but all united with a common aim to see a world where men’s lives are not limited by prostate cancer. We thank Paddock Motorsport for going that extra mile and helping to save men’s lives.”

Paddock Motorsport will get its season underway with a test in Portimão, Portugal this month, before British GT Media Day at Silverstone on March 31. The season begins in earnest at the Northamptonshire track over the weekend of April 25/26.

Further news on Paddock’s European programmes will be shared shortly.

Magnussen back in a McLaren as Paddock confirms first Trophy signing

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 11:59:02 GMT

+ Luca Magnussen signs up for 2026 McLaren Trophy Europe campaign
+ Paddock launches new partnership with Douglas Motorsport
+ Biggest-ever McLaren Trophy Europe entry on the cards

The Magnussen name will return to the hot seat of a McLaren next season when Luca Magnussen tackles his maiden McLaren Trophy Europe campaign with Paddock Motorsport.

The 16-year-old Dane – younger brother of ex-Formula 1 driver Kevin and son of multiple Le Mans 24 Hours class winner Jan Magnussen – is the first driver to commit to Paddock’s multi-car entry into the 2026 Trophy as he makes the step into GT racing.

Magnussen’s arrival also signals the first success for a new partnership between Paddock and Douglas Motorsport, which will result in the teams sharing technical resources while also providing a clear pathway for drivers seeking to hone their skills in single-seaters before stepping onto the GT racing ladder.

Despite only making his racing debut in 2021, Luca Magnussen has impressed across his career so far, competing in professional karting categories such as the Sydsvenskans Kart Champion Cup (SKCC), FIA Karting World and European championships while also representing his county in the FIA Motorsport Games. This season was his first in car racing and he became a GB4 Championship podium finisher during the third round of the year at Oulton Park.

Magnussen will now swap the 2-litre Tatuus GB4 car for the 3-litre twin-turbocharged McLaren Artura. In doing so he reignites a link between his family name and the British brand that began exactly 30 years ago when Jan made his F1 debut with McLaren in the Pacific Grand Prix at Aida in 1995. Kevin then became a McLaren Young Driver in 2010, eventually going on to contest 20 Formula 1 grands prix with the team between 2014-15.

Magnussen is the first driver to sign up to Paddock’s expanded McLaren Trophy Europe programme for 2026. The team made its European racing debut this season, quickly earning its breakthrough race wins at Brands Hatch before going on to claim the Am class title with Tim Docker.

Luca Magnussen says: “I’m really excited to be making the move into the McLaren Trophy Europe and want to thank both Paddock Motorsport and Douglas Motorsport for making this opportunity possible. When I first tested the Artura at Silverstone I found it very different to the GB4 car, with huge power and grip. It was pretty incredible. Learning to drive with both ABS and traction control was a big difference as we don’t have those in GB4, but I’m already looking forward to getting back into the car and adapting more to it. My dream has always been to drive GT cars. Karts and single-seaters give you that experience and grounding as a young driver to learn, but my dream is to one day drive at Le Mans, hopefully alongside my brother, and this is a great step towards that. Working with Paddock and Douglas so far has been great, and I’m just really looking forward to more testing and the start of the season.”

PADDOCK & DOUGLAS: A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE

Paddock Motorsport’s growing presence in the McLaren Trophy Europe will be boosted through a new alliance with single-seater powerhouse Douglas Motorsport, which will offer increased driver development and performance coaching opportunities.

Established by Formula Vauxhall champion and former McLaren Autosport BRDC Award nominee Wayne Douglas in 2012, Douglas Motorsport has grown to become one of the leading formula teams in the country, taking multiple race wins in BRDC British Formula 4, BRDC British Formula 3, GB3 and now the GB4 Championship. In the past the team has helped launch the careers of drivers such as BMW factory star Dan Harper and W Series champion and F1 development driver Jamie Chadwick.

The link between Douglas and Paddock stretches back to when Wayne handed Paddock founder Martin Plowman his first single-seater test in a Formula Renault two decades ago. Plowman later went on to race at the highest level in IndyCar, become a class winner at the Le Mans 24 Hours and lift a World Endurance Championship title.

As part of the partnership Douglas will be present in a technical advisory role at all McLaren Trophy Europe events, while also providing coaching via the Douglas Driver Development scheme and mobile simulation training, ensuring young drivers have everything they need to thrive across a race weekend.

The partnership also opens the door for single-seater drivers to make the crossover onto the GT career ladder. It is through the Douglas links to the Magnussen family that Luca becomes the first driver to take advantage of the bridge between the two worlds. News on his team-mate will be shared soon.

Paddock Motorsport team principal Martin Plowman says: “I’m delighted to partner with Douglas Motorsport and I firmly believe it’s an alliance that will greatly benefit both teams. Wayne brings with him huge experience and knowledge, and we’ve always stayed in touch ever since that first Formula Renault test. Douglas is one of the biggest names in British single-seater racing, and Paddock has grown to become an established team within British GT, the GT Cup and the McLaren Trophy, so together there are multiple opportunities we can offer young drivers. Even from his very first laps in the Artura, we can tell that Luca is a driver with huge potential and I’m delighted he will be making the jump into the McLaren Trophy Europe with us. With the support of both Paddock and Douglas behind him, he should be set for a breakout first season of GT racing.”

Douglas Motorsport founder Wayne Douglas adds: “Partnering with Paddock Motorsport is an exciting opportunity all-round as it can open a lot of new avenues for both of us. We are both professional and ambitious teams operating across two of motorsport’s top career pathways, so it makes a lot of sense to bridge that gap and give drivers viable options. At Douglas we have a very strong record of working with and developing young talent and I’m looking forward to taking that to the next level by also being a part of Paddock’s McLaren Trophy Europe programme next season. It’s exciting times for both teams.”

Further updates on Paddock Motorsport’s 2026 racing programmes will be shared in due course.

Paddock's podium plan undone by not-so-great British weather

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 08:43:20 GMT

On pure performance alone, Paddock Motorsport deserved a podium finish in the British GT Championship finale at Donington Park last weekend, and it was only a freak turn in the weather that denied Mark Smith and Martin Plowman a haul of silverware.

Despite a tricky buildup, Smith and Plowman largely mastered the conditions during a turbulent final two-hour race of the season, entering the final quarter of the race with a podium finish in sight before a swing in the weather undid the #9 McLaren’s strategy.

The pair still finished inside the top 10 overall and took home points for eighth place regardless, but what really shone through was the team effort across the season that has put the squad in a position to challenge for podiums at the highest level in British motorsport in the first place.

Having swept the board with a quadruple victory in the GT Cup event that preceded the Donington Decider, Paddock’s McLaren had marked itself out as one to watch for the season finale, a fact that was rammed home with an impressive Pre-Qualifying performance from Smith, who registered the fourth-fastest time overall.

Sadly, Qualifying itself wouldn’t prove so straightforward, with an early red flag to recover a stranded Mercedes-AMG disrupting the team’s plans. With a heavy headwind making setup unpredictable, a splitter issue led to some unpredictable handling and limited Smith and Plowman to a disappointed 11th on combined times.

However, there was still all to play for on Sunday, and the team put on an eye-catching performance across a topsy-turvy race, coming within a whisker of scoring what would have been a sensational podium.

A series of balance changes before the race start aimed at providing a more stable platform meant Smith went into the race with an untested setup, and getting a feel for the car would be made even more troubling by a series of rain showers hitting as the field circulated on slick tyres.

Smith held station on the fringes of the top 10 through the worst of the first shower, then when the balance came to him as the track dried, the American driver excelled, scything his way up the order as the pit window approached. Smith pulled a series of great passes to move up to seventh before pitting to hand for Plowman at the halfway mark.

The team opted to fit fresh slicks with the skies looking clear, and a clean service got Plowman installed and back out in fifth once the stops had cycled through. The return of heavy rain with 40 minutes of the race to run brought a crossroads though. On one hand, Plowman was coping well in the deteriorating conditions, impressively overtaking the Blackthorn Aston Martin of multiple champion Jonny Adam to snatch fourth. Plowman was also closing on the Orange Racing McLaren that occupied third. However, with more rain on the radar and conditions becoming increasingly unstable, the team made the decision to make an extra stop for wets in-line with the strategies of the cars around them... only for the rain to disappear soon after and scupper the plan.

With the track now drying, Plowman was forced to ease off and nurse the overheating wets to 10th overall. However, with two non-scoring entries ahead, it would mean points for eighth as some form of reward.

Still, the fact the Paddock team was able to turn around its qualifying troubles and manage such an eventful race to create the chance to challenge for a podium speaks volumes about the squad’s progress across the course of the 2025 season.

Mark Smith said: “I drove three cars across that race. The car at the start, the car when it was wet and the car when it dried out… and I know which one I preferred! We made some changes before the race so the car was brand-new to me and took me a little time to figure it out and then when I did the rain hit, and that was not pleasant. But once we fought through it the car was fantastic when it dried… really spectacular, fast and fun to drive. Plowey got in the car and I don’t know how he was so fast when the rain hit and he was on slicks, because just holding on like that is not easy. I think our driving and teamwork today was really good, but we made a group decision to make the switch to wets with more rain forecast and luck just wasn’t with us on that. It’s still been a solid season for us.”

Martin Plowman added: “There are a load of positives to take from this weekend, but it’s also a bitter pill that we came so close to a great result, but it was just one of those days. If things had gone differently, we could have raced our way to a podium and that would have been such a reward for the team’s hard work. It was the first time for a while I’ve felt we had a really strong race setup, wet or dry, and to overtake drivers like Jonny Adam like we did… these are not middling teams we’re up against and to get those results you have to be perfect. It all shows how far we’ve come. We now have the winter to reset, refresh and see what 2026 holds.”

Hopes high for the finale: Paddock prepares for British GT’s Donington Decider

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 14:04:25 GMT

Paddock Motorsport heads into the British GT Championship season finale this weekend at Donington Park aiming to continue its current strong run of form with the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo.

Mark Smith and Martin Plowman will again handle the black-and-pink #9 McLaren and go into the finale full of confidence following a stunning warm up at the Derbyshire track during the GT Cup round last weekend.

Driving solo, American racer Smith dominated the event, winning all four races – a mixture of sprint and endurance outings – regaining his lead in the GT3 Championship in the process. The results bring Smith’s tally of GT Cup wins this season to a remarkable 11 from the 18 races held so far.

Beyond the headline stats, the additional mileage has also allowed the team to refine the setup of the McLaren GT3 and helped Smith to unlock more of the car’s potential through the additional seat time and confidence-boosting success. Donington is also the British track Smith knows best, having made his British GT debut with Paddock at the finale three years ago

The combination of these factors means the team enters the final British GT round in a strong position. Even though British GT represents a step up in the level of competition, Paddock has established itself as a top-five contender across this season. A big points score in the finale would be the perfect way to cap what has been an impressive season of development.

Mark Smith says: “I am greatly looking forward to Donington Park. During the successful GT Cup weekend I was finding little things with the car and with my driving technique that were yielding a bit of time. With so many fast drivers in British GT it makes for a very tight group on pace, so I’m really hoping to see these little tricks add up and translate to some tangible improvement. I can’t wait.”

Paddock Motorsport will also face double duty this weekend with its McLaren Trophy Europe team in action for its final round at Circuit Paul Ricard in France. This weekend 2023 McLaren Trophy 570S champion David Foster will join Thomas Holland aboard the #9 Pro-Am Artura Trophy Evo, and Tim Docker will continue solo in the #78 Am class car.

Team founder and pro GT3 driver Martin Plowman says: “It’s a big weekend ahead for the entire team, but one we cannot wait for. In British GT terms, I’m very excited to see what we can achieve. Mark drove better than he perhaps ever has during the GT Cup weekend and is now reaching a level where he’s truly challenging the car’s limits and finding those extra split seconds that make all the difference. The car is performing very well and we believe we have a solid set up. If we can put that all together, then we could be in for a special weekend.

“On the McLaren Trophy side, it’s been a fantastic first season of European competition for us, claiming multiple race wins and podium finishes. Welcoming David to the team – a McLaren Trophy champion – is great and I’m sure he’ll gel well with Thomas and they can be in the mix for more silverware. All the best to them and to Tim in the Am class, and let’s finish the year on a high!”

The British GT weekend at Donington Park gets underway with testing on Thursday, October 2, before the event begins in earnest with twin practice sessions and Qualifying on Saturday, before the two-hour season finale on Sunday. All sessions will feature live timing via TSL Timing , with Qualifying and the race being streamed live on the GT World YouTube channel .

The McLaren Trophy event at Circuit Paul Ricard begins with testing on Thursday, ahead of twin Friday practice sessions. There is then Qualifying and a 50-minute race on both Saturday and Sunday. Live timing and streaming is available via the official website .

Pace, potential and a punt: Paddock shines on tough Brands Hatch weekend

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:30:17 GMT

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.

Mark Smith said: “Our focus is purely on improving, not just race after race but year over year, and if you look at what we achieved this weekend then we’re definitely on the right track. I was more than a second faster here this year than last, the car felt really good right from the start of the weekend and we weren’t chasing setup. We’re undoubtedly making progress and if we keep making this progress then we’ll be fighting at the front sooner rather than later.”

Martin Plowman added: “I’m really disappointed. That was a top five snatched away. The entire team did a great job this weekend and the car was very racey all weekend. We had great pace in Pre-Qualifying and went with a more pointy and direct setup, however the drop in track temperature made Qualifying more difficult as suddenly we had more oversteer and we didn’t quite maximise our laps, but on Sunday everything felt great. Race pace was very strong and I was keeping the Porsche behind me while also closing down fourth place ahead before the hit. There’s a load of positives to take and we’ll head to the last race in Donington determined to finish the year on a high.”

Paddock Motorsport is next in action for the McLaren Trophy Europe event at the Nürburgring in Germany this coming weekend, with the British GT finale set for Donington Park in October.

Brands beckons as Paddock continues its push for British GT points

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 08:35:55 GMT

Paddock Motorsport will roar back into British GT action this weekend at Brands Hatch, as Mark Smith and Martin Plowman aim to build on a season-best performance last time out.

This weekend’s visit to the former Formula 1 venue in Kent marks the start of the run-in of British GT’s season, with just two race weekends remaining. Brands Hatch hosts the penultimate two-hour race of the year, with its legendary Grand Prix Circuit also representing one of the toughest challenges on the calendar.

The Paddock team heads into the event in a strong position, with its #9 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo now an established challenger for the top-six places. During the last round at Snetterton the team went even better, with Smith and Plowman securing a season-best result of fifth in the opening sprint race and then going on to bank yet more points in race two, putting the pair inside the top 10 in the championship standings.

Smith has also shown strong form around the Grand Prix Circuit at Brands, having dominated the GT Cup event held there back in May, winning three of the four races solo. That running could prove vital to making a fast start this weekend as local noise restrictions forbid the British GT field from having any form of test day on the 2.4-mile track ahead of the event, meaning all teams and drivers go straight into Saturday’s opening practice session cold.

The very nature of the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit also makes it a huge challenge. While the shorter Indy Circuit is perhaps one of the best-known tracks in the UK, the GP loop is an entirely different beast, threading through the woods at high speed and featuring big elevation changes, blind apexes and corners that demand a driver and car to be in complete harmony to attain the best lap time. Overtaking on the narrow track can also be notoriously tricky, placing an extra emphasis on qualifying well on Saturday.

Mark Smith says: “Coming off our best race result and a personal best qualifying at Snetterton, we are looking forward to continued progress at Brands Hatch. With an extra two days on the track at Brands earlier in the year, we have some excellent pace to build on.”

Martin Plowman adds: “Brands Hatch is one of the really challenging events of the year, not just because of the lack of testing, but also because the track is so wonderfully old-school, everything has to be right with the car to have the confidence to really push through the woods, so the pressure is on for everybody and if you start behind in that first session, it can be tricky to catch up in time. There’s no doubt Mark’s performance in the GT Cup earlier this year is a huge positive for us as we’ll have setup data and a level of familiarity with the track before we even roll out into the pit lane on Saturday. The result at Snetterton was a real boost for us, and only what the team has deserved for its efforts this year. Everybody is working flat-out to push us up the grid, and we need to continue that momentum at Brands Hatch.”

The weekend at Brands Hatch gets underway with Free Practice and Pre-Qualifying on Saturday morning, ahead of Qualifying at 15:55 that afternoon. Sunday begins with a short Warm-Up, before the start of round seven, with the two-hour race scheduled to go green at 13:00. All sessions will feature live timing , while Qualifying and the race will be available live on both Sky Sports F1 and the GT World YouTube channel .

Personal best for Paddock in scorching Snetterton sprints

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 10:28:49 GMT

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.

Mark Smith said: “All the extra testing time and in GT Cup has definitely helped with trying out different set-ups and learning the track so that, when we do come back for these races, we can evaluate new set-ups much more quickly, which is super helpful. We found a really good balance with the car for quali so I was happy with that, and managed to put in my best qualifying yet. Then I felt like I drove pretty well in the first race. The start was important, but I got some unfortunate wheelspin, but ultimately I don’t think that cost us finishing positions. In the second race we were trying some different things with the car because of our starting position, which gave us some helpful information for the next round. Overall, I’m really happy with how the weekend went.”

Martin Plowman said: “All in all, we can take a lot of positives from this weekend. We didn’t quite roll off the truck in the right place, but credit to the team for throwing a lot of changes at the car, which got us into the window we wanted. Then in qualifying Mark put in a brilliant lap, and our race pace was steady. I think there’s still a lot more to improve on, but definitely we’ve taken steps forward as a team this weekend. We finished fifth on merit, and we’re making those steps forward.”

Paddock Motorsport is next in British GT Championship action in just over a month’s time, the series returning to its endurance format with a single two-hour race at the Brands Hatch GP circuit over the weekend of 23/24 August.

Happy hunting ground ahead as Paddock gets set for Snetterton sprints

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:47:54 GMT

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.

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Paddock beats the heat for another top-eight finish at Spa

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 10:07:04 GMT

Paddock Motorsport battled against soaring cockpit temperatures to almost better its best British GT Championship result of the season, again scoring a healthy handful of points in a race of attrition at Spa-Francorchamps last weekend.

With track limits and strategy proving critical in the enduring three-hour contest at the historic Belgian venue, both Mark Smith and Martin Plowman fought cooling issues to drag Paddock’s #9 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo home seventh in the GT3 Pro-Am class, in doing so recording the crew’s third top-eight overall finish of the season.

The ever-improving McLaren pair headed to the Ardennes with hopes of continuing the team’s current strong form following a run of victories in the GT Cup Championship and a host of points scores at the highest level in British GT.

Much of a warm Saturday was spent initially experimenting with set-ups on the 720S to get dialed into the huge 4.3-mile circuit. After curing some initial understeer issues that were holding the car back through the opening sector, Smith and Plowman secured ninth on the grid on combined times, but knew there was more to come as the setup of the #9 constantly evolved.

The temperatures rose for race day, literally, with track readings hitting in excess of 50 degrees by the time the lights went out for the three-hour race. Seven-time GT Cup race winner Smith took the wheel for the rolling start but was squeezed into La Source, the resulting contact deforming the McLaren’s front bumper and blocking the cooling system for the cockpit.

Despite the increasing temperatures around him, Smith went on the offensive, pulling off a superb pass around the outside of Alex Martin’s Lamborghini heading into Pif Paf for seventh. Having climbed two places on the opening tour, Smith’s early charge was briefly interrupted by a scary moment on the exit of the high-speed Blanchimont corner when a snap of oversteer sent him skipping across the gravel. He recovered and only dropped a single spot, handing to Plowman in eighth after the first hour.

A full course yellow to recover a stranded GT4 BMW would normally have presented an ideal opportunity to pit with the race at reduced speed, but with Smith still feeling the effects of his exhaustive mammoth first stint, the team had no choice but to stay out and go for an alternate strategy, running long in the hope a second late caution period would arise.

This brought the Paddock McLaren well up the order, with Plowman running third overall by the time the race restarted after the resulting safety car. Plowman zapped past the Blackthorn Aston Martin of Giacomo Petrobelli to grab second before stopping again to relay Smith, who had managed to recover from a spell of heat exhaustion.

Running out-of-sync meant Smith was put up against the pro drivers for his second stint, but held his own when duelling with the Barwell Lamborghini of Hugo Cook and Optimum McLaren of factory driver Marvin Kirchhöfer for several laps before the pros eventually found a way through.

With no further safety car to help the pair out in the late stages, Smith made his final stop to hand to Plowman for the run to the flag. Despite the troubles, the #9 secured eighth overall and seventh in Pro-Am after being one of only a few cars to remain penalty free across the race.

 Mark Smith said: “That was a bit wild! Some good stuff… some bad stuff. I think my main contribution in that first stint was to not giving away a penalty like others were and keeping it on track. It seemed like the conditions were tough and I managed to save a loose moment at Blanchimont. I had to really adjust my approach to a bunch of corners, plus I bumped the Lamborghini at the first turn which affected our cooling system, so when I got out the car I was approaching heat exhaustion. I think we maximised what we had and considering what we came up against this is a good result.”

Martin Plowman said: “That was a hot day! Obviously, we lost the driver cooling after contact at the start, so the cockpit was ‘toasty’, as you might say! Mark got out and wasn’t feeling well so there was a point where he needed to be able to recover before his next stint. It was that that forced us to go off-sequence to the others around us. After my first half-hour in the car I could completely see why Mark felt like he did! I think it was an eventful day – we maybe didn’t have the ultimate pace and were playing catch-up with the setup for a fair chunk of the weekend, but I think we come away with a good result, some more points, and plenty to build on.”

Paddock Motorsport returns to the UK for the second half of the British GT Championship season, next contesting a brace of one-hour Sprint races at the Snetterton 300 circuit over the weekend of 12/13 July.

Paddock primed for British GT's annual Spa break

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 07:01:27 GMT

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.

 Mark Smith says: “I’ve been thinking about the race at Spa since I crossed the finish line at Oulton Park. Ultimately my focus is to continue my improvement, but with the big strides we’ve made in the last few months and a race on ‘neutral ground’ we feel like we have a shot at some real success this weekend. I’m very excited to take another crack at Spa.”

Martin Plowman adds: “I’m really looking forward to this weekend and I absolutely believe we can do something special at Spa. Mark is enjoying the season of his life and has been so, so impressive in the GT Cup. The additional seat time is a huge benefit and his confidence is sky high, as is the confidence of the entire team because winning breeds winning in this sport. We need to take those advances and translate them to British GT, which is never an easy task in a championship this competitive. But the foundations are there, the team is on a high and we’re determined to go and get a great result.”

The British GT Championship’s Spa break gets underway with testing on Friday, June 20 before Free Practice, Pre-Qualifying and Qualifying on Saturday. The three-hour race is scheduled to get underway at 12:30 local time (11:30 UK) on Sunday. All sessions will feature live timing , with the race streamed live on the GT World YouTube channel . The weekend will also benefit from live coverage on the Sky Sports F1 channel for both Qualifying and the race.

This will also be the start of a double-header for Paddock, with the team staying over to also compete in the McLaren Trophy Europe rounds held at Spa the following weekend, where its pair of Artura Trophy Evos will compete in support of the world’s biggest GT race, the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.

Paddock keeps up the pressure in dramatic Oulton sprints

Tue, 27 May 2025 08:53:38 GMT

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.

Mark Smith said: “Overall I’d say this has been a really positive weekend for us. My big focus all season has been on improving my qualifying pace, and I did that by a lot this weekend, taking something like two seconds off my previous best lap here. I need to keep that trajectory going, and the team needs to keep making the improvements that we are because that’s how we’re going to get to the front in a championship this tight together. I’m happy with how I drove. Race one was tricky with a really crowded start and it was a shame to lose out on points in the end, but that’s racing sometimes! Race two was good fun, even if the car was becoming quite tough to drive as the wets overheated. Still, we got into the fight, got a solid result and are showing we’re making progress as a team the whole way.”

Martin Plowman added: “The biggest positive this weekend is the way the entire team has worked and come together. It’s been a great effort from everybody in some challenging conditions, and I’m really happy to see the progress we’ve made. Qualifying alone shows how far Mark’s come this year. To knock over two seconds off his best lap is brilliant, and he raced very strongly in both outings. In race two, we could have taken a gamble on slicks, but we also risked losing it all and ending up in the wall had the rain returned. What we’re building here isn’t a team that can get a podium off a gamble or a freak result, we’re building a team that can fight for points and podiums in every round, and we 100% showed we’re on the right path to that this weekend. I’m already excited for Spa.”

Paddock Motorsport next heads to Monza in Italy this coming weekend for round two of the McLaren Trophy Europe, and the team’s first race in continental Europe.

Bank Holiday bonanza ahead for Paddock as Oulton Park hosts British GT sprints

Fri, 23 May 2025 07:42:41 GMT

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 says: “Coming off one of our best finishes at the Silverstone 500 and an epic weekend at Brands Hatch, we’re looking to continue our momentum into Oulton Park. We've made some huge strides with the car and the extra testing and seat time has paid significant dividends with pace. Each time we’re in the car we see measurable improvement. If our gains at Brands Hatch are any indication of our potential at Oulton Park, we may surprise some people.”

Martin Plowman says: “I am so excited for Oulton Park, it feels like we’ve been making real progress recently, and that’s being reflected in the results. We head into this weekend off the back of our most successful event ever in the GT Cup, and Mark is driving better than ever and really benefitting from the additional mileage in the McLaren. Add to that our superb recent debut in the McLaren Trophy Europe, and our strong finishes in British GT, and the team is really on a high. We hope to keep that feeling and momentum going. Oulton is always a tricky weekend because it’s quite a unique track on the calendar, and the racing there always throws up some challenges and drama. If we can keep it clean and maximise our potential, we can be right up there in both races.”

British GT Championship action at Oulton Park gets underway with testing on Friday, before the event begins proper with twin practice sessions on Saturday morning and Qualifying in the afternoon. There will be no running on Sunday, with both one-hour races scheduled for Monday. All sessions will feature live timing , and both Qualifying and the races will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 and streamed via the GT World YouTube channel .

Personal best for Paddock in epic Silverstone 500 showdown

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 09:04:32 GMT

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.

Mark Smith said: “It was a really fun race and I was pleased with both how my stints went and that we came away with a really strong result. During my stint I got into some good fights, but I was really struggling with the aero wash when I caught the Orange Racing McLaren and just couldn’t get by… you feel the front grip just going away when following closely around the fast corners here. Then we could feel the brakes starting to get away from us as the race wore on, but Martin did a superb job to hold off the Lambo at the end when we were really struggling. So, a personal best for us, in what is a really demanding race. It’s a definite positive to build on.”

Martin Plowman added: “To come away from the toughest race of the year with our best-ever result here is always a positive. After Friday it felt like we’d taken a bit of a step back on performance, so that’s something we have to address, but the way the team pulled together and read this race was really positive. We stayed penalty-free throughout and Mark drove two really good stints, attacking when he could and managing the car when the brakes started to drop off. Near the end the pedal was just getting longer and longer so I was having to wind the brake bias gradually further back, and even then every time I braked it was pretty sketchy, which made the fight with the Lambo so tough. Overall, we have to be happy with this result and it shows we can definitely push forward for the remainder of the year.”

Paddock Motorsport is next in action at Brands Hatch where it will make its debut in the McLaren Trophy Europe this coming weekend.

Push for points continues in British GT’s seasonal showpiece

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 09:46:45 GMT

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.

Mark Smith says: “I am very much looking forward to Silverstone. I think that this track should be a good one for us, and I hope it can benefit us by taking advantage of some of the strengths of our car. The Silverstone 500 has a little bit of everything and it’s going to require something from all aspects of our team. Racing really is a team sport and I'm excited to be in the cockpit once more with this team.”

Martin Plowman adds: “The Silverstone 500 is traditionally the toughest race of the British GT season, not just because of the boosted entry list, but also because it can simply be a mad race to be a part of. The endurance format presents a lot of challenges that you just need to be reactive to and rolling with the punches is all part and parcel of it. We’ve made some solid progress with the setup of the McLaren this season, particularly in getting that bit more out of the new tyres during qualifying, which showed at Donington. Had it not been for the differential issue over the second half we could have had a shot at the top six. Mark’s driving really well and it’s clear he’s benefitting from the extra seat time this year, and I’m really happy with the way things are working inside the team. I believe we’re in a good place to get a strong result this weekend.”

British GT’s Silverstone 500 weekend gets underway with Free Practice and Pre-Qualifying on Saturday morning ahead of Qualifying at 16:15. Sunday begins with a morning Warm-Up ahead of the scheduled race start at 12:30. As well as live coverage of both Qualifying and the Race on Sky Sports F1, the action will be streamed live on the GT World YouTube channel and every session will have live timing .

#1 MECHANIC (Full Time)

martin@paddockpromotions.com (Martin Plowman) — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 17:09:23 GMT

#1 Mechanic (Full Time)

Paddock Motorsport is looking to hire a #1 Mechanic on a full-time basis.

We are gearing up for an expanded programme in 2025 and beyond and are looking to add wealth of experience to our existing crew. We are looking for a full time senior mechanic to head up one of GT programmes.

The successful candidate will be directly responsible for the preparation and build of our GT racing cars. The role oversees car performance, safety, reliability, and technical inspection compliance.

Job Responsibilities:

Communicate with mechanics, managers, race engineers and supporting departments to build race cars.
Traveling with the team to races and tests to ensure the car is properly functioning in preparation for successful on-track performance.
Ensuring all components of the car are safely joined, bolted, or otherwise secured.
Be involved in daily, weekly, monthly planning with engineering department for build schedules and service intervals.
Possess a solid understanding of the British GT rulebook pertaining to technical specifications, event procedures and pit lane rules.
Maintain a professional and clean appearance of race cars, equipment at the workshop and the track. Keeping work area clean and always organized. While also ensuring others are doing the same
Inventory tracking including number of parts, current service status, updates required.
Ensure that all required items of equipment, spare parts, car options are loaded on transporter.
Develop ideas that will increase car performance, reliability, and pit-crew efficiently.
Meeting specified deadlines for race car preparation while producing a quality product.
Prepare information regarding pre-event preparation for crew. Post event meeting information for race weekends and testing.
Required to produce worklist and car preparation information between events.
Maintaining accurate records of post event teardown and event information.
Openly communicating with team members during race weekends regarding pit lane changes and daily schedule targets.
Providing direction and acting as a mentor to less experienced mechanics to ensure quality control while promoting a positive learning environment.
Safely operating equipment according to recommended safety specifications, including use of all protective equipment necessary.
Identifying any safety hazards and reporting all risks immediately to a supervisor.
Safekeeping and proper use of all company property issued during employment including uniforms, tools, toolboxes, electronic devices, credit cards and any other productivity tools.
Professionally represent the team and its sponsors on and off-track premises. Treating partners and their guests with respect by acknowledging them and appropriately answering their questions during workshop, garage, and pit tours.
Participating in the workout program designed to maximize physical strength and endurance to remain competitive at a professional level.
Aiding other team members on other duties as appropriate.

Skills Required:

3+ years’ experience as chief mechanic in Indycar, Sports Cars or F1 series race cars. Recent experience in British GT or SRO Sanctioned events is a bonus.
Demonstrate a complete understanding of set-up specifications for race cars and the appropriate safety mechanisms for each component.
Ability to communicate to all team members.
Must meet professional level performance criteria to be a member of the pit crew.
Must be able to interpret and follow set-up designs for individual race and test events.
Intimate knowledge of mechanical components, electronics, and structural framework of race cars.
Manual experience using one or more of the following: lathe, mill, drill press, band saw.
Must be proficient in using precision measuring devices.
High school diploma or equivalent, basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills.
Computer skills including Microsoft office programs: Excel, Word, Teams, One Note, Outlook, Share Point, One Drive. These programs will also be utilized with a smart phone.
Must be able to concentrate on detailed work for long periods.
Work environment contains hazardous chemicals and fumes. Must be able to demonstrate knowledge of emergency safety procedures and an ability to use safety equipment correctly.

Making a point: Paddock on the scoresheet in British GT Championship opener

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 07:46:57 GMT

Paddock Motorsport put in a fighting performance during the British GT Championship season-opener at Donington Park last weekend, with Mark Smith and Martin Plowman defying a worsening mechanical issue to secure a decent haul of points.

A deteriorating differential across the final half of the two-hour race, allied to being boxed-in during their pit stop limited what could have been a top-six performance for the crew. However, Paddock’s #9 McLaren still showed bags of potential across the event, which puts the team in a strong position going forward.

With the entire Donington weekend taking place under glorious spring sunshine, Paddock set about honing the 720S GT3 Evo’s setup to the 2.5-mile Grand Prix circuit. After racking up some useful mileage during Practice, there was a setback when Smith slipped into the gravel during Pre-Qualifying picking up some splitter and floor damage that would need to be repaired.

Despite the lost running, the team went into Qualifying in confident mood, with Smith putting in a great effort during his run to slot the McLaren into seventh overall. Plowman then backed up the hard work to ensure Paddock would start Sunday’s race from ninth overall. In fact, the margins were so fine that one extra tenth would have put the crew sixth in the grid instead.

Smith took the wheel for the start and immediately looked to make progress. However, his Pirelli tyres took longer than expected to find their bite, leaving him embroiled in a thrilling four-car duel with the #3 Optimum McLaren, #66 Team Parker Racing Porsche and #1 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini.

Despite briefly dropping to the tail of this pack, Smith put on a great show as he gradually worked his way back through as the McLaren came into its performance window. A brave pass on the Optimum McLaren – which included some door banging and Smith running with two wheels on the grass at one point – was a real highlight.

Having gained back the positions, Smith settled into seventh right before the race was neutralised to clear a Lotus that had been shoved into the gravel. The resulting safety car bunched the pack and put Smith on the tail of the Team Abba Mercedes when the pit window opened and he dived in to hand to Plowman.

This was where the first misfortune struck as the Paddock McLaren was blocked in the tight pit lane, with the resulting delay to work the car free costing the crew around 24 seconds. Plowman rejoined in ninth and had just got up to speed when the car’s handling began to suffer due to a suspected differential issue. Despite the issues, Plowman soldiered on and successfully held off the #3 McLaren to take the flag in position. However, the team was elevated a further place following the exclusion of the #67 McLaren for a parc ferme infringement, leaving Smith and Plowman firmly in the points-paying places in eighth overall and seventh of the Pro-Am runners.

Mark Smith said: “It’s a bit of a disappointing result because we definitely could have had more. We felt we had a quick car, but for the first few laps I didn’t have much grip so perhaps we went out with pressures that were a little optimistic. That put me into the pack and cost me a few spots and then I had to make my way back through, which was fun but a lot of effort. A few drivers really had their elbows out, but I was determined to make the moves count. Things were looking good until I started to feel the diff toward the end of my stint, and then we got delayed in our pit and lost a chunk of time. I know the problem then held Martin back quite badly, so we’ll investigate that and get back at it for Silverstone.”

Martin Plowman said: “As season-openers go, it wasn’t the smoothest for us, but we have a lot of positives to take from it. Mark drove brilliantly during his opening stint and pulled off some excellent passing moves, which shows he’s full of confidence, and the entire technical team worked really well all weekend. The race was looking positive for us before the pit delay, and then when I got into the car the rear was gradually getting looser and looser, so I was hanging on to an extent. Considering that, to come away with some decent points is always a plus. We’ll get back to base, strip the differential and gearbox down and come back fighting at Silverstone at the end of the month.”

Paddock Motorsport is next in action for the biggest race of the British GT season, the Silverstone 500, across the weekend of April 25-27.

Paddock ready to ride the wave heading into British GT season opener

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 08:22:52 GMT

Paddock Motorsport will commence its fifth British GT Championship campaign at Donington Park this weekend, with the team carrying winning momentum into the opening race of the season.

Mark Smith and Martin Plowman will again share the team’s #9 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo this year and enter their third full campaign together arguably better prepared than ever before thanks to some impressive pre-season performances.

Just last weekend American driver Smith excelled during the GT Cup race weekend, which was also held at the Derbyshire circuit. After securing two podium finishes from the twin sprint races on Saturday, Smith then celebrated his breakthrough GT3 victory after an epic performance driving solo in the 100-minute endurance event. Smith outran a tightly-packed field that included many British GT regulars, and even defied splitter damage to eventually hold off the rival Track Focused McLaren by 0.024s in a nail-biting finish.

It was a standout performance from Smith, who this year has made a point of conducting additional testing and gaining extra race mileage with the aim of breaking into the podium places in British GT. The landmark result shows that he will go into the opening two-hour race of the year fully up to speed and ready to fight for a top result in the UK’s premier sportscar series.

Likewise, Plowman played a major role in aiding Smith’s success via his coaching and team management role. Plus, Paddock can now call on the experience and knowledge of top GT3 race engineer Toby Phillips, who has formerly worked on factory programmes with Lamborghini and Bentley and counts multiple success in both British and European GT3 racing on his impressive CV. The team has also taken in successful tests in both Portugal and the UK over the off-season and has been able to further refine the setup and performance of the McLaren GT3.

With both Smith and Plowman well dialled into the McLaren well before the first official British GT session even begins, hopes are high that the team can continue its push to the front.

 Mark Smith says: “After a successful weekend in the GT Cup, we’re excited to hit the ground running in British GT. The team has done an incredible job with the car and I’ve managed to find some improvements in my driving. With an increased focus on single-lap pace, we’re focusing on qualifying well to get off to a strong start.”

Martin Plowman adds: “We feel more ready for the start of this season than any other before. We’ve managed to rack up some really good mileage pre-season, and last weekend Mark showed that he’s driving better than ever. Nothing beats seat time when it comes to GT racing and his was a phenomenal performance during the GT Cup weekend. It will also be a big confidence boost heading into British GT, which is such a competitive championship that getting a strong start is vital to success. We’ve worked hard to understand the new Pirelli tyre for this year and feel we’ve got the car into a good place, especially when trying to find that single-lap performance that is so crucial in qualifying. I’m really excited to see what we can achieve, not just this weekend, but for the rest of the season.”

Action for the British GT Championship season opener at Donington Park gets underway with twin practice sessions on Saturday morning ahead of Qualifying at 15:50. Sunday begins with Warm-up in the morning, with the two-hour race set to begin at 12:45. All sessions will feature live timing , while qualifying and the race will be streamed live on the GT World YouTube channel .

Paddock reveals twin entries for maiden McLaren Trophy Europe campaign

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 07:53:24 GMT

Paddock Motorsport will field a twin attack for its maiden McLaren Trophy Europe campaign, with an entry each into the championship’s Pro-Am and Am categories.

British GT race-winner Thomas Holland will make the step into European competition this year, and will be partnered in the Pro-Am entry with experienced GT and touring car racer Nick Halstead. The team’s second car will run in the Am category, with former British GT and GT Cup racer Tim Docker driving solo.

Having celebrated multiple race wins and podium finishes across domestic competitions since its first season in 2021, Paddock Motorsport will now take its first steps into European competition with its two new McLaren Artura Trophy Evo cars. Capable of producing in excess of 580PS – and up to 620PS thanks to a new push-to-pass boost system – the machines promise to take the Artura platform to a new level.

Holland and Halstead will undoubtedly be ones to watch aboard the #40 Pro-Am car. Holland, 22, began his GT racing career in Ginetta machinery, finishing second in the G40 Cup in 2021 before progressing through the British marque’s GT Academy series and into GT4. He became a race winner on his first attempt in British GT in 2023, and added a second success in the season finale at Brands Hatch last year.

Halstead, 52, makes a return to GT racing after two years competing in the British Touring Car Championship. Having started his racing career in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge in 2017, he claimed that title at his second attempt before finishing third in class in the Ginetta GT4 Supercup in 2020. A move into the British GT Championship followed where he became an outright race winner aboard a McLaren 720S GT3 at Spa-Francorchamps in 2022.

Docker, 59, will handle Paddock’s #78 Artura Trophy Evo in the Am class. He has experience of competing in both GT and touring cars. A 2016 rookie in the Volkswagen Racing Cup, Docker then upgraded to TCR cars, racing in TCR UK and Britcar where he won Driver of the Year in 2018 and the Class 4 Championship in 2019, as a solo driver. He switched to GT4 machinery in 2021, claiming several GT Cup class wins and podium finishes in 2021, 2022 and 2023. He competed with Paddock in an Artura GT4 during 2023 before contesting last year’s British GT Championship in an Audi R8 LMS GT4. In January 2024 he finished second in the GT4 class at the 6 Hours of Abu Dhabi and in January this year he celebrated a landmark victory in the GT4 class of the Dubai 24 Hours.

Thomas Holland says: “I am very much looking forward to the season ahead with Paddock Motorsport. I have known the Plowmans for a few years now, with it finally being time to make the move to the team official. I’m glad to have been welcomed into the family and am eager to see what we can achieve together! Having Nick as my team-mate should be great as he has a huge amount of experience from racing both touring cars and GT cars, so we should work well together. The McLaren Trophy is a great next step for myself in my career with all the opportunities McLaren have added to the championship, along with putting myself in a completely new environment with a new challenge and I can’t wait to dive back into racing later this year!”

Nick Halstead says: “Business commitments meant another season in touring cars wasn’t possible for this year, so this is a fantastic opportunity to try something new, but also go back to my roots in a way. I obviously got started in GT racing through GT4, racing first a Ginetta and then the old McLaren 570S, which I still have. I have yet to try the new Artura, but I imagine it will be a step forward from the old car and I’m really looking forward to getting back into racing something with grip! Touring cars are incredibly tricky to drive, and are very loose at the rear in general, so the McLaren should be a more comfortable car to race and I’m just looking forward to going out there and having some fun this year. Tom knows what he’s doing in these cars, so I’m looking forward to working with him, and with Paddock, which is a team I’ve known for a fair few years now.”

Tim Docker says: “I wanted a new challenge for this year and moving on to compete in Europe gives me exactly that. I’ve raced all of the UK circuits for years, whereas I’ve never competed at tracks like Monza, Paul Ricard and the Nürburgring, so it will be a fresh experience. I’ve had a few tests with the new Artura Trophy car and it’s a big step forward. It feels like sitting in a normal GT4 until you realise quite how much faster it is in a straight line and how much extra grip you get from the new aero and the larger wheels, you can brake so much later and get back on the power earlier – it’s a monster of a thing. I’m really looking forward to being back with Paddock. It’s a great team with a really good atmosphere and we’ve enjoyed multiple successes in series like GT Cup, so I’m hoping for more of the same this year. I also have my eye on the McLaren Papaya Cup [for eligible amateur drivers], which would be a wonderful thing to win.”

Paddock Motorsport founder Martin Plowman adds: “We’re delighted to unveil our twin entries into this year’s McLaren Trophy Europe. This is a new adventure for the team, and we’re really excited about what lies ahead. We have a great relationship with McLaren and extensive experience of operating the Artura GT4, so we have a good base of knowledge to translate into the Trophy Evo. Testing with the new car has gone well and we’ve already started unlocking some of the car’s secrets, but there is always a lot of learning to be done, especially with the new European tracks we’ll get to visit.

“In Thomas and Nick we have two highly experienced GT racers who will no doubt hit the ground running and be going for the Pro-Am title. Tim has a wealth of experience and will benefit from the extra track time of racing his car solo in the Am class. Between our two cars I believe we have every chance to fight for trophies from the start of the season.”

The McLaren Trophy Europe season gets underway on familiar soil at Brands Hatch before taking in Monza in Italy and Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium where it will support the world-famous CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. The Trophy cars will also be eligible to take part in the incredible parade through the public streets into Spa centre, an annual highlight of the world’s biggest GT racing event. The Nürburgring in Germany and Circuit Paul Ricard in France cap the 10-race schedule.

Paddock returns with twin GT3 programme for 2025

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 08:55:31 GMT

The Paddock Motorsport will expand its GT3 operation this season, with Mark Smith and Martin Plowman set to contest twin championships aboard the team’s McLaren 720S GT3 Evo.

At the heart of the programme is a full campaign in the British GT Championship, with the pair set to significantly increase both their testing and race mileage with a secondary entry into the GT Cup Championship.

Paddock’s distinctive black and pink McLaren GT3 made significant progress toward the front of the British GT field last year, and for this season a restructuring of the team’s technical crew looks set to continue that upward trajectory. The operation of the McLaren will be now overseen by Toby Phillips, who brings with him a long history of success operating GT3 cars at a world-class level. Phillips has previously worked on factory programmes with both Lamborghini and Bentley and has achieved multiple successes in championships such as the GT World Challenge Europe and European Le Mans Series. Paddock has also relocated to a new technical facility, marking yet another sizeable investment in the team’s infrastructure.

With a new-look technical crew, Paddock will aim to make the most of every lap across the course of this year, with Smith also committing to a GT Cup programme. GT Cup’s calendar shares the majority of the same circuits as British GT. GT Cup events often take place during the build-up to British GT ones, offering the team the chance to both compete for GT Cup honours, but also use those weekends to gain mileage, experience and setup data ahead of British championship rounds.

California driver Smith has previously commuted across from the States ahead of each British GT event, limiting testing opportunities so the crew was often learning as it raced. This year that momentum will shift, with Smith spending increased time in the UK in order to focus further on his race preparation during what will be his third full British GT campaign.

Pro driver and Paddock Motorsport founder Plowman first made his British GT debut back in 2017, winning the GT4 Pro-Am Championship title two years later. After founding Paddock in 2021, he has successfully grown the team into a major presence in the pitlane, last year fielding three cars in British GT.

Plowman has worked alongside Smith since his debut in the series during the 2022 season finale, and across the last two campaigns the pair have shown great potential, regularly producing race pace capable of fighting within the top five. Despite a difficult start to last season, Smith and Plowman ended last year with two top-five finishes in the GT3 Pro-Am class across the events at Donington Park and Brands Hatch, signalling how far they had come across the year.

Now, with significantly increased mileage and the backing of a refreshed technical crew, hopes are high the team can push on toward the podium places in 2025.

Mark Smith says: “I’m really excited for this season, to be back with Paddock Motorsport and Martin, and for a number of reasons. With an average finishing position of 11th in 2023, and 12th in 2024, you couldn’t be blamed for wondering why I’d want to come back for more. But the short answer is I don’t believe those results. Our race pace last year was consistently inside the top five, yet for a litany of reasons – many down to sheer bad luck – we struggled to finish in those places.

“My biggest lesson during the last two years is that your race pace alone isn’t enough, and that over time you make your own luck. For example, it might look like bad luck that at the beginning of races last year I consistently ended up with incidents or damage from having to avoid cars wrecking in front of me, but actually that’s just a fact of starting mid-pack. I need to qualify better to eliminate that bad luck.

“There's only one way I know how to improve and that's with dedication and effort. This year I call my ‘go big or go home’ year. We're adding testing, bringing on additional engineering talent, as well as adding the GT Cup to our schedule. This additional seat time, with a focused effort on improving my qualifying performance, I believe will be crucial for improving our results. Paddock has also made significant investment in the team, dramatically improving its facilities and leaving no stone unturned with respect to car performance. I'm confident that 2025 will be a breakout year for us.”

Martin Plowman says: “This season will be a big one for us, and we simply have to deliver on the promise we showed last season. Playing catch-up in a championship as tight as British GT is never easy as if you start the season on the back foot it can take multiple races to recover the lost ground. We found ourselves in that position too often, yet towards the end of the year we were right in the mix, and the points table proves that as Mark and I took our best two results from the last two races. We need to start this season as we ended the last, then I have no doubt we can be right in the mix.

“Mark has developed massively as a driver over his time with us. His race pace has never been in doubt and last year he produced some superb stints – running second overall in the Silverstone 500 being a great example. Adding extra testing and a GT Cup entry will be a huge boost as nothing beats seat time. Mark already has great natural feel and ability, but if we can improve on his single-lap pace whilst also unlocking some extra potential in the car then we will truly be in a great place to fight.

“The aim this season is undoubtedly the podium. We know it will be tough as British GT is full of great teams and drivers, but I fully believe we have the pieces in place to take a big step forward this year, and I cannot wait to get out on track and see what we can achieve this season.”

The 2025 British GT Championship gets underway with the official Media Day tests at Silverstone on March 21, before the campaign begins with a two-hour race at Donington Park on April 5/6. Paddock’s first GT Cup appearance comes a few ahead of that – also at Donington on March 29/30 – providing an ideal warm-up for the first headline event.

News on Paddock Motorsport's other racing activities for the 2025 season will be shared soon.

Paddock set for European expansion with McLaren Trophy entry for 2025

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 07:58:07 GMT

Paddock Motorsport is set to take its first steps into full-time European competition next year, with a two-car entry planned for the McLaren Trophy Europe in 2025.

The Tamworth-based team has grown rapidly since its foundation by experienced racer and businessman Martin Plowman back in 2021. The team has already become one of the largest operations within the British GT Championship, this season fielding three cars in the UK’s most prestigious GT racing championship.

While Paddock plans to continue its British racing operations into 2025 and beyond, an expansion into Europe has been on the cards for some time, and the recently evolved McLaren Trophy Europe format gives the team the perfect chance to build upon its already extensive experience with the Artura GT4 race car.

For 2025 and beyond, the Trophy will feature an upgraded version of the Artura – the McLaren Artura Trophy Evo – which will boast an impressive 585PS, revised aerodynamics, wider tyres and new push-to-pass technology capable of boosting power output temporarily to 620PS.

The championship will also feature a new Pro class aimed at Silver-graded semi-professional drivers. McLaren has also announced a new McLaren Trophy Academy talent mentoring scheme for any Silver drivers aged 26 or under who enrol in the full championship. Offering both the chance to develop and learn new skills, the scheme puts successful candidates on the ladder toward becoming a fully-fledged factory driver, as well as offering excellent testing opportunities in GT4 and beyond. The championship will also continue to offer both Pro-Am and Am categories.

The McLaren Trophy Europe features 10 races across five events, with the bulk of the fixtures taking place alongside the world-renowned Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS, putting the McLaren Trophy on the biggest GT racing stage in the world.

Legendary circuits such as Brands Hatch, Monza, Spa-Francorchamps, the Nürburgring and Circuit Paul Ricard comprise the schedule. The trip to Belgium in late June is a particularly special one as the races form part of the support package for the world-famous CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, with McLaren Trophy competitors also getting to take part in the public parade into Spa town centre for a unique experience no other event can match.

Paddock Motorsport founder Martin Plowman says: “We’ve been keen to expand into European competition for a while now, and the McLaren Trophy Europe gives us a great opportunity to do just that. We’re one of the most experienced teams in the UK when it comes to the operation of the McLaren Artura GT4, and the upgrades for the Trophy Evo spec look very exciting. The McLaren Trophy as a whole is growing quickly with the additions of a Pro class for next year and the driver development aspects. We feel it will make the championship very attractive to young drivers seeking to develop a career in GT racing. The Trophy is also a great place for amateur drivers to learn, either by sharing with a Pro, a fellow amateur driver, or going it solo for maximum track time.

“Next year promises to be an exciting one for us. We’re already in advanced talks about our British racing programmes, so for the team to get a foothold into European competition makes a lot of sense, especially when it gets Paddock Motorsport into an environment like Fanatec GT race weekends, which are truly something special.”

Paddock Motorsport has already had enquiries about the availability of its twin McLaren Arturas, so interested drivers need to act fast to secure their seat for an unmissable 2025 season. A full winter testing programme is available.

Contact
Enquiries@paddock-motorsport.com

Charging effort brings the curtain down on the 2024 British GT season for Paddock

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 09:42:08 GMT

Paddock Motorsport put on a spirited display during the British GT season finale at Brands Hatch last weekend, with both its cars showing the sort of pace that brings big points, even if circumstances conspired against them.

Mark Smith and Martin Plowman enjoyed a superb start to the final two-hour race of the year, running comfortably in the fight for the top six before some damage led to a seized door on their McLaren GT3 during their pit stop, and a desperately unlucky penalty then robbed them of an outright top-10 finish.

Likewise, the Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Ed McDermott and Matt Cowley excelled across the race, gradually picking up places until the crew found themselves not only in the battle for a breakthrough GT4 Pro-Am podium, but potentially a class win before their hopes were dashed when the #12 was caught in a collision late on.

Regardless of the results, Paddock Motorsport still heads into the winter break having enjoyed a strong 2024 British GT season. This year marked the team’s biggest entry ever, with three cars and six drivers. From those the team has celebrated two GT4 podium finishes and established itself as a regular challenger to the outright top six. Smith and Plowman have also enjoyed a strong run-in, finishing inside the top five in the GT3 Pro-Am class in each of the last two races helping them to ninth in the class championship. Despite the non-score in the finale, McDermott and Cowley round out the year eighth in GT4 Pro-Am.

Brands Hatch represented one final chance to push for big scores, and neither car wasted that initially as Smith made a blinding start to vault from 11th on the grid up to eighth. Even though he lost out to a rival BMW when he was baulked by GT4 traffic around the Druids hairpin, Smith showed consistent pace and was soon duelling with newly crowned Silver-Am champion Shaun Balfe’s Garage 59 McLaren. Balfe went for a lunge into Graham Hill corner but collided with the side of the Paddock McLaren, and that would have consequences when Smith brought the car in for its mandatory stop.

As he and Plowman attempted to switch seats, the McLaren’s door jammed shut after the hit, forcing the crew to complete their change via the wrong side of the car, sliding across the chassis from the passenger door. That cost vital time, with Plowman emerging in 10th to rejoin the race. A disrupted second half littered by full course yellow caution periods meant he never really got the chance to attack those in front, and things took a turn when the car was handed a drive-through penalty when Plowman accidentally clipped the rear of a GT4 car in front that had braked unexpectedly heading onto the pit straight. The #9 would finish 11th overall, but that did at least mean the car brought home some points due to some non-scoring guest entries ahead. It also put them fifth in the points-scoring Pro-Am order, which on reflection is a fine result, it just should have been more.

The Mercedes-AMG GT4 also endured a dramatic race. McDermott took the start and began to rise up the order as he too picked cars off one by one. The car made its way inside the top five in class before McDermott stopped to hand to Cowley, and a slick change got the car out and up to fourth in class, right behind the rival Mahiki Racing Lotus. With a first podium, and even the class leader, in sight, Cowley pushed as hard as he could until a rare error entering Stirlings sparked a collision that would rule the car out. Still, there’s no denying the progress the crew has made across recent races.

Paddock Motorsport will now reset and begin planning for the 2025 campaign, but not before it has rounded out the GT Cup season at Snetterton this coming weekend.

Mark Smith from the GT3 team said: “It felt like we put a few things together this weekend and made some really good progress. We struggled a bit with performance in qualifying but the car felt great in the race and I opted for a run down the inside of the first corner this time after the recent bad luck we’ve had being pushed wide avoiding other people’s accidents in recent races, and that worked nicely so I could pick up a few spots. We were going well and set for a real fight until I got the hit on the door, which I didn’t think anything of at first as it didn’t feel like much and the fight overall was really fun. But then the door wouldn’t open at the stop. I was hoping the team could muscle it open, but then I was thinking ‘Ahhhh, man… I gotta go out the other side!’. That was a stretch, to say the least, especially when my radio was still connected and pulling me back in! But you have to laugh. No doubt we deserved more, but I’m not done with this yet and I want to come back, do more testing, and fight for the results we want.”

Ed McDermott of the Mercedes-AMG GT4 said: “It’s such a shame how the weekend ended, especially with a podium and maybe even a win in sight, but this is all part and parcel of racing. It’s disappointing, but you have to take the positives and the big one here is that we’ve shown when we get a relatively clean go at things that we can do a proper job and fight for trophies. I made good progress in my stint and Matt kept us moving forward and things so nearly came our way. I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made across the second half of the season, and today again shows we finished the year fighting for podiums.”

There will be further news about Paddock Motorsport’s plans for 2025 released shortly.

Final flourish on the cards for Paddock as British GT comes to a close at Brands Hatch

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 08:06:12 GMT

Paddock Motorsport is geared up for one final British GT Championship attack in 2024 as the season finale at Brands Hatch beckons.

After six events and a combined 14 hours of racing so far, the 2024 British GT campaign will come to a close with a two-hour contest in Kent this weekend, giving Paddock’s twin entries one final chance to shine.

The McLaren 720S GT3 Evo will again be shared by Mark Smith and Martin Plowman, with the pair confident of pushing on from their best result of the year so far last time out at Donington Park. Despite a bruising two-hour race in Derbyshire, Smith and Plowman still brought the #9 car home eighth overall and fifth in the GT3 Pro-Am category to record their biggest points haul to date.

Likewise, the Mercedes-AMG GT4 shared by Ed McDermott and Matt Cowley also goes into the finale on an upward curve, having made huge progress across recent races. The pair have been knocking on the door of the GT4 Pro-Am podium, having finished fourth in the category in each of the last two races. Last time out at Donington represented their most impressive performance yet, the pair also finishing fourth overall from the 19-strong GT4 field.

This weekend will mark the first time since 2009 that Brands Hatch has hosted the final race of the season, and the 2.4-mile Grand Prix Circuit represents a unique challenge to drivers and teams. While the shorter Indy Circuit is one of the most-used tracks in the UK, the GP loop through the woods is an altogether different beast, featuring big elevation changes, fast turns and blink apexes. The circuit’s strict noise restrictions also mean testing is extremely limited there, with no British GT teams able to get up and running before practice on Saturday, meaning everybody must start from scratch.

GT3 driver Martin Plowman says: “I can’t believe we’re heading into the final race of the season already! This year has been a whirlwind for us as a team, and so far from the GT3 side it hasn’t felt like everything has clicked for us. Despite having a really strong race car we’ve not quite managed to bring the big results for various reasons. However, last time out at Donington it really felt like we got some traction, and even though we were still on the wrong end of some bad luck, we had a quick car that we could fight to the end with and we scored well from that. We need to carry that sort of form into the finale at Brands and if we can avoid trouble then I know a big result can come out way, and that would be the perfect way to cap the year.

“The circuit is incredible. It’s like a different world on the GP loop, so fast, undulating and it’s a real challenge for a driver. I love it and can’t wait to get going. It’s also going to be great to see what the GT4 crew can achieve. They’re going into this one on a real high after two very strong races, so hopefully they can be right up there fighting for the podium.”

Matt Cowley from the Mercedes-AMG GT4 says: “We’re really excited for Brands Hatch and I think we’re going into the final race of the season on a high after a strong finish last time out at Donington Park, where we came so close to not just the Pro-Am podium but the overall one. We’re looking to carry that momentum into this weekend. Ed and the team at Paddock Motorsport all did a superb job last time, so we are hoping to go one better at Brands, get ourselves onto that podium and end the season on a high.”

The British GT finale at Brands Hatch gets underway with twin practice sessions on Saturday morning ahead of qualifying at 15:55. Sunday begins with a quick morning Warm-Up before the race is scheduled to start at 13:30. Both qualifying and the race will be streamed live via the GT World YouTube channel plus the two-hour finale will also be shown live on Sky Sports F1. Live timing will be available for all sessions via TSL Timing .

Paddock battles to best points score despite bruising Donington weekend

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 12:12:03 GMT

Paddock Motorsport may have taken some blows during last weekend’s British GT Championship event at Donington Park, but the team’s sheer perseverance shone through as its two cars celebrated their best points finishes to date.

Ed McDermott and Matt Cowley produced their best performance of the season so far to finish a superb fourth overall in GT4 aboard their Mercedes-AMG, coming agonisingly close to a breakthrough podium.

Mark Smith and Martin Plowman’s GT3 McLaren may have been roughed up more than once, but the pair fought on to finish an eventual eighth overall, and an impressive fifth in the GT3 Pro-Am class, also securing their best points haul of the year.

The fact the team leaves the penultimate race of the year having faced down the challenges thrown at it and come out the other side with a season-best score speaks volumes about the rate of improvement and sheer fighting spirit within the squad.

Both of Paddock’s cars proved themselves as ones to watch from early in the weekend, with both the McLaren and the Mercedes-AMG showing pace that would make them contenders in the two-hour race.

After two practice sessions in mixed conditions, qualifying took place on a largely dry track, with Smith and Plowman placing the GT3 12th on the grid on combined times, and McDermott and Cowley sixth in GT4 Pro-Am, 13th overall in GT4.

Sunday promised much, with the weather clearing for a fully dry race, and both Paddock cars put on a slick showing, despite more than a few obstacles being chucked in the road.

The first one came early, when Smith was forced to take avoiding action into turn one as the 2 Seas Motorsport Mercedes GT3 that had started on the front row was tipped into a spin and came to rest broadside across Smith’s bonnet. The quick-thinking American took to the gravel and, while he avoided damage, the lost time dropped the car to the tail of the field.

Undeterred, Smith put on a great charge, scything through the GT4 traffic ahead to recatch the GT3 field. He then engaged in a tight fight with the J&S Motorsport Audi and Century Motorsport BMW, eventually working his way up to eighth and suddenly the car was back in with a chance. That was until Smith was punted into a spin by the chasing Garage 59 McLaren, the Paddock car coming to a rest right in the middle of the track. Mercifully everybody missed Smith, who did well to restart the machine and get out of trouble. He pitted for Plowman from tenth, and a well-timed stop from the Paddock crew got the car back out in ninth.

The lost time would prove impossible to claw back, but Plowman pressed on and picked up a further place when the Team Abba Mercedes-AMG crashed out late on.

In GT4, things were more straightforward, even if McDermott and Cowley kept the nerves jangling by coming agonisingly close to their first silverware of the season.

Having been blocked on two of his fastest laps in qualifying, McDermott was fired up to make progress in the race, and did not hold back when the lights went out, taking advantage of the opening lap chaos to make his way up to fifth in class on the opening lap. The momentum didn’t let up, as McDermott’s consistency helped him gain a full six places overall by the time the pit window opened, also slipping past the rival Xentek Motorsport Porsche to run fourth in Pro-Am by the time he stopped to hand to Cowley.

Cowley rejoined eight second behind the Century Motorsport BMW that ran third in class and, with a podium in sight, he began to eat into the gap, trimming tenths off the M4 with each lap. Cowley had just got within sight when the safety car was called following a scary accident for a Ginetta at Melbourne Hairpin that required lengthy barrier damage repairs.

With just two laps of green-flag running left when racing did resume, Cowley piled the pressure on the BMW ahead but was run wide, eventually settling for fourth in class and fifth overall at the flag. That then became fourth overall when the Optimum McLaren was penalised post-race for speeding under the caution period. It may not have been a podium, but there’s no doubting how impressive McDermott and Cowley’s performance was, and the duo will be hopeful of going even better in the season finale at Brands Hatch later in the month.

Ed McDermott said: “I’m really happy with fourth overall, even though it’s not a podium that’s a great result for us, especially given it’s been a challenging weekend. I was annoyed at losing my best laps in qualifying to traffic, and without that we would’ve been well in the mix. Still things came together in the race and the team worked really hard to give us a car we could fight with. There’s still room for improvement, but we have to be happy with this result.”

Matt Cowley said: “Overall it’s been a strong weekend for us, even if we could, and perhaps should, have had a podium here had we not been run out of road. We’ve come a long way since the start of the season and it’s clear to see the performance is there now. Ed drove a great stint, keeping things clean and gaining good ground to put me in a position to pressure the BMW late on. If we go like this at Brands Hatch, then we’ll be right in the mix for a big result.”

Mark Smith said: “Even though the result is actually pretty good, the race was so tough. The start was crazy and I had the choice of the gravel or going the other side of the spinning Mercedes and likely being hit by another car. The gravel was the safest option, but it cost a lot of time and once again I found myself having to fight through from the back early on. My stint from there went really well and we had great pace in the car… I was gaining spots back and then bang… I got hit from behind by the Garage 59 car, but the driver did apologise to me after, which I really appreciated. It’s been a tough weekend, but we could’ve easily been top five without the problems.”

Martin Plowman added: “It’s been a challenging weekend for the team, but there’s a load of positives to take from it that both cars came away with their best results yet. It’s been a lot of hard work, but we showed some strong pace in both the GT3 and GT4. From our side, Mark did a great job to avoid the chaos at the start and then flew back up the order and we were suddenly back in a strong position only to have more misfortune. It’s bitter-sweet that we had a car we could really fight with, yet not the luck to match. Still to come away with some solid points is some reward. It’s great to see Ed and Matt in the mix this weekend with the Mercedes. They’ve been knocking on the door of a big result in recent rounds and I have no doubt that podium will come their way soon if they continue showing the sort of performance they did today. We’re going into Brands Hatch at the end of the month looking to end the year on a high.”

The season finale of the British GT Championship takes place at Brands Hatch across the weekend of September 28-29.

Paddock eyeing progress as British GT resumes at Donington Park

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 08:52:22 GMT

Paddock Motorsport will resume its British GT Championship charge at Donington Park this weekend, with the squad’s local circuit presenting a great opportunity to score big points on home turf.

The Tamworth-based team will return to action with the twin attack of Mark Smith and Martin Plowman’s McLaren 720S GT3 Evo alongside the Mercedes-AMG GT4 shared by Ed McDermott and Matt Cowley. Paddock’s regular McLaren Artura GT4 entry will be rested for this event due to circumstances beyond the team’s control, but work is underway to return the car to the grid for the season finale at Brands Hatch later this month.

This weekend marks the year’s second visit to the 2.5-mile Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit, with the lessons learned from the first race there back in May giving the team a useful foundation to build upon. It is also the circuit that Californian driver Smith knows best, having made his debut with the team at the Derbyshire track back in 2022.

The GT3 crew showed some impressive pace during the last three-hour event at Donington, but were set back by several doses of misfortune – not least a puncture and then Plowman being turfed off the track and into the gravel by a wayward rival.

Likewise, the Mercedes-AMG has been steadily improving across the course of the season and goes into Donington off the back of its best result of the season, McDermott and Cowley fighting to fourth place in class during the last sprint race at Snetterton.

Paddock as a team has already tasted success at Donington, with the Artura scoring its first class podium of the season there back in May.

With this weekend’s event being a more straightforward two-hour race, it should allow both the GT3 and GT4 crews to show their true pace in what will be a flat-out blast to the flag.

Paddock Motorsport team principal and GT3 driver Martin Plowman says: “We’re excited to get back racing at Donington. It’s felt like a long break since Snetterton, so it will be great to get back on track and hopefully we can hit the ground running. Donington is our local track so we have huge experience there. Mark also knows it better than perhaps any other British track and has shown superb pace there before. His race pace this season has been up there with the top six Ams, we’ve just been undone by bad luck too often. Hopefully we can get a strong base setup with the car, unlock some extra performance here and there as the weekend goes on, and go into the race as genuine contenders for some big points.”

Matt Cowley of the Mercedes-AMG GT4 says: “Both Ed and I are really looking forward to Donington. Before the long summer break we were able to make real progress with both the setup of the Mercedes-AMG and our pace across the rounds at both Spa and Snetterton. We’ve been getting quicker and quicker with every round and we’re hoping to keep that sort of form up and go into this weekend aiming for a good result. The whole team at Paddock has been working really hard behind the scenes and if we can tie everything together then we should be in for a really promising weekend.”

The British GT Championship weekend at Donington Park gets underway with twin practice sessions on Saturday, September 7, ahead of qualifying 16:15. Sunday begins with a quick morning warm-up, ahead of the eighth race of the season at 13:00. All sessions will feature live timing via the TSL Timing website , with both qualifying and the race being streamed live on the GT World YouTube channel .

Paddock narrowly misses out on the British GT podium at Snetterton

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 13:58:18 GMT

Alex Walker and Adam Hatfield came seconds away from yet more British GT Championship silverware for Paddock Motorsport’s McLaren Artura GT4, on an otherwise tricky weekend for the team at Snetterton (13/14 July).

A pair of hour-long races awaited the Paddock Motorsport trio in Norfolk, Walker and Hatfield coming closest to celebrations after another fighting performance in the GT4 Silver category. After two podiums in recent British GT rounds, the Artura scored a brace of fourth-place finishes at Snetterton to continue its push in the class points.

Paddock’s other two crews were less fortunate across the double-header. A spin in both races hampered the progress of its McLaren GT3, driven by Martin Plowman and Mark Smith, while the Mercedes-AMG GT4 duo of Ed McDermott and Matt Cowley beat race one disappointment to end Sunday with a season-best result of fourth in Pro-Am.

The three Paddock crews returned from the European event at Spa-Francorchamps focused on adding to a growing trophy haul, with two Snetterton sprint races to sink their teeth into. Rain threatened during both Saturday morning practice sessions, but a dry track greeted the drivers for Qualifying in the afternoon.

Smith was first up in the 720S and set a time good enough for sixth in GT3 Pro-Am, Plowman backing that up with ninth on his run. Of the GT4 teams, the #11 Artura bagged a pair of top-five starts in the Silver category, while McDermott and Cowley planted the Mercedes-AMG sixth and seventh in Pro-Am respectively for the races.

Race one on Sunday did not start as planned for the GT3 entry of Smith, after he suffered a minor spin on cold tyres following a three-wide squeeze at the Wilson hairpin. Left with work to do, the McLaren fought its way from the back of the pack up onto the fringes of the top 10 to claim eighth place in class by the finish.

In GT4 it was much more promising. Hatfield started the Artura and kept pace with the battling pack, handing over to Walker in a top-six position in Silver. The latter then moved ahead of Zac Meakin’s similar McLaren before catching and passing Erik Evans’ Ford Mustang for fourth in class, finishing just three seconds shy of what could have been the car’s third consecutive podium. The Mercedes-AMG duo were less fortunate despite a positive start, with a stop-go penalty in the second half of the race dropping them to sixth in Pro-Am.

A frenetic second race again proved a mixed bag. GT4 ended with positives for both crews, Hatfield chasing a class podium after an inspired opening stint by Walker to move the Artura up into fourth before handing across to Hatfield. After a safety car closed things up inside the final 20 minutes, Hatfield pushed hard but was limited to fourth in class, just under two seconds from the podium places.

A super effort from Cowley and McDermott rewarded them with a season’s best result of fourth in Pro-Am, bringing some much-deserved points to the Mercedes side of the garage. Paddock’s GT3 McLaren was limited to a solid seventh in Pro-Am, after Smith was punted into a spin in the second half but recovered well to score enough points to keep himself and Plowman inside the top-10 in the class championship.

The recent consistency of the #11 Artura has also boosted Walker’s standing in the GT4 Silver championship, with him now running third in the points with two rounds remaining.

From the Artura GT4 crew, Alex Walker said: “Fourth in Silver in both races is good points for us towards the class championship, but I think we could have had a bit more in the end. Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t. There were a few situations on track where you just need one or two small things to fall your way and it makes it a completely different day. It’s good that we’re actually disappointed to finish fourth, and that shows how far we’ve come since the start of the year. We’ll big ourselves up, keep developing and see where we are next time. It will be a battle in the Silver championship, but if we take it race-by-race, we’ll stay in the mix and keep the fight going.”

Mark Smith from the McLaren GT3 team said: “We were fighting oversteer in the car this weekend, as there wasn’t much grip out there. We struggled to get the car into the right window really, and made some major changes that gave us some oversteer in Qualifying. Our race pace was much better though. We were a bit twitchy with low grip at the first corner in race one, and maybe I should have been more cautious as that needed to be managed. Our team’s pace is right around fifth in race trim, so Donington’s a track we know well and have a set-up that we’re happy with, so we should be able to be competitive there.”

Matt Cowley of the Mercedes-AMG added: “There’s positives to definitely take away this weekend. Second race especially was a tough one, but we had a good start and made up a lot of ground early on. We were a bit heavier than a few of our rivals which meant we just ate our tyres towards the end. We hung on though and Ed did a really good job in his stint to get our best finish of the season and fourth in class. We’re heading towards that podium, and Paddock have been doing a great job with the car, everybody is gelling together and we can hopefully celebrate soon.”

The three Paddock Motorsport crews will now return to Donington Park for the penultimate event of the British GT campaign, in a two-hour race held across 7/8 September.

British GT’s Snetterton sprints next up for Paddock Motorsport

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 08:06:36 GMT

The British GT Championship will return to its twin sprint race format at Snetterton this weekend, presenting Paddock Motorsport with double the chance to continue its current podium hot streak.

Following its European away day at Spa, the championship makes the trip to Norfolk for two one-hour races around the three-mile Snetterton 300 Circuit this weekend for the sixth and seventh races of the season.

The return to the sprint format strips the racing back, removing almost all strategic flexibility in favour of a pair of flat-out 60-minute blasts from lights to flag, placing the emphasis on sheer speed over anything else. After a positive last few events, all three of Paddock’s crews head to Snetterton confident of scoring some big points across the three classes the team will compete in.

With two pieces of silverware from the last two events, the McLaren Artura of Alex Walker and Adam Hatfield will be aiming to complete a hat-trick having marked itself out as one of the entries to watch in the GT4 Silver category. Walker has been the mainstay of the #11, and has celebrated third-place finishes alongside both Blake Angliss and Hatfield thus far, with Hatfield continuing for this event. Hatfield has already been a podium finisher at Snetterton this year during Paddock’s GT Cup campaign, so is already fully up to speed with the Artura on this circuit.

The McLaren 720S GT3 Evo shared by Mark Smith and Martin Plowman again showed itself to be a genuine contender for the top six places in Belgium, with Smith in particular displaying great race pace. A lot of progress has been made with the car’s setup and operation up to this point, with the crew often simply on the wrong side of Lady Luck across the longer races. Hopefully the short, sharp sprint format can deliver the sort of results both drivers deserve in the headline GT3 Pro-Am category.

Spa was also positive for the Mercedes-AMG GT4 shared by Ed McDermott and Matt Cowley. After a troubled start to the season, the pair have begun to show glimpses of their true potential across recent races. Spa was never going to be an easy ride for the crew with McDermott having to learn one of the world’s most daunting tracks having never raced there previously, but regardless they came through what turned out to be a bruising two-hour race for others to score sixth place in GT4 Pro-Am.

With all of its drivers now back on familiar ground, hopes are high of adding yet more trophies to Paddock’s ever-growing collection this weekend.

McLaren Artura GT4 driver Alex Walker says: “Coming off the back of two really great results, I’m really looking forward to getting out there this weekend and carrying on the momentum that we have at the moment. The car’s been really consistent and performing well recently and I feel we’re getting stronger and stronger as a team with each race. I actually think this weekend could be easier than Spa, purely as it’s my second weekend with Adam so there’s less learning to do and we can just hit the ground running and go from there. Bring it on!”

From the Mercedes-AMG GT4, Ed McDermott says: “Having missed both sprint races at Oulton Park back in March we’re really looking forward to Snetterton. Sprint rounds are a bit different because each driver gets to qualify for their own race start, which can sometimes really mix things up. As always, we are just focused on driver performance, and working with the team to get the car into the best shape possible. The aim is always to take it sector by sector, lap by lap, and if everybody performs as they can do then the results will come.”

Paddock Motorsport founder and GT3 driver Martin Plowman adds: “I think as a team we go into Snetterton this weekend really looking to fulfil the potential we’ve already shown this season. On the GT3 side, we know we have a fast car that works across multiple different conditions, we just need to get our heads down and hopefully we can be in the mix for the sort of results our pace deserves… plus a little luck wouldn’t go amiss! On the GT4 side, it’s been fantastic to see the Artura crew’s recent success. Alex and Adam proved a great pairing at Spa and we fully expect them to be fighting for another top result this weekend. Likewise, Ed and Matt in the Mercedes-AMG seem on the threshold of achieving something great. A return to a more familiar track like Snetterton, and more straightforward sprint races, could well pay off for all of us this weekend.”

The British GT Championship weekend at Snetterton gets underway with Practice and Pre-Qualifying on Saturday morning, July 13, before Qualifying takes place at 16:10. Sunday gets going with a short morning Warm-Up ahead of Race One at 11:25, and Race Two at 15:45. Both races will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 and also the GT World YouTube channel . Live timing will be available for all sessions via TSL-Timing.com .

Second successive silverware for Paddock in British GT at Spa

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 09:19:23 GMT

Alex Walker and Adam Hatfield secured a hard-fought second British GT Championship podium in succession for Paddock Motorsport’s McLaren Artura GT4, on an otherwise challenging weekend for the team at Spa-Francorchamps (22/23 June).

During a truncated two-hour race at the iconic Belgian circuit that included an early break in proceedings, Walker and new team-mate Hatfield fought back from a lowly grid position of 11th to be in the hunt for a stunning GT4 Silver class podium by its conclusion. Fourth soon became third in class after a rival Ginetta was slapped with a penalty, leaving Walker to bring it home and confirm further silverware for the team.

In stark contrast, there was less fortune for Paddock’s other two crews in the Ardennes. A penalty and additional unplanned stops hampered its McLaren GT3, driven by Martin Plowman and Mark Smith, while flashes of speed for Mercedes-AMG GT4 duo Ed McDermott and Matt Cowley ultimately went unrewarded after a drive-through of their own.

All three Paddock entries headed into Europe for British GT’s annual ‘away day’ event, returning to the picturesque Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the first time in two years. Plowman and Smith both shone throughout wet and dry practice on Saturday, and bagged a ninth place start in GT3. The GT4 qualifying sessions were abandoned after an accident, meaning pre-qualifying decided its grid. McDermott and Cowley were given a promising fifth in Pro-Am, Walker and Hatfield hit harder in 11th with the latter having not registering a proper flying lap.

The race on Sunday began in chaotic fashion and was quickly red-flagged, Smith taking to the grass to skillfully evade a multi-car wreck ahead of him in GT3. One of the big winners in this would be the Artura GT4, which moved up four places to seventh overall for the restart.

What followed was a race dictated largely by track limits violations. Hatfield drove a controlled stint to keep the #11 Artura in GT4 Silver contention, handing the car over to Walker in fifth place. Walker then caught and passed the Mercedes of Harry George for fourth, and began chasing for a class podium in the final half-hour.

With less than 10 minutes on the clock, luck was on the Paddock team’s side this time as Stuart Middleton pitted ahead to serve a drive-through penalty, bumping Walker and Hatfield up to sixth overall in GT4 and, crucially, third in class to complete an excellent comeback drive to a second successive podium.

Among the many pinged for track limits, the Paddock GT3 McLaren 720S was another unlucky victim. A drive-through penalty in the closing minutes limited Plowman and Smith to ninth place in GT3 Pro-Am, having broken into the top 10 after their unscheduled early stop to clear grass from the McLaren’s radiators.

The Mercedes-AMG duo of McDermott and Cowley looked in strong shape after the restart, getting back underway in third place in GT4 Pro-Am. As stops cycled through, the podium began to edge away from the pairing, but a late drive-through penalty for track limits ended any opportunity for the charging Cowley as they took the chequered flag sixth in class.

With more silverware in the travel bag, Walker leaves Spa now sitting third in the Silver class championship with four rounds to go.

From the Artura GT4 crew, Alex Walker said: “It’s going well, really well! We’re picking up some traction now which is good. That was a hard race for both of us, especially for Adam having to pick his way through all the chaos at the start. A tough stint for me, where I was just trying to treat it as an extended qualifying session. I came close at the end to getting one more place, but that wouldn’t have made much of a difference – a fantastic first visit to Spa!”

His Artura GT4 team-mate Hatfield added: “It was a bit of a surprise to get that result! I just kept it clean in that first stint because I knew track limits was going to be key and come into play at some stage across the GT4 grid. I tried to give Alex as little track limits warnings as possible, and he did a brilliant job to pick them off and bring it home on the podium. It’s mega, more than I could have hoped for after coming back to racing. A GT Cup podium in my first race back and now one for British GT. Incredible!”

Mark Smith from the McLaren GT3 team said: “To be honest, I’m actually quite happy. My pace was really good and I feel I’ve made progress as a driver. My race pace was two seconds a lap faster than my qualifying time, so I really got to understand the car more and more as it went on. It was getting faster, but we were already at the back because of the enormous mess at the start. I managed to get through that despite it happening in front, behind and alongside me – I found a route around it on the grass, but that meant we had to pit. I can’t be too upset because that wasn’t my fault, and the fact my pace was top-five of the Ams… I’m happy. One bad race is fine if I’m battling at the front in my next 100 races.”

Matt Cowley of the Mercedes-AMG added: “It was another tough weekend, but definitely there’s been positives to take away from it, which is good. We were quick over the course of a race stint, we didn’t have any issues this time and we finished the race free of dramas in one that was full of dramas. At the end of the day we’ve also had a fun weekend at Spa, so we’re looking forward to Snetterton.”

The three Paddock Motorsport crews will now return to the UK for the remainder the British GT campaign, next heading to Snetterton for two one-hour rounds across 13/14 July.

Paddock ready to star at Spa as British GT returns to Europe

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 07:44:24 GMT

After enjoying its first taste of the podium champagne last time out, Paddock Motorsport is fired up to fight for more honours when the British GT Championship rolls into the legendary Spa-Francorchamps this weekend.

Having been absent from the calendar last season in favour of a trip to Portimão in Portugal, the iconic venue in the Belgian Ardennes returns for 2024 and presents perhaps the biggest challenge on the British GT schedule. Spa’s mixture of medium- and high-speed corners demand complete commitment from drivers, and more than few big stops thrown in to add to the challenge of the 7km lap.

The track also boasts the highest top speeds of the year, with the fastest GT3 cars nudging 170mph by the end of the Kemmel Straight. Large sections of the track have also been resurfaced, meaning lap times could tumble on the fresh Tarmac, with British GT being the first championship to try the new surface.

Paddock will field its regular trio of cars, but with a key change in the #11 McLaren Artura GT4 as Adam Hatfield makes his British GT return after a two-year absence to partner Alex Walker in the car that scored second place in GT4 Silver last time out at Donington Park. Walker has proven himself a frontrunner in the class, and Hatfield has already shown formidable speed by claiming podium finishes in the GT Cup during his return to racing earlier this season. Together the two should be well in the mix.

American Mark Smith and Martin Plowman are up for the fight this round, especially with the duo having great experience around Spa. The team held a successful test at the track earlier in the year, and Smith also contested the 12 Hours of Spa back in April, so is already well attuned to the track layout.

The Mercedes-AMG GT4 crew is unchanged, with Ed McDermott and reigning British GT4 champion Matt Cowley keen to overturn a disappointing start to the season and finally get some big points on the board in GT4 Pro-Am.

This weekend a total of 38 cars will take part in the year’s first two-hour race, which presents a more straightforward format, with just a single pitstop and driver changed required, otherwise it’s flat out to the flag.

Mark Smith of the McLaren GT3 says: “Spa could be a great one for us. We did a two-day test there back in April and it was wet both days, which we initially thought was bad luck, but looking at the mixed weather predicted for this weekend it could be the perfect preparation! I also did the 12-hour endurance race there, so I feel really comfortable with the track. We’ve just got to go out and attack it 100%. I’ve already experienced having to go fully opposite-lock up Raidillon this year! We’re looking forward to putting everything we’ve learned from testing there, and the races this year so far, into this weekend and hopefully finding our first big result of the year.”

New arrival in the Artura GT4 Adam Hatfield says: “I can’t wait for this weekend, and I’m so grateful to my sponsors and the team for this opportunity. After a year out of racing I got straight back into the swing of things in the GT Cup with the Artura, and then to jump straight back into British GT… I wasn’t expecting to get the chance so quickly but I’m determined to make the most of it. I haven’t been to Spa since 2018 so I’ve got some learning to do, but I’m looking forward to the challenge and getting to work with Alex. Spa is such an iconic track. Getting a big result there on my championship return would be amazing.”

Matt Cowley of the Mercedes-AMG GT4 team says: “It’s no secret the season hasn’t started in the way we’d have liked, through no fault of anybody… it’s just been bad luck. We finally got the chance to have a proper run last time at Donington and the weather just made that a crazy race, so hopefully we can have a more straightforward time this weekend. Ed and I are in good spirits about this weekend, and for the rest of the season, because we know the pace and potential is there in the car, we’re just hoping for a little more luck to be able to prove it.”

Action for round five of the British GT Championship gets underway with testing on Friday ahead of two practice sessions on Saturday morning, with qualifying set to begin at 16:40 local time (15:40 UK). Sunday’s two-hour race is scheduled for 13:00 CEST (12:00 UK). Both qualifying and the race will be shown live on SRO’s GT World YouTube channel , with all sessions featuring live timing .

Podium joy on a stormy Donington weekend for Paddock

Mon, 27 May 2024 10:02:13 GMT

Alex Walker and Blake Angliss celebrated their breakthrough British GT Championship podium on a challenging weekend at Donington Park, the McLaren Artura GT4’s success proving a superb highlight for the Paddock Motorsport team.

Walker and Angliss were in the mix throughout Sunday’s three-hour race, which was made tougher by constantly changing conditions and a string of caution periods. In fact, if it hadn’t have been for sheer bad luck with the timing of the penultimate full course yellow, the #11 McLaren could well have won the race outright. As it was, second place in GT4 Silver for Walker and Angliss still stands as a superb result.

In contrast, there was disappointment for both the McLaren GT3 crew of Mark Smith and Martin Plowman, who endured a bruising race, as did the Mercedes-AMG GT4 shared by Ed McDermott and Matt Cowley. Both cars showed flashes of pace, only to be left unrewarded by sheer bad luck.

All three of Paddock’s crews showed top-five potential across their various classes during the opening practice sessions, something that was backed up by a strong qualifying performance. Smith in particular shone in the GT3 session, setting the seventh fastest time with a terrific effort. Plowman backed up the hard work by going eighth in the Pro session, securing a start on row four. The combined efforts of Walker and Angliss meant the Artura would start sixth, with McDermott and Cowley sixth on the Pro-Am grid.

The race itself would prove treacherous, with intermittent showers soaking all or part of the track at various intervals, leading to more than a few doses of chaos. Through it all, Walker and Angliss shone with Paddock’s Artura GT4 being a star of the show.

A tremendous opening stint from Walker brought the car up as high as second, with Walker pressuring the championship-leading Optimum McLaren before handing across to Angliss, who kept things tidy during a difficult second stint on slicks when the rain returned and grip levels dramatically reduced.

The race suffered a lengthy stoppage when multiple cars hit standing water at Redgate, but the Artura navigated the trouble brilliantly, with Walker resuming his hunt of the Optimum McLaren heading into the final hour. Knowing his rival would have to serve an extra 20 seconds during its pit stop after Optimum’s win last time out at Silverstone, Walker didn’t actually have to pass to be in with a shot of the win. However, luck intervened when Walker made his final stop to hand to Angliss with the race at full speed, only for a full course yellow period to be called soon after, handing their rivals a free stop at reduced speed. The events cost Walker and Angliss a lap, but a combination of their early pace and great work from Angliss during the final stint meant they were still comfortably clear of those behind. While fourth overall at the finish was the limit, but they were rewarded with second in the Silver category.

This high came against a tough race for both the GT3 and Mercedes-AMG. Smith ran comfortably within the top seven during the first stint, but ultimately stayed on wet-weather tyres too long as rain threatened to return but didn’t arrive soon enough. The further combination of a puncture and Plowman being rudely turfed into the gravel after being caught by the understeering RAM Racing BMW made it a fruitless weekend.

The Mercedes ran well early on, but lost time behind the first safety car and McDermott then suffered an unlucky spin entering the chicane that put the car into the gravel.

Still, all three crews head to the next event at Spa-Francorchamps knowing they have the pace to score big.

From the Artura GT4 crew, Alex Walker said: “The race felt so long, but I loved it. I actually feel we could have done a bit better and had it not been for the bad luck with the safety car we perhaps could have bagged the win. But I’ll always take a podium. The team has done a great job with the car all weekend and Blake and I did exactly what we set out to do, stay out of trouble, free from penalties and the balance of the car was great throughout. It’s a special result.”

Mark Smith from the McLaren GT3 team said: “If we made a list of all the things that could’ve gone wrong, we probably ticked most of them today! It’s a shame because we had brilliant pace on Saturday, but it was just dumb luck on Sunday that undid us. We were waiting for more rain to arrive in the first stint, but it only came about two minutes after we had to change strategy and Martin was out on slicks! Then I got a hit at the hairpin that punctured a tyre. I was watching the pressures dive before I finally had to give in. Then the salt in the wound was Martin being hit by the BMW late on. Let’s hope Spa brings us that bit of luck that makes the difference.”

Ed McDermott of the Mercedes-AMG added: “This just wasn’t our weekend. The car actually felt pretty good and we were working our way forward before chaos broke out. I was probably a bit too enthusiastic into the chicane and had a spin that put us into the gravel. It’s not the way we wanted to end the weekend, but we’ll move on from this and come out fighting at Spa.”

Paddock Motorsport next heads to the legendary Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium for the season’s first two-hour race on the weekend of June 22/23.

Second three-hour test awaits Paddock as British GT resumes at Donington Park

Fri, 24 May 2024 09:42:10 GMT

Paddock Motorsport’s trio of British GT entries will resume their hunt for silverware when the championship roars into Donington Park this weekend, with a second three-hour endurance event giving plenty of opportunity to shine.

Paddock will again feature a busy garage, with the McLaren GT3 crew of Mark Smith and Martin Plowman accompanied by the McLaren Artura and Mercedes-AMG GT4 entries shared by Alex Walker/Blake Angliss and Ed McDermott/Matt Cowley respectively. In total, Paddock will be competing in three of British GT’s four classes, and all three crews have eyes on scoring big this weekend.

The last round at Silverstone brought many positives for the team, with Smith and Plowman at one stage running second overall and showing frontrunning pace, only to be denied by bad luck with strategy. Likewise, the Artura of Walker and Angliss was well in the fight for a class podium across the three hours before an unfortunate penalty meant they had to settle for fifth at the flag. However, it’s clear the crew has the potential to fight for podium places each time they line up on the grid.

The Mercedes-AMG of McDermott and reigning British GT4 champion Cowley has suffered a troubled start to the year, with a string of technical niggles holding the drivers back. The car was ruled out of the opening weekend at Oulton Park by mechanical issues, and then electrical gremlins hindered it at Silverstone. With the machine refreshed and ready, both drivers will be hoping to get themselves into the fight in a race that traditionally favours the GT4 Pro-Am crews due to their lower minimum pit stop times against the Silver-graded cars.

Running to the same format as Silverstone, the single three-hour race gives great scope for strategic innovation. With no set pit window, three mandatory driver changes and the rule that no driver can rack up more than 100 minutes at the wheel, teams are free to run a multitude of strategies to find the fastest way to the chequered flag.

This weekend 38 cars will take the start, with 20 GT3s mixed with 18 GT4s. Donington’s fast sweeps and multiple pinch points always provide high drama for GT cars running door-to-door.

From the GT3 team, Martin Plowman says: “We’re heading to Donington confident of getting a strong result. The first two rounds of the season have proven we have the pace in the car, and the whole team has taken a great step forwards this season. Donington is perhaps the track Mark knows best, and he’s always had great pace there. His driving at Silverstone was quite exceptional during that tricky first stint, going toe-to-toe with professional drivers and holding his own. I’m sure he’ll translate that into a great performance at Donington too. As a team, we’ve got eyes on the podium places in all three cars.”

Blake Angliss from the Artura GT4 says: “I’m really looking forward to getting back in the car at Donington, because at Silverstone we showed so much potential. It feels like we’ve shown people what we can do and what we’re about as a team, and we want to keep that going. We’re improving the car with every outing, and as drivers we’re finding new ways to unlock extra pace, so we want to hit the ground running at Donington. It’s a fast and flowing track, which suits the Artura as we don’t have the most power, but we do have strong aero and grip, so it’s about keeping those minimum numbers up and carrying speed. The potential is definitely there not just to go for the Silver podium, but also the overall, we just need to iron out little issues and stay out of trouble. I know Alex is confident ahead of this weekend, and Donington is my local track so I’m aiming high. If we can run clean for the three hours, we’ll be in the mix.”

Ed McDermott of the Mercedes-AMG crew says: “It’s been a difficult start to the season for us. Through no fault of the team or drivers our championship hopes have been significantly hampered by non-starts at Oulton and ABS failure at Silverstone. That’s been hugely frustrating as both Matt and I believe we could have had some great results already by this point of the year. Still, with nothing to lose now we are fully focused on getting the maximum out of driver and car at Donington.”

The third round of the British GT Championship gets underway with twin practice sessions on Saturday May 25 before qualifying at 16:00. Sunday starts with a quick warm-up session, before the race start at 13:00. All sessions will feature live timing , with qualifying and the race shown live on the GT World YouTube channel .

Paddock shows podium potential despite difficult Silverstone 500 weekend

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 13:51:16 GMT

Paddock Motorsport showed the sort of potential that breeds podium finishes during British GT’s showcase weekend at Silverstone, even though a place on the rostrum ultimately slipped away.

Paddock Motorsport’s McLaren Artura GT4 shared by British GT rookies Blake Angliss and Alex Walker was a standout competitor in a packed GT4 entry, with both drivers fighting on the fringes of the class podium throughout before being denied by an unlucky penalty late on that would leave them fifth.

The McLaren GT3 crew of Mark Smith and Martin Plowman put on a stunning show early in the race, with American driver Smith thriving in the rain and going toe-to-toe with some of the best GT drivers in the world in tricky conditions. Soon after though, the car would fall foul of bad luck on its strategy, leaving the pair fighting against the odds to make up time.

Ed McDermott and Matt Cowley’s Mercedes-AMG GT4 impressed with its speed, but was hamstrung early on by first electrical troubles and then ABS failure. Regardless, the drivers nursed the problems to the flag to at least score their first points of the season.

The first flashes of Paddock’s potential around Silverstone’s fast sweeps came in qualifying, when Plowman set the eighth fastest time of the hulking GT3 grid, out-pacing drivers such as BMW factory ace Raffaele Marciello, long-term Aston Martin works driver Jonny Adam and reigning British GT champion Dan Harper. With the grid set on the combined best times of each driver, he and Smith would line-up for Sunday’s race 14th on the grid, knowing they had the pace to move forward.

The headline result from qualifying came from Angliss and Walker, who grabbed fourth overall in the GT4 order after a superb effort from both drivers. McDermott and Cowley’s combined times put them ninth in the Pro-Am field.

With the grid forming up under persistent rain, the opening stages were played out behind the safety car, which left the door wide open for teams to experiment with strategy. While many opted to stop at the first opportunity, Paddock decided to leave Smith out for a long first stint, in the hope of him achieving the majority of his minimum drive time of 80 minutes early, so Plowman could be installed for longer later in the race.

Smith thrived on the pressure. As the amateur drivers around him stopped to hand to their pros, Smith soldiered on and soon had professional racers swarming over the rear of the McLaren. Undeterred, Smith put up an epic defence, holding both Mercedes-AMG factory driver Maxi Goetz and Barwell Motorsport’s Ricky Collard behind for multiple laps, even running as high as second overall at one point.

When Smith eventually did stop inside the second hour he handed to Plowman just as the tide of the race turned. Shortly after the stop, the race was neutralised, handing Paddock’s rivals the chance to gain chunks of time in the pits. Allied to that, Plowman was then caught behind the safety car for an entire lap, essentially losing a lap against those who enjoyed a faster stop under the yellows. From there on, it was an uphill battle, with Smith and Plowman ticking off the laps on their way to seventh in class on an outing that could have delivered more had it not been for misfortune.

Angliss and Walker backed up their qualifying pace by going on the attack early. Angliss worked his way up to third in the early stages before settling into the fight inside the top five. His and Walker’s combined pace kept the car firmly in contention for a podium finish, and things looked even brighter after they got their final pit stop done under a full course yellow period in the last hour, however, the car was pinged for speeding under the same 80kph caution period shortly after, earning a drive through that left the crew fifth. Still, it was solid points and both drivers did themselves proud with their performance.

Lastly, the race simply didn’t go to plan for McDermott and Cowley, who were never able to show their true colours amid the technical issues with the Mercedes-AMG. They lost time at their first stop having to power cycle the car to cure an electrical glitch, then midway through the race the ABS failed. They stopped the car to power cycle it a second time to cure the issue, but were left to nurse the issue to the flag in the name of scoring at least some points.

Martin Plowman from the GT3 crew said: “It’s a strange one because I’m really pleased with everything that went on out on track, with the pace and feeling we had in the car, of the way Mark drove up against some incredibly quick factory drivers… it was all brilliant. But strategically everything that could’ve gone against us did. When we made our first stop, I got caught behind the safety car and lost a lap, and from that point we were fighting to stay in it. I took chunks of time out of drivers like Raffaele Marciello during my stints, so we have to be pleased with that, but it’s been a tough weekend.”

Blake Angliss said: “The rate of progress since the first race at Oulton Park has been massive, and the car we had this weekend was night and day better. To have podium pace, but not the podium, is always tough to take but we can still be proud of what we achieved this weekend. We were well and truly in the fight and proved we have the pace to fight at the front of this championship. The results will come if we keep doing that.”

Matt Cowley said: “It certainly wasn’t the sort of weekend we were hoping for. The pace in the car was good, but toward the end of my first stint the ABS warning flashed on and eventually failed. We’d already had an issue where we had to power cycle the car during the first pit stop to reset the telemetry, and then had to do the second half of the race with no ABS which, in increasingly bad conditions, made things slightly more than interesting..! We did all we could against the odds. Got to the finish, and scored a couple of points, which is at least something. Hopefully we can have a smoother race next time out at Donington Park and really kick on.”

Silverstone showpiece next up for Paddock’s trio of British GT challengers

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 07:52:22 GMT

Paddock Motorsport is aiming for success across the board as the British GT Championship heads into its seasonal showpiece, the Silverstone 500, this weekend.

After a challenging opening round of the year at Oulton Park over Easter – where the team’s number was whittled down to its twin McLarens after the new Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Ed McDermott and Matt Cowley suffered a terminal engine issue – the squad is now back up to a full complement of cars, competing across three of the championship’s four classes.

This weekend’s three-hour Silverstone 500 represents not just British GT’s showpiece race, but also the biggest GT racing event in Britain. Boasting a huge 43-car field, the longer race places much greater demands on both driver endurance and strategy, especially with no set pitstop window. Each car must perform three pit stops across the course of the race, meaning two stints per driver, and each must not drive for more than 100 minutes in total, leaving the teams to work out the best strategy to get to the flag first.

While Oulton was far from easy, the twin sprint races gave Paddock a chance to showcase its potential for the year ahead, with both the GT3 McLaren of Mark Smith and Martin Plowman showing impressive pace, and the Artura GT4 of Alex Walker and Blake Angliss taking home two strong finishes.

The GT3 crew’s weekend was highlighted by a superb qualifying performance putting the #9 car sixth overall, and Smith and Plowman securing a best finish of eighth in the headline GT3 Pro-Am class in race two, despite the two outings in Cheshire being heavily disrupted by yellow flags.

Likewise, Angliss and Walker impressed on their championship debuts, taking home a pair of fifth-place finishes in the GT4 Silver category to kick-start their season with some solid points.

Since Oulton, the GT4 Pro-Am Mercedes-AMG has undergone significant work. After the car suffered a major propshaft failure, the technical team worked through Easter Sunday to fit a replacement, only for a larger engine issue to prevent the car from running on race day. With the machine now fully refreshed, McDermott and Cowley are hoping to get their season off to a flying, if delayed, start. McDermott has fond memories of the Silverstone 500, having won the GT4 Pro-Am class and finished second overall last season.

Mark Smith from the GT3 team says: “I’m really looking forward to this weekend. Oulton Park was a tough one with the weather and disrupted races, but this weekend promises to be a lot different. The British GT Silverstone 500 is an iconic race and one of the focal points of our season. With some additional testing under our belt, we’re feeling prepared and we’re excited to show what we’re capable of this weekend.”

Mercedes-AMG GT4 driver Matt Cowley says: “We’re ready and raring to go because this weekend is the real start of the season for us after the what-could-have-been at Oulton Park. Obviously, two early non-scores hurts, but we know the championship isn’t yet lost – I won GT4 overall last year despite two non-scores at Snetterton – but it just makes things much tougher. Our aim is to go into every race and do the absolute best job we can, find that consistency and make sure we get points on the board. Ed’s been driving really well during testing, and he enjoyed a great result in the 500 last season, so there’s no reason we can’t go in aiming for the outright GT4 win this weekend. Silverstone GP is such a great, flowing track, and the extra space helps overtaking, so it’ll be action packed. I just can’t wait to get going.”

Alex Walker from the McLaren Artura GT4 adds: “The Silverstone 500 is a really special race and I can’t wait to be a part of it. I’ve raced on the support package before but to actually be on the grid for the main event will be amazing. It brings a lot of extra challenges with the longer stints, more emphasis on the pit stops and the fact results depend as much on consistency as they do outright pace. It should be a great learning experience for us. We’ve all been working hard as a team to iron out a few small issues and unlock more from both the Artura and ourselves, finding new ways to drive the car and find those extra little bits that add up to make an advantage. I can’t wait to get back out there.”

Action for the Silverstone 500 weekend gets underway with free practice and pre-qualifying on Saturday morning, ahead of qualifying at 15:55. Race day on Sunday gets going with a short warm-up session, with the race start scheduled for 12:30. Both qualifying and the race will feature live streaming on the GT World YouTube channel , while live timing will be available throughout the event on TSL Timing's website . The event will also be shown live on the Sky Sports F1 channel.

Progress and points for Paddock despite disrupted British GT season opener

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 14:42:27 GMT

Paddock Motorsport left the opening round of the British GT Championship with plenty of positives, despite the weekend throwing more than a few challenges at the team.

The GT3 crew of Mark Smith and Martin Plowman showed flashes of great pace, and finished what turned out to be a truncated opening race with a well-deserved top-10 finish, while rookie pairing Blake Angliss and Alex Walker bagged a strong pair of fifth place finishes to start their campaign with solid points.

Those results did come against a backdrop of disappointment though, with the new Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Ed McDermott and Matt Cowley having to be withdrawn after a major technical failure early on Saturday. The car shattered its propshaft during practice, and although a spare was sourced and fitted on Sunday, further engine issues prevented the car from running.

Down to the twin McLarens for race one, both cars put in a fighting display in extremely tricky conditions that made the first race almost more about survival than progress. The grid formed up under persistent rain, with all cars on wet-weather Pirellis and the prospect of thick spray reducing visibility to a few metres at best.

Smith was disappointed in his first qualifying of the year, starting the GT3 Evo from 13th in the monster field after not quite hooking up an ideal lap. Angliss climbed aboard the Artura GT4 to make his British GT debut, starting from sixth in class.

The race began behind the safety car in the worst of the conditions, before releasing the cars in anger a few minutes later. Smith immediately looked to move forward, picking up a place when the J&S Racing Audi swapped ends through turn one. Smith then began to pressure the RAM Racing BMW M4, but was caught out when the M4 braked early into Hislops, forcing Smith to jump on the brakes and narrowly avoid the rear of the BMW as he skated down the escape road. With grass in the radiators from the incident, rising temperatures prevented Smith from making progress, as did a lengthy full course yellow period called to recover a stranded GT4 car. He eventually handed across to Plowman, but with the tyres lacking bite and racing action limited over the closing laps, a safe 12th was the limit for the pair.

Angliss and Walker weren’t shy in getting involved, with Angliss getting stuck in despite the conditions and dicing with multiple cars across his stint. He flew past the CWS Ginetta at the start and then climbed all over the rear of the Race Lab McLaren before having his own progress stunted by the FCY. He pitted for Walker, who rejoined equally determined to push further up the order. Walker despatched the rival Artura with a fine move and then chased down the RAM Racing Mercedes-AMG, shadowing it across the line to secure a fine fifth place.

Race two would provide a different challenge, and also a highly frustrating finish. Plowman excelled in his qualifying segment, putting the #9 McLaren GT3 Evo a fine sixth on the grid. However, this early promise was tempered when Plowman was rudely elbowed wide through the first turn, dropping a wheel of the sodden grass and losing momentum. That meant he was swamped down to 12th on the first lap, and had all the hard work to do over again. But in truth he never got the chance, as racing was neutralised first thanks to a multi-car tangle in the GT4 pack, and then again for virtually the entire second half of the race following barrier damage inflicted by a wayward Aston Martin GT3 and then a rival McLaren breaking down on track. It meant neither Plowman nor Smith really got a chance to get into the fight their qualifying pace had deserved, and eighth in class was all they could do.

It was a similar story for the GT4 crew, with Walker qualifying the Artura GT4 fifth in class, he then made a solid start to the race, only to be caught behind the melee sparked when a Century Motorsport BMW M4 was tipped around at turn one, scattering the pack and damaging a handful of cars. Walker did brilliantly to avoid damage, slamming on the brakes to avoid the accident ahead. However, the lost ground would take a lot to recover.

Walker then engaged in a great fight with Gordie Mutch’s Lotus, with Mutch diving past into Hislops only for Walker to snatch the place back through Cascades a lap later. He was fifth in class when he handed to Angliss, who rejoined for what would become a frustrating finish where everybody was unable to make progress. Still, two top-fives on their British GT debut was a superbly promising return for the young pairing.

Martin Plowman of the McLaren GT3 team said: “It’s been an up-and-down weekend. It’s a huge shame the Mercedes-AMG couldn’t run, and we’re really looking forward to seeing Ed and Matt in action at Silverstone. Then we showed some really strong qualifying pace for the second outing only to get unlucky at the start and be set back, and then have any chance of fighting back taken away by the full course yellows. It’s a shame, but it is what it is. We’ve already got our eyes on fighting back at Silverstone.”

Blake Angliss of the GT4 crew said: “It’s been a big weekend of learning for us, but I’m pleased with the results and the progress we’ve made. Alex and I have worked really well together and in some ways racing the car for the first time in the mixed conditions has been really useful because then all of its movements and feelings are exaggerated in the wet. It’s been a great challenge. I really enjoyed getting stuck into the fight in race one, but race two was frustrating for us with the way it finished. But we’ll go away, reset and look to Silverstone.”

The next round of the British GT Championship takes place at Silverstone on April 27/28.

Paddock ready to fight on all fronts as the British GT Championship roars into life

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 10:50:12 GMT

Paddock Motorsport will be out for glory on three fronts as the 2024 British GT Championship roars into life at Oulton Park this Easter weekend.

The Tamworth-based team is embarking on its biggest British GT campaign yet, fielding three cars across three classes after a productive winter of recruitment enabled the squad to expand.

American driver Mark Smith returns for a second full British GT campaign alongside Paddock team founder Martin Plowman in the #9 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo. Paddock will run two GT4 entries for the first time, with Blake Angliss and Alex Walker sharing its regular McLaren Artura GT4, and Ed McDermott joining the team with his Mercedes-AMG GT4, bringing reigning British GT4 champion Matt Cowley with him.

With Smith and Plowman competing in GT3 Pro-Am, Angliss and Walker in GT4 Silver, and McDermott and Cowley in GT4 Pro-Am, Paddock’s entries will be competing across three of the championship’s four classes, meaning the potential for trophy hauls this season has increased hugely.

To ensure the team begins the year on a solid footing, a host of fresh faces have joined to strengthen the pool of knowledge within the technical team. These include Simon Pollock heading up the expanded GT4 programme and experienced racer Michael Broadhurst taking on a management role for the new Mercedes-AMG entry.

The traditional Easter weekend British GT season-opener features twin one-hour sprint races around the undulating Cheshire circuit, which regularly draws huge crowds throughout the event keen to see world-class GT3 and GT4 cars running door-to-door.

Martin Plowman, of the GT3 crew, says: “I should say it’s felt like a long winter, but it’s flown by with all the work we’ve put in to make this year bigger and better than ever, and now we just can’t wait to get going for the first race of the season at Oulton Park. It’s going to be a big challenge, no doubt, but we’re confident we have everything in place to hit the ground running. With the biggest GT3 entry in a decade, it’s going to be a battle, but Mark’s progressed so much as a driver since joining us at the end of 2022. He’s now one of the most promising Ams on the grid, and I know we’ll have the pace to fight for some strong results.”

McLaren Artura GT4 driver Blake Angliss says: “Oulton Park is a brilliant place to go and race, but it’s also a bit of a baptism of fire to make your British GT debut at. I’ve had both good luck and bad luck there, but it’s a circuit I generally really enjoy. I feel we’ve prepared well so far and got some decent running in the car during testing. Both Alex and I are already working well, and we’re pushing the car’s setup in the same direction and making gains with the feel of it with pretty much every outing. It’s been great working with the team so far, and I’m sure we’ll only continue to improve as the season goes on.”

Ed McDermott of the Mercedes-AMG GT4 crew adds: “I’m really looking forward to this weekend, it’s been a long winter! Oulton Park is a really challenging circuit with no let up, so it makes for a tough challenge for the first rounds of the championship, but that’s why we all do this. When you get a good lap in at Oulton it feels incredible as it’s a real commitment circuit. Of all the circuits, Oulton is actually where I have the least experience with this being only my second race weekend there. This said, I think we have a good car and I’m excited to get to the battle!”

The British GT Championship season gets underway at Oulton Park with twin practice sessions on Saturday, March 30, ahead of qualifying that afternoon. Competitors then get a break across Easter Sunday before two one-hour sprint races on bank holiday Monday signal a return to action. Every session features live timing via TSL-Timing , and qualifying and both races benefit from a live stream on the GT World YouTube channel .

Paddock unveils GT Cup entry with Orant and Poole

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 10:17:36 GMT

Paddock Motorsport will return to the GT Cup Championship this season running new-spec McLaren Artura GT4s, with Michael Orant and Jake Poole its first confirmed drivers.

The Tamworth-based team will again compete across both the British GT Championship and GT Cup this season, and has already confirmed the six drivers for its multi-car entry into British GT this term.

The expanded British GT programme will be complemented by another entry into the GT Cup, with Orant and Poole teaming up to handle the team’s first McLaren Artura GT4.

Orant joins Paddock after an impressive first season of racing in the Ginetta GT Academy, making his debut mid-year and scoring a podium finish on his first appearance at the wheel of a G55.

Poole steps up to GT racing for the first time this year having started his career racing open-wheel Caterhams in the Seven Race Series. A string of promising results helped him move toward the front of the grid as the season wore on, with him even scoring a pole position at Mondello Park in Ireland.

Orant says: “I got to begin living my dream of being a racing driver in the Ginetta GT Academy last year, but was looking for more track time this season to help me develop as a GT driver, that’s why I was attracted to the GT Cup. Ever since I first contacted the guys at Paddock Motorsport I’ve felt at home with the team. Paddock offers a great support system to drivers of any level, and it’s superb to know I have a great team behind me dedicated to helping me succeed this season.

“I drove the McLaren Artura GT4 for the first time in a test at Donington Park in the wet… but after a few laps I really started to click with the car. It’s got great grip and power, and feels like a proper racing car. Things are quite intense in the cockpit with the amount of switches and buttons, also being on the radio to the team while driving is something I need to adapt to, but I feel excited to make this step into GT4 racing with Paddock Motorsport behind me.”

Poole says: “After ‘cutting my teeth’ in the motorsport world with a season competing in Caterham racing, I am very proud to be stepping up to GT4 competition in the fantastic McLaren Artura GT4. As many drivers have also said, from the first moment of meeting Martin Plowman and his team at Paddock Motorsport, I felt at home. They have worked hard to help make this season a reality. There are no words that can describe my excitement and enthusiasm to get behind the wheel and start working with the team.

“I’d like to thank my family and sponsors for all their support. I’m going into this season ready to learn as much as I can and fight for podiums and wins.”

Paddock Motorsport founder Martin Plowman added: “I’m really happy to confirm our GT Cup entry for 2024, alongside our expanded British GT programme. This year’s going to be a huge one for us, and we’ll be fighting on all fronts for some top results. Michael and Jake are two really promising drivers who are keen to learn more about the art of GT racing, and the GT Cup is the perfect environment for that. There’s no doubting their pace and potential, so they’ll be ones to watch aboard our Artura this season.”

Paddock Motorsport has capacity to field a second Artura GT4 in the GT Cup this season, and interested drivers are encouraged to get in touch with the team.

CONTACT

Enquiries@paddock-motorsport.com

Paddock Motorsport completes its British GT attack with Walker and Angliss

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 08:55:23 GMT

Paddock Motorsport is ready for its biggest British GT Championship effort yet, completing its three-car team with the additions of Alex Walker and Blake Angliss to round out its expanded GT4 entry.

Having already announced Mark Smith and Martin Plowman aboard the team’s McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, and Ed McDermott and reigning British GT4 champion Matt Cowley in a Mercedes-AMG GT4, Paddock has recruited two young hotshots to share its McLaren Artura GT4 in the Silver class. The entry means Paddock will compete in both the GT4 Silver and Pro-am categories, plus GT3 Pro-Am this season.

While Walker and Angliss will be making their respective British GT debuts this season, the pair have shown huge amounts of promise during their competition careers so far, with both boasting a winning pedigree.

Walker contested a handful of GT Cup events with the team last season alongside competing in the BMW M2 Cup in Germany. Prior to that he was a star in single-seaters, winning races in both the GB4 Championship and National Formula Ford Championship.

Angliss graduates to British GT following a successful stint in Ginetta racing. After a promising karting career Angliss switched to car racing in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge in 2020, before making himself out as one to watch during two seasons in the GT Supercup. During his last full season in 2022 he finished second in the G55 Pro class, having celebrated an impressive eight wins and nine further class podium finishes.

The operation of both Paddock’s McLaren Artura GT4 and the Mercedes-AMG GT4 will be led by experienced engineer Simon Pollock.

With its plans for British GT complete, Paddock aims to hit the ground running and challenge for success across three of the championship’s four classes this season.

Alex Walker says: “A huge amount of work has gone into making this move happen, and now I’m just eager to get started in British GT with Paddock. Ever since I switched from single-seaters, British GT has been my aim. It’s a massive challenge and a big step, but I feel ready and can’t wait to compete at such a professional level. I learned a load from the GT Cup races I did last year. It’s a very different style of racing, with longer durations in the car, bigger grids and having a team-mate to work with. The Artura is brilliant to drive and so well balanced. You can really attack it and it’s one of the newer GT4 designs so you can take advantage of all the technology in the car to find time. Working with Paddock has been brilliant so far. The team has such a strong support network and a lot of knowledge about how to get the best out of these cars. I’m just excited to get going alongside Blake and I’m sure we’ll enjoy a strong season together.”

Blake Angliss says: “I’m massively excited to be joining both the British GT Championship and Paddock Motorsport this year. Everything over the last 12 months has been building toward a move into British GT; it’s the first proper step toward top-level sportscar racing, and I think with Paddock I’ll be in a great environment to develop as a driver. I learned so much about GT racing from my time with Ginetta and, while I haven’t had the chance to test the McLaren Artura GT4 yet, I’m really confident that I’ll get to grips with it quickly. It’s mid-engined, so will require a different driving style to what I’m used to, but I’ll have experienced people all around me at Paddock to help me learn quickly. Pairing with Alex should be great, and I can’t wait to get going. I’m eager to learn as much as I can this season, work with the team to make sure we get the most from every session we do, and push for those big points scores right from the start.”

Paddock Motorsport founder Martin Plowman adds: “It’s fantastic to have our British GT plans confirmed, and a huge amount of work has gone in over the winter to ensure we start the season in a strong position. In Alex and Blake we have two really impressive young drivers who will raise some eyebrows this year. They’ve both been race winners in other championships, and their driving styles should complement each other when sharing the Artura GT4. They’re hungry for success and eager to learn, so I have no doubt they can achieve some great results. We made huge strides with the setup and operation of the new Artura GT4 during its first season last year, and we’ll only build on that this year armed with the technical knowledge following the winter rebuild. I can’t wait to get going and see all three of our Paddock Motorsport cars on the grid.”

The British GT Championship ends its winter sabbatical with the traditional Media Day tests at Donington Park next week, March 12, ahead of the opening round at Oulton Park over Easter weekend.

Paddock Motorsport expands its British GT4 entry with reigning champion Cowley and McDermott

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 08:57:52 GMT

Paddock Motorsport will field three entries in this year’s British GT Championship thanks to an expanded GT4 squad that includes a Mercedes-AMG and the reigning GT4 champion.

For the 2024 campaign, Paddock will take over the operation of Ed McDermott’s Mercedes-AMG GT4, and he will be joined by reigning British GT4 champion Matt Cowley in what promises to be an impressive Pro-Am entry.

Paddock has already secured its place on the GT3 grid with Mark Smith and Martin Plowman continuing aboard the team’s McLaren 720 GT3 Evo this year, and that will be complemented by the expansion to the GT4 programme. Alongside the Mercedes-AMG, Paddock will also continue its successful relationship with McLaren by fielding its regular Artura GT4, with news on its final two drivers revealed soon.

While new to the team McDermott is a familiar name in British GT, having enjoyed a race-winning maiden campaign last term. He, and long-time team-mate/coach Michael Broadhurst celebrated a GT4 Pro-Am victory in the blue riband Silverstone 500 event last season, and went on to finish fourth in the class championship standings. McDermott also has previous experience of competing in Britcar and the Ferrari Challenge Europe.

For this year, Broadhurst will step aside from driving to coach McDermott and assume a management role for the #12 Mercedes-AMG, opening the door for 2023 British GT4 champion Cowley to join the team. A serial British GT winner, Cowley played a starring role in helping Academy Motorsport land the overall GT4 title with its Ford Mustang last season. He’s been a race winner in each of his past four British GT campaigns, and has also enjoyed multiple successes in Formula Ford prior to switching to GT racing in 2020.

With the GT4 side of the garage growing, Paddock has recruited wisely ahead of the new season, with Simon Pollock set to lead the GT4 engineering team. Pollock has vast previous experience of working for organisations such as Aston Martin Racing (Prodrive), RJN, TF Sport and Redline Racing. He was also key in Martin Plowman and Kelvin Fletcher’s GT4 Pro-Am title-winning campaign back in 2019.

Ed McDermott says: “I’m looking forward to another year of British GT and I am excited to be working with Paddock Motorsport. Martin and his team have an impressive set-up and a wealth of racing experience. It’s going to be great to share the car with Matt, and I’m sure I will learn a lot from his experience of winning the championship last year. Last season was difficult, and we had all the ups and downs of motorsport. The class win and overall podium at Silverstone was the highlight, and I hope 2024 will bring more of those days! For the last few years Mikey Broadhurst has been my team-mate and I’m excited that he’s going to remain a big part of the team, continue to coach me and team manage the #12 Mercedes-AMG.”

Matt Cowley says: “It’s a big change for this season, switching teams, cars, and even classes, but I’m really looking forward to the challenge. When the chance to join Ed and Paddock Motorsport came about, I had to take it. The team is really great, and the tests we’ve had so far have gone brilliantly, so we all feel right at home. The Mercedes-AMG is a great car. It feels a bit more racey than the Mustang, purely as you sit lower down and there’s a lot of carbon, plus it’s excellent on the brakes and has great cornering speed. Ed and I are heading into this season with eyes on winning the outright GT4 title. He’s putting a huge amount of effort in and is getting quicker and quicker, plus recent years have shown that consistent Pro-Am crews can be well in the overall title fight come the end of the season. There’s always a bit of pressure coming back as the reigning champion, but I’m not worrying about it. My biggest goal is to help Ed, and the team, win races.”

Paddock Motorsport founder Martin Plowman adds: “This year is a huge one for the team, but we’re more than ready for it. We’ve been working toward expanding the British GT entry for some time now, so it’s fantastic to welcome Ed and Matt to the team. We’ve strengthened the technical team over the winter and I’m really excited to see what we can achieve this year. In Ed and Matt we have a pairing that will no doubt be a big contender for not just the GT4 Pro-Am Championship, but the overall title too. I’m also really looking forward to working with Matt, his record in British GT4 speaks for itself and he will only help strengthen the team as a whole.”

Ravenol and Paddock Motorsport power their partnership into 2024

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 16:00:00 GMT

Paddock Motorsport is proud to continue its association with Ravenol into the 2024 season, with the partnership expected to go from strength to strength.

The German oil and lubricants giant will continue to be a high-profile preparation partner for Paddock Motorsport throughout the 2024 season, with the team’s GT3 and GT4-spec McLarens benefiting from the use of a host of market-leading Ravenol products.

This season that will be more important than ever, with Paddock gearing up for what will be its biggest British GT Championship campaign yet, with Martin Plowman and Mark Smith the first drivers announced for what will be a multi-car entry into Europe’s most competitive domestic sportscar championship. The team’s GT4 plans will be revealed soon, and Paddock also has eyes on running cars in the GT Cup Championship.

Paddock and Ravenol first became partners at Silverstone last May, and since then the team has been able to make significant progress toward the front in British GT, with its McLarens gaining in pace with every outing.

For 2024, the continuity of working with Ravenol will only help to push the team forwards, with all eyes on the podium places.

Paddock Motorsport founder and GT3 driver Martin Plowman said: “To be working so closely with a brand like Ravenol again this year is fantastic. It’s no secret the company is one of the best in the world, and we’ve already seen the huge benefits its products have brought to the operation and performance of both our GT3 and GT4 McLarens. A high quality of preparation is vital in motorsport at this level, where the margins between success and failure are so slim. By continuing to use Ravenol, and having access to its technical support and advice network, we’re in a superb position to push forward this season.”

Ravenol UK managing director Brian Chase added: “The vision for Paddock Motorsport is to build the perfect race team, based on what its founders believe to be the most important fundamentals – honesty, integrity, desire, execution and experience. We are honoured to share that vision by supplying the teams with the most technically advanced lubricants available.”

Find out more about Ravenol products on the official website .

Paddock kick-starts its biggest British GT season yet with GT3 return

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 08:54:46 GMT

Paddock Motorsport is gearing up for its biggest campaign yet in the Intelligent Money British GT Championship, with Mark Smith and Martin Plowman leading what promises to be an impressive multi-car entry.

The Tamworth-based team will return for a fourth consecutive British GT campaign in 2024, and this year is set to enjoy a greater presence than ever within Europe’s most competitive domestic sportscar championship.

Continuing its close relationship with McLaren Customer Racing, Paddock will again compete across both the GT3 and GT4 categories this year and has undertaken a lot of work across the winter to strengthen both its machinery and technical team.

Leading the line in the top-flight GT3 Pro-Am category will be American racer Smith and Paddock founder Plowman, who will again share the team’s #9 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo. Both drivers are targeting a push for silverware on what will be their second full campaign together.

Smith, from California, made his British GT debut with the team during the 2022 finale at Donington Park, quickly acclimatising to the pace of British GT on what was his European racing debut. He and Plowman made big strides in pace across the course of last season, consistently challenging for top-six finishes as the team unlocked more and more of the new 720S GT3 Evo’s potential. Smith and Plowman were also one of just two driver pairings to score GT3 Pro-Am Championship points in every round last season.

For the coming campaign, the combined knowledge of the drivers and technical team will prove a key factor in the pair’s ambition to regularly fight for podium finishes and victories.

After the heavy damage sustained during a freak accident at Donington Park last October, Paddock has completely rebuilt its 720S GT3 Evo around a new chassis, and the car will wear a refreshed colour scheme for 2024. The new carbon-pink livery is inspired by the Oak Racing Morgan-Nissan LMP2 that Plowman helped guide to both a class victory in the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours, and that year’s FIA World Endurance Championship LMP2 title.

Mark Smith says: “I’m really excited for British GT in 2024. Last season was a challenging one for us, defined by a lot of bad luck masking what was otherwise some really good pace. Although some great drives always brought us back into the mid-pack by the finish, that’s not enough when you’re up against the other teams and drivers in this championship, the level is so high. To compete at the top of British GT you need great drivers, great pace, a great team and a little luck. I’ve seen all of these qualities from Paddock, and I’m convinced we can compete at the front at this level. I expect 2024 to be the year we do exactly that.”

Martin Plowman says: “This season is going to be a big one, not just for myself and Mark, but for Paddock Motorsport as a whole as the team continues to grow and evolve. A huge amount of work has gone in over the winter to ensure we start 2024 in the best possible position. There’s no doubt that Mark and I are planning to hit the ground running this year and attack from the very start. Mark’s driving has developed incredibly well across the last year, to the point where he was among the fastest amateur drivers on the grid. If it wasn’t for more than a few doses of bad luck, we’d have been fighting for the big scores for at least the last half of 2023. This year he comes back with experience of all the circuits, whereas he was having to learn many on the fly last year without testing, and that knowledge will only make him faster.

“As a team we were also having to learn and adapt to the new 720S GT3 Evo, with the upgraded car arriving during the season. We now have a great understanding of the Evo upgrades, and I have every confidence that the technical team we have onboard will continue to unlock the car’s secrets across the year. It’s also special to run the carbon-pink livery, which harks back to an incredible time in my career when I achieved world championship success. Hopefully it can be a good omen in British GT too. Combined, we have a really strong package for this season, and I’m excited about what 2024 can bring.”

Paddock has also recruited wisely ahead of the new season, with the addition of multiple title-winning engineer Simon Pollock. Pollock was a key part of Plowman and Kelvin Fletcher’s British GT4 Pro-Am Championship-winning campaign back in 2019 and joins Paddock for 2024 having previously worked with organisations such as Aston Martin Racing (Prodrive), RJN, TF Sport and Redline Racing.

Further news on Paddock Motorsport’s plans in the GT4 category will be revealed soon.

Heroic team effort lands Paddock a podium and points in British GT finale

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 07:01:06 GMT

Paddock Motorsport once again proved why it has one of the best technical teams in the business after a supreme team effort helped score both a breakthrough GT4 Pro-Am podium and a top-10 finish in the Intelligent Money British GT Championship finale at Donington Park.

The team’s engineers were tested to the limit when the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo of Mark Smith and Martin Plowman was cruelly put into the wall at the end of qualifying on Saturday, a hit that inflicted terminal chassis damage. After sourcing a spare chassis from the Enduro Motorsport team, Paddock’s engineers pulled an all-nighter to prepare an all-new car for Sunday, and Smith and Plowman rewarded them with a fighting performance.

The engineering team’s efforts also led to Paddock being named as British GT’s Team of the Weekend for the second time this season, following their first award for work on the GT4 car’s gearbox at Portimão.

Arguably the biggest joy came in GT4, where Kavi Jundu and new team-mate Tom Gamble battled to a breakthrough podium in the GT4 Pro-Am class aboard their McLaren Artura GT4, landing a long-overdue trophy for that side of the garage.

With Saturday set to be wet and Sunday dry, both practice sessions were spent setting up the twin McLarens for the mixed conditions of qualifying. Smith and Plowman challenged constantly for times in the top six, while Jundu and Gamble proved they were right in the podium fight with some strong early times, including Gamble going third fastest overall in FP2.

And then came qualifying, which spelled disaster for the GT3 crew. Smith took the wheel for the first segment and was flying in the drying conditions, holding a spot inside the top six and on a significantly faster lap when a wild slide from a Race Lab McLaren sideswiped Smith as he exited the final corner, putting the McLaren nose-first into the concrete wall. Smith emerged with no injuries, but the car was done. Cue the Herculean effort from the technicians, who worked until 5am to get the carbon black second car ready for action.

In GT4, Jundu challenged for the top Pro-Am time before a huge slide down the Craner Curves cost him his fastest lap. He and Gamble would start P4 in class on combined times, but with everything to play for.

Sunday would prove far more fruitful, with both Paddock’s cars making forward progress. Smith and Plowman lined up at the back of the GT3 field and Smith was forced to play things safe early on while a replacement power steering system was bedded in. Despite the limitation, Smith kept things clean and worked his way up to 11th by the time the pit window opened.

With the second of three safety car periods coming right as the pit window opened, Smith stayed out an extra lap to avoid the crowded pitlane and it paid off handsomely when he and Plowman enjoyed a flawless change in a quieter pitlane, with Plowman vaulting up the order to sixth in the process.

The hastily-prepared car did have some limitations, such as increased rear tyre temperatures, but Plowman fought hard against Aston Martin and McLaren factory drivers Ross Gunn and Marvin Kirchhoefer, before eventually taking ninth at the flag.

If the GT3 result was rewarding, the GT4 one was even better, with Jundu and Gamble overcoming a pitlane mix-up to grab a podium. Jundu got right into the fight at the start, moving up to third in Pro-Am early on to pressure the class leaders. When the twin Ginettas that were fighting over top spot collided, Jundu picked his way through the chaos to lead. While Ian Gough would eventually work his way past, Jundu held second until the pit window opened but, with the entire GT4 field pitting as one under the safety car, the crowded pitlane produced a problem. Paddock’s lollipop man was blocked from signalling, leading Jundu to overshoot his pit box in the mayhem. Forced to do an extra lap, Gamble took over and rejoined fifth after the stops. Regardless, Gamble put on a masterclass, chasing down his class rivals and working his way back up to third to finally secure Paddock’s Artura GT4 a spot on the podium.

The results made it a strong finish to the 2023 British GT season, on both sides of the garage.

Mark Smith said: “It’s been a really challenging weekend, but to be able to get back into the race and then enjoy a competitive run really is testament to how hard the Paddock guys worked. I had to be pretty careful at the start as we had to change the power steering pump and bleed the system after Warm-Up, so we were really still testing at the start of the race, but once things calmed down I got into some good fun fights and moved myself forward before Plowey took over. The pace was really high, so to take a top-10 after all we’ve been through is a great result. Now we’ve got time to reset over the winter, and come back stronger.”

Martin Plowman said: “I’m really happy with how the race went and super proud of our team and what they achieved this weekend. The car felt great right out of the box, which is amazing when you consider the amount of work that went into it in such a short time. We did perhaps cook our rear tyres, and were chasing the balance a bit, but overall we got to enjoy a great race today and brought home a strong result for the team. And to see the GT4 car on the podium was just the icing on the cake! It’s been a good end to the season.”

Kavi Jundu said: “It was a challenging race but it feels so good to finally get that podium. It feels like it’s been long overdue as we’ve had a lot of rubbish luck, and I thought we might have lost it after the stops, but Tom drove a brilliant last stint and got us back into it. I pushed hard in my stint to pressure the two Ginettas up front, and when they went off right in front of me I knew I had to keep things clean as there were a lot of cars starting to hit trouble. Then the pits were so busy when I came in that our lollipop man got blocked and it’s so hard to see your box in that situation. You can’t reverse, so we basically had to do a drive-through before I could swap with Tom. But watching him bring it back, and to be up on that podium, that’s a good way to finish the season.”

Tom Gamble said: “I really enjoyed the weekend with Paddock. It’s a great team and we made a load of progress with the setup in both the wet and dry across the weekend. Kavi did a great job during the first stint, then we just got unlucky in the stops, but when I got into the car I was so in the zone, just pushing as hard as I could while trying to avoid track limits warnings, and it all came good. It’s always great to be on the podium, and I’m really glad I could help the team achieve that this weekend.”

Paddock Motorsport now enters the winter season, with all eyes set on returning to the British GT Championship in 2024.

Paddock ready for a final push in British GT’s Donington Decider

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 09:01:31 GMT

Paddock Motorsport is aiming to round out the 2023 Intelligent Money British GT Championship on a high this weekend, with both its GT3 and GT4 crews eyeing some big scores in the season finale.

Paddock will once again field its McLaren 720S GT3 Evo for Mark Smith and Martin Plowman, but that entry will be joined by the team’s new-look GT4 pairing, featuring Kavi Jundu and McLaren factory star Tom Gamble aboard its Artura GT4.

Smith and Plowman have been making steady progress up the grid with the 720S GT3 Evo across the course of this year, and several times have been knocking on the door of scoring top-six finishes, only to be denied by bad luck. Last time out at Donington Park back in May, the duo ran as high as fifth overall before being hit late on and having to pit to repair the resulting damage.

Regardless, Paddock’s technical team has put a lot of work into improving the pace of the 720S GT3 Evo across the course of this year, and it is hoped that will pay dividends this weekend. The return to Donington also helps with circuit familiarity for Smith, who made his British GT debut at this track last year and also impressed with his stint during this year’s earlier visit to the Derbyshire track.

On the GT4 side, Paddock’s new-look line-up will be one of the biggest points of interest in the class this weekend, with international GT racing star Gamble making his long-awaited British GT return. A champion in the European Le Mans Series and also a former winner of the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, Gamble has been brought in to maximise the performance of the new Artura GT4 alongside team regular Jundu.

Having made a class-winning debut with Paddock at this round last year, Jundu has shown podium-challenging pace across the course of this season, but has lacked the luck to ultimately bring that sort of result. With Gamble’s speed and experience alongside him, the pair only have eyes on bringing home a GT4 Pro-Am trophy this weekend.

From the GT3 crew, Martin Plowman says: “It’s been a bit of a frustrating season in the way that our performance has definitely been heading in the right direction, but often a race that could have brought us a top five or even a podium has gone unrewarded for one reason or another. But it feels like we’re on the verge of a breakthrough, we just have to keep focusing on the things we know we can control and we know the results will come to us. Donington could be an interesting round for us. It’s the track that Mark knows best as he’s raced on it twice already, so he’ll be looking to hit the ground running and can easily fight at the sharp end of the Am driver field. It would be great to end the year on a high note and take that momentum into the offseason.”

Kavi Jundu, from the GT4 side of the garage, says: “I’m excited about this weekend and it feels a lot like my debut last year did, which is a good thing. Last year’s Donington Decider was my first British GT round, with a new team-mate, and it all came good… so I’m hoping for more of the same this time around. Donington is my local circuit and I love it there, so I’m full of confidence. The weather is looking pretty mixed, which can suit us as I really enjoy driving in the wet and seem to have a knack for getting the car to the limit and keeping it there. I’m really looking forward to working with Tom as he’s a top-class professional driver. I always try to learn new things from my team-mates, such as the way they approach and execute a weekend and what driving style and inputs they use that I don’t. I feel that’s a great way to progress your own driving and I’m excited to see what I can learn from Tom. I think with his speed and experience alongside me we need to be aiming to bring a trophy home this weekend and end the year on a real high.”

British GT’s Donington Decider weekend gets underway with twin free practice sessions on Saturday morning before qualifying at 16:00. Sunday’s two-hour season finale is scheduled for 13:00, with live coverage on Sky Sports F1 and via the GT World YouTube channel . Live timing is also available all weekend via TSL-Timing.com .

Tom Gamble spearheads Paddock's refreshed GT4 line-up for British GT's Donington Decider

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 07:59:50 GMT

Paddock Motorsport will field a reworked driver line-up aboard its McLaren Artura GT4 for the Intelligent Money British GT Championship season finale, with McLaren factory driver Tom Gamble joining the team for the Donington Decider on October 21/22.

Gamble will slot into the #7 Artura GT4 alongside Kavi Jundu for the final two-hour race of the campaign, with the car remaining as a Pro-Am entry. The new-look GT4 pairing will run alongside the regular 720S GT3 Evo entry of Mark Smith and Martin Plowman.

Although only 21-years old, Gamble has already marked himself out as a star on the international GT racing scene. Ginetta Junior champion in 2017, Gamble then became a race winner in the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship and won the coveted Autosport BRDC Award in 2018, earning himself a Formula 1 test with McLaren in the process.

Since switching to sportscar racing, Gamble won the European Le Mans Series’ LMP3 title in 2020, before finishing runner-up in the LMP2 division a year later. He also has experience racing in IMSA in America and two starts at the Le Mans 24 Hours to his name. Gamble joined McLaren as a factory GT driver at the start of this year before helping the Optimum Motorsport team to Gold class victory at the world-famous CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa in its McLaren 720S GT3 Evo.

Donington will mark Gamble’s second British GT appearance, following a one-off at Snetterton aboard a Century Motorsport BMW back in 2019.

Gamble and Jundu will be aiming for a strong finish to the British GT campaign at Donington as Paddock has continued to unlock setup and performance gains from the new Artura GT4. It is hoped that Gamble’s experience will only aid the team in this area.

Tom Gamble says: “I’m really excited to join Paddock Motorsport for the final British GT round. I’ve done a lot of development work with the Artura GT4, but this will be the first time I’ve had the chance to race it, so that will be really good fun. The car will be quite different from the LMP2s I’ve been racing this year, but the Artura GT4 shares some similarities with the current GT3 car. I’ve always found that I adapt pretty well between the different cars I drive, there are some different techniques to use for each, but both the McLaren GT4 and GT3 are mega cars to drive. Donington is my local track and one of my favourites. It’s been quite a while since I’ve had the chance to race there so I’m really looking forward to heading back there and seeing if we can round off the season with a strong result for Paddock and the Artura GT4.”

Paddock Motorsport team principal Martin Plowman adds: “We’re delighted to have Tom join us for the final British GT round, and we’re all excited to see what he can do aboard our Artura GT4. Tom already has a brilliant pedigree in European racing and knows how to get the best out of a McLaren GT car. He should form a strong partnership with Kavi too as Tom is well-versed in Pro-Am racing and Kavi has been improving in both speed and confidence as the season has gone on. With Tom and Kavi, we feel we have a driver pairing capable of going out and making a statement at Donington.”

The Intelligent Money British GT Championship Donington Decider takes place over the weekend of October 21/22.

Points and progress for Paddock during dramatic British GT comeback at Brands Hatch

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 09:32:30 GMT

Both of Paddock Motorsport’s McLaren crews produced impressive recovery drives during the latest round of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship at Brands Hatch, with both the GT3 and GT4 teams scoring a big haul of points.

Mark Smith and Martin Plowman continued their upward curve by scoring sixth overall on the road in the #11 720S GT3 Evo, despite the car being both hit with a grid drop and severely delayed during a turbulent race start. A post-race time penalty for contact with a GT4 car would put them back to seventh in class, but that still represented their season’s best result.

Kavi Jundu and Tom Rawlings endured an even more challenging weekend as losing track time in both Saturday practice sessions meant they essentially went into qualifying blind. Regardless, the pair fought hard to secure fourth in the GT4 Pro-Am order, equalling their best result of the campaign.

Saturday’s practice sessions were spent honing the GT3 to the 2.3-mile Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit, and also getting Smith up to speed. The Californian had never driven the track and Brands’ lack of a pre-event test made it a steep learning curve. Things were more difficult on the GT4 side, as Jundu was dumped into the gravel at Hawthorn after an ABS mixup, meaning the car had to be first recovered and then emptied of gravel. FP2 was even more unlucky when a stray piece of gravel interfered with the cooling system, meaning the car only completed a handful of laps.

Qualifying was also a mixed bag, with Smith and Plowman initially putting the GT3 ninth on the grid, before being dropped five places following a red flag infringement in practice. Jundu and Rawlings would start seventh in the GT4 Pro-Am order, with Rawlings getting his first laps during the timed session.

But the race is where things would come good for both crews, as each managed to keep their cool despite scorching temperatures and more than a few incidents.

When the lights went out contact between the Mercedes-AMGs of John Ferguson and Ian Loggie caused chaos through turn one, as Loggie’s car ended up broadside in front of Smith as the pack headed through Paddock Hill Bend. Smith was forced to brake hard and swerve to avoid damage, which he did successfully, but a gearbox glitch caused the car to stick in fourth gear which reduced it to a crawl up the hill before Smith could clear it and get going again.

Now almost stone last, Smith faced a fight to get back into the mix, but the American driver put on a star performance to overtake the entirety of the GT4 field and then start to work his way through up the GT3 order. Smith’s determined recovery got him into an incredible seventh by the pit window when he dived in to hand to Plowman. Slick work from the Paddock crew got the car serviced and back out in fifth, just ahead of the Greystone GT Mercedes of Callum Macleod.

Plowman defended hard from Macleod, but eventually lost out when he was caught in a collision with a GT4 car through Clearways. The clash delayed Plowman and allowed the AMG through. It also helped Sandy Mitchell’s Barwell Lamborghini to close in and eventually work its way past. It looked like seventh would be the limit, until the Greystone GT car ran dry of fuel on the final lap, leaving Smith and Plowman sixth at the flag. Even with the post-race censure being a setback, there’s no arguing that Smith and Plowman now have the pace to be knocking on the door of the big points scores.

In GT4, Jundu did well to pick his way through the chaos at the start and move the Artura up to fifth in class early on. After that he got involved in a tight fight in the pack, despite the rising temperatures and lack of track time proving a challenge. Increasing levels of oversteer made things hard work late into his stint and Jundu was forced to serve a drive-through penalty for straying beyond the track limits once too often.

Jundu brought the car in to hand to Rawlings and another swift stop helped Rawlings rejoin in fifth before improving to fourth by the finish, Rawlings pulling well clear of the title-chasing RACE LAB Artura in the process.

Mark Smith said: “That was a wild race! It’s been a challenge just learning the circuit but it’s been so fun. For the race my plan at the start was to just keep things clean as I knew some people would hit trouble early on, but I didn’t expect to see the Mercedes sideways in front of me! I had to swerve and then the car bogged down and got stuck in gear and it took me a few seconds to clear it, by which time I was dead last. After that I just pushed like mad to make up as many places as I could, and I had a blast doing it. The result is still a good one and we moved forward a lot this weekend.”

Martin Plowman said: “I’m mostly pleased with how the weekend went. It’s a real shame about the penalty, but we still took home our best result of the season and Mark’s stint was just superb. Many drivers would have lost their heads after a start incident like that, but his pace was great and he pulled off a string of great overtakes to get us back into it. My stint was tough as I was defending hard from the Mercedes and Lamborghini for much of it until the collision. But we’ve certainly got a lot of positives to take away from this one.”

Kavi Jundu said: “It’s been a weekend of two halves, with an incredibly tough Saturday and then we turned it around and came away with some great points on Sunday. The heat today made things hard work, but the car felt great on new tyres and I could race hard, but it started to get away from me a bit later in the stint with quite a lot of oversteer on corner entry, which was probably just a combination of the temperature and our lack of running to tune the setup. But Tom got in and did a great job in the second half. We went into the race just looking to have fun and move forward and we certainly did that.”

Tom Rawlings added: “I’ve never driven in a race as hot as that! Every time I got onto a straight I was putting my hand up to the window trying to get some cool air! But overall I think we can be pleased with fourth, especially given how difficult Saturday was. The car felt good for me and I could push to the flag. It does feel like we turned a bad weekend into a good one.”

The final round of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship takes place at Donington Park on October 21/22.

Reset and ready: British GT returns after the summer break with a Brands Hatch blast

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 07:45:42 GMT

It’s been a long wait, but Paddock Motorsport’s twin McLaren crews head into the resumption of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship at Brands Hatch this weekend with strong scores in their sights.

With a full seven weeks having passed since the championship’s last outing at the Autodromo do Algarve, much of the summer recess has been spent getting both of Paddock’s McLaren GT machines into tip-top condition after a challenging trip to Portugal.

The 720S GT3 Evo of Mark Smith and Martin Plowman had looked on for its best result of the season during the three-hour race at Portimão before it was needlessly hit, causing both rear bodywork damage and breaking a wheel, forcing an unplanned pit stop.

The Artura GT4 of Kavi Jundu and Tom Rawlings was also running impressively after the team had made a breakthrough in setup – and also toiled to replace the gearbox on Saturday, a feat that earned Paddock British GT’s Team of the Weekend Award – until a fire in the engine bay put a sad end to the car’s race.

Since then both McLarens have been fully overhauled back at base to be ready to fight again at Brands. The 2.3-mile Grand Prix Circuit in Kent can be a bit of an outlier in the calendar, due to its noise restrictions forbidding teams to test on the full circuit ahead of the weekend, so the entire 32-car British GT field will be learning as they go during Saturday practice.

Heading into the eighth round of the season, Smith and Plowman sit 10th in the GT3 Pro-Am Drivers’ Championship and have so far scored points in every race this year, although there’s no hiding the fact they deserve more after some fine performances that were denied by sheer misfortune beyond their control.

In GT4, Jundu and Rawlings will resume their quest for the Pro-Am podium, having shown more than enough speed to be challengers. They run fifth in the GT4 Pro-Am standings.

From the GT3 crew, Mark Smith says: “Brands Hatch is going to be an incredible test. This will be my first time at this track, and without the benefit of a Friday test day – so off-track preparation is going to be key. Thankfully, Plowey is always a huge resource, and the team always starts us with a very good car. If I'm able to get up to pace early in the race, stay clean, and hand over the car to Plowey in decent position, I suspect we'll watch him pick off a few places and bring home a good finish.”

Tom Rawlings, from the GT4 Artura team, says: “I’m really looking forward to getting on track at Brands, it’s a great circuit and I’ve been doing a lot of simulator work ahead of the weekend to get myself up to speed, despite the lack of testing there. I think the Artura GT4 will go well round there, and I know how hard the team has worked to get the car ready after Portimão. That retirement was a real shame as we made some really good steps with the setup that weekend, finding extra grip and increasing our cornering speed. The car felt great before we had to stop, so hopefully we can keep making gains this weekend and get ourselves in the fight for the big points.”

Action for round eight of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship gets underway with two free practice sessions on Saturday, September 9, ahead of qualifying at 15:55. Sunday’s two-hour race is scheduled for 13:30. All sessions will feature live timing via TSL-Timing.com , with a live stream for both qualifying and the race on the GT World YouTube channel . The race will also be shown live on Sky Sports F1.

Paddock's Portimão pace goes unrewarded in British GT's European adventure

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 09:27:55 GMT

It was a tale of what could have been for Paddock Motorsport in round seven of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship at Portimão last weekend (22/23 July), with the team denied strong finishes by a collision and mechanical misfortune despite a mighty effort in the Algarve.

While technical dramas stymied Kavi Jundu and Tom Rawlings’ GT4 challenge in Portugal, Martin Plowman and Mark Smith impressed aboard their McLaren 720S GT3 Evo for much of a chaotic three-hour Sunday slog. Despite being well in the fight, they saw a certain top-six finish fall out of their hands after being forced to make an extra stop to repair a damaged wheel, which dropped them back to ninth in class.

After luck deserted the team at both Donington and Snetterton, the vacation from the UK was a chance to revitalise Paddock’s challenge in both GT3 and GT4 at the picturesque Portimão circuit in the Algarve. Testing began without a hitch for both the team’s McLarens, with the GT4 Artura in particular looking a threat for potential silverware on initial pace.

While Plowman and Smith made solid gains against the ultra-competitive GT3 field during two hour-long free practice sessions, gearbox issues began to hobble the team’s Artura – ultimately putting Kavi Jundu and Tom Rawlings out of their GT4 qualifying sessions on Saturday afternoon. A spare car was sourced from the Elite Motorsport team, and Paddock’s engineers toiled for five hours to strip the parts and complete a full gearbox swap to get the car back on the grid.

The GT3 pairing pushed hard in their two 10-minute qualifying bursts, American driver Smith ran first and lapped just over a second off the ultimate best, before the experienced Plowman wrung the neck of the McLaren to go just 0.9s from the fastest time overall, putting the #11 car a combined 10th in the Pro-Am class for Sunday’s three-hour endurance contest.

A brave start from Smith took him forward four places thanks to a fantastic dive around the outside of several GT3 rivals in the opening three corners, and the team was instantly challenged on strategy when an early safety car period brought smith in for the first driver change after only 10 minutes.

Unfortunately, a second – and much longer – safety car period was instigated by the GT4 Artura which, having climbed up to an excellent fourth in class from the back of the field during the early laps, came to a halt with flames licking from its engine bay after an exhaust issue. It was a heartbreaking way for the car to finish its weekend, denying Jundu and Rawlings the chance to fight.

Smith climbed back aboard the #11 car in GT3 and when the race got back underway, he was well in the fight during a dramatic second hour. Smith fought his way up to fifth, before the team’s strategy was spoiled when Smith attempted to pass the Drivetac Mercedes but was sideswiped while doing so, with the contact breaking the left-rear wheel. Smith had to crawl back to the pits to switch with Plowman, but the repairs meant the team would serve four pit stops rather than the scheduled three.

A third safety car helped Plowman back to seventh, and he’d then make it sixth after a fine pass on Chris Froggatt’s McLaren at the Torre Vip hairpin. However, a final stop for fuel in the final 25 minutes was still required. Smith returned to the wheel to bring the car home, taking an unrepresentative ninth in Pro-Am at the end of three hours of hard racing. It did at least keep up Smith and Plowman’s record of scoring GT3 Pro-Am points in every race so far this year.

Paddock did take home one trophy from Portimão though, having been named British GT’s Team of the Weekend after its heroic efforts to get the GT4 back on track.

Martin Plowma n: “It’s just heartbreaking really, and we don’t know what we have to do to break this curse that seems to be on us. We were on for a top five, I think, maybe even a podium as Mark was showing great pace and moving forward. We had a good set-up, but to be taken out by another driver – you can’t control that. We move on, but we were looking very quick over the longer runs. If we can get qualifying right, then it will make our lives a lot easier as on Sundays the car comes alive. Hats off also to the entire GT4 side of the garage for their hard work this weekend – replacing a whole gearbox from a donor car, and it was looking very strong before the sad retirement.”

Mark Smith: “It was a bit brutal! We battled up to that lead pack and were doing well with pace, but then when fighting for two laps I think the Drivetac car got frustrated and as I was passing it hit me and damaged our left-rear wheel, which flattened the tyre as well. It was hard bringing it back to the pits, we got back to the lead lap and if we had another safety car, I think we could have ended up sixth. I felt like in the pack I was chasing we were the fastest around them; they were looking for a way around, but I was faster than at least two others ahead, but unfortunately we were not able to get the chance to take advantage.”

The British GT Championship heads into its summer break now before returning to the UK for a two-hour event at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit over 9/10 September.

Sun, sea, sand and supercars… points on the agenda as Paddock heads to Portimão for British GT

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 07:04:29 GMT

Paddock Motorsport’s crews have their eyes firmly set on a pair of strong results, and perhaps even a trophy or two for their hand luggage, as the Intelligent Money British GT Championship makes its first-ever visit to Portimão in Portugal this weekend.

Both Paddock’s McLaren 720S GT3 Evo and Artura GT4 will make the trip down to the Autodromo do Algarve for round seven of the championship, and all four drivers are confident of a strong outing in the sun.

Mark Smith and Martin Plowman will once again take the wheel of the ever-improving 720S GT3 Evo, while Kavi Jundu and Tom Rawlings will again share the Artura GT4 that will resume its search for a breakthrough podium finish.

Both cars have shown considerable promise across recent British GT rounds, but haven’t had the luck to match. The GT3 crew has made big strides in pace since a refresh of the McLaren’s differential and gearbox, with Smith and Plowman knocking on the door of a top-six finish in the ultra-competitive field on more than one occasion. The pair have scored GT3 Pro-Am points in every outing so far this season.

On the GT4 side, both Rawlings and Jundu have shown podium-challenging speed across the season, but a string of misfortune means they haven’t managed to mount the rostrum just yet, but the trip to the 2.9-mile Algarve circuit gives another chance for them to shine. They will also be boosted by having the services of 2019 British GT4 champion Tom Canning present in the garage this weekend and working with them during Friday’s test.

From the GT3 crew, Martin Plowman says: “Portimão is a great circuit. It’s a nice change of scenery in the calendar for this season. On the GT3 side of the garage, we’re looking to finally deliver on the progress we’ve been making the last few events. We’ve been methodically unlocking performance out of the car, we just need to put a whole weekend together now. We’ve been fast at various times during a weekend, and we’ve always moved forward during the races, but getting it right in qualifying is the last piece of puzzle to nailing a good result.”

Kavi Jundu, of the GT4 pairing, says: “I really like Portimão, it’s a great track. We tested with the old 570S GT4 there at the start of the year and it’s very fast, flowing and challenging. There’s a lot of elevation change and some blind corners, so it’s a real thrill to drive. We haven’t driven the Artura there yet, but it should suit the track as it’s a great-handling car. A lot will depend on us getting the car in the right performance window. This being a new track a lot of teams are going in blind, and it’ll be about who finds the best balance with their car first. Tom and I have shown some really good pace and potential already this year, and if it hadn’t have been for things outside our control like badly-timed safety cars or damage early in races then we’d likely have been on the podium already. We can feel it’s close, so hopefully this weekend we can bring it all together and get some silverware.”

The British GT race weekend at Portimão gets underway with testing on Friday ahead of two free practice sessions on Saturday. Qualifying is scheduled for 14:45 on Saturday, with the three-hour race set to get underway at 12:45 on Sunday. With Portugal sharing a time zone with the UK, there is no alteration in timing from local for viewers in the UK.

Live timing will be available all weekend via TSL Timing , with qualifying and the race being shown live on the GT World YouTube channel .

More points, but also more misfortune for Paddock's British GT crews at Snetterton

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 10:18:54 GMT

Strong pace ultimately went unrewarded for Paddock Motorsport in the latest two rounds of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship at Snetterton last weekend (17/18 June), as a potential GT4 podium and GT3 top-five finish slipped away.

Martin Plowman and Mark Smith showed that they could be a force to be reckoned with early in the weekend with some eye-catching speed in practice, but their GT3 charge was stymied by bad luck in qualifying that left them recovering in the two one-hour races in Norfolk.

Similarly, the team’s GT4 pairing of Kavi Jundu and Tom Rawlings put themselves in contention for a possible Pro-Am class podium on Saturday with their speed, but misfortune would follow them around during Sunday in their quest for a podium finish.

The team benefited from further testing at the Norfolk circuit in the lead up to the fifth and sixth rounds of the 2023 season, and it appeared to be showing as the Paddock Motorsport cars closed the gap to their rivals on a hotly-contested Friday and once more in Saturday’s practice sessions.

The GT3 McLaren 720S Evo in particular looked to be purring from its refresh at Donington Park, and Plowman showed the car’s pace with a strong second practice that left the car inside the top six throughout, pushing the usual championship frontrunners ahead of qualifying later that afternoon.

Buoyed on, what followed would be gut-wrenching for the GT3 pairing as Smith was forced to pit during his 10-minute run for a wheel that cracked on its way back to the pit lane. In the safety of the Paddock Motorsport mechanics, the team worked wonders to re-align the front corner and put their driver back into the session, albeit with half of Plowman’s new set of tyres attached, denying the Pro driver a fresh-tyre run in his own qualifying segment. Smith was blocked on his best lap as he and Plowman mustered what felt like an unrepresentative 13th and 12th in Pro-Am on the grid for Sunday’s two respective races.

The GT4 session brought much brighter results, Jundu and Rawlings sitting third and fourth in their Pro-Am class with the latter getting to within a second of the fastest car.

Attentions turned to race day where the threat of rain thankfully held off ahead of the opening one-hour contest. From 17th overall on the grid, Smith made an electric start to the race and climbed two places in the opening corners to signal his intent.

With attack mode firmly engaged, further overtaking moves on John Ferguson and Mark Sansom elevated the GT3 McLaren to 11th place by the time Smith’s stint came to an end just before the halfway mark, handing over to Plowman, who gained more ground through fast work from the Paddock mechanics in the pit lane. Battling their way up the order in the closing stages, Plowman and Smith were dealt a cruel hammer blow when the crew were handed a one-second stop/go penalty for their mandatory pit stop being fractionally too short, dropping the car to 10th in Pro-Am by the chequered flag.

In GT4 it would be a tough race for the McLaren Artura pairing of Jundu and Rawlings. Recovering from a spin in the opening half hour of the race, the car came home seventh in Pro-Am despite showing signs of their promising pace earlier in the weekend late on.

Race two later that afternoon again required a recovery drive in GT3 with Plowman this time taking the job of starting the 720S Evo. Handing the car over to Smith inside the top 10 overall, the latter maintained a consistent pace to bring the car home ninth in Pro-Am, while the GT4 charge was ended far too soon after suspension damage from early contact brought Rawlings into the pits for an unwanted early retirement.

Martin Plowman said: “I think on Sunday we maximised the result based on Saturday’s qualifying. Mark did an amazing stint in race one to put us right into contention before the unfortunate penalty in the pit stop. We had a top-six finish on the cards where we feel we’ve been on true pace. Everybody in GT3 was really close, which made it more difficult to overtake easily, so it’s a shame we didn’t have the results in qualifying to prove our pace.”

Mark Smith said: “It was interesting to try to learn this track in a fast car. It took a few corners to get used to how hard to actually push it, but once I got it figured out it gave me confidence to remember that technique. I dropped my times before qualifying but then we had the wheel problem and traffic, which put us back. The races showed what we were capable of, and like Plowey said we could have finished much higher in the final result.”

Kavi Jundu said: “It wasn’t our best weekend, but the story of the season has continued in that we’ve been qualifying really well. We think that top three is where we should be, but we haven’t quite been able to convert it in the races. We were unlucky with the issue in the second race, and in the first I think the set-up caught me out. In Portimão hopefully we find a turn in luck and get that podium. Once one comes it could be like buses!”

Tom Rawlings said: “Our overall pace in the races was good. I had a good start in race two and gained places, then we lost some again but got a nice gap going on the Mustang behind. After that, there was a bit of contact at the start that not only set us back, but it made the car wiggle a bit and snapped a lower suspension arm, which we couldn’t do anything about. I’m already looking forward to Portugal now, and hopefully we can go there and get the good result that we’re due.”

The British GT Championship next travels to Europe and the Portimão circuit in Portugal for a three-hour race over 22/23 July.

Half-time calls as Paddock heads to British GT at Snetterton with high hopes

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 07:47:28 GMT

The Intelligent Money British GT Championship season reaches its halfway point at Snetterton this weekend, with Paddock Motorsport’s drivers hoping the weekend can kick-start a strong run to the finish.

Paddock will once again field its McLaren 720S GT3 Evo for Mark Smith and Martin Plowman, with Kavi Jundu and Tom Rawlings handling the team’s new McLaren Artura GT4.

Both crews have made significant progress across recent race weekends, with Smith and Plowman identifying a technical issue that had been limiting the GT3, and Jundu and Rawlings making great gains in setup and operational knowledge of the new-for-2023 Artura GT4.

During the last event at Donington Park, Paddock’s engineers identified a fault with the GT3’s differential and gearbox, with a huge team effort being required to replace the entire rear assembly across the second practice session in order to be ready for qualifying. That should have reaped big benefits too, with Smith and Plowman heading for their best result of the year so far before being robbed of seventh place after contact from another car and a puncture.

In GT4, both Jundu and Rawlings have found increased pace thanks to some productive test days aboard the new Artura. Bad luck has haunted the pair for much of the year, and early contact and a drive-through penalty again denied them a shot at the podium last time out. However, the signs are there that the pair can be ones to watch both this weekend, and for the remainder of the season as they hunt their first big GT4 silverware as duo.

Smith and Plowman currently sit 11th in the GT3 Pro-Am points, with Jundu and Rawlings running fifth in GT4 Pro-Am, and both pairings have it all to play for with two short, sharp one-hour sprint races on the agenda in Norfolk this weekend.

GT3 racer Mark Smith said: “I’m really looking forward to Snetterton with the hope that this can be the race weekend where our actual pace determines our finishes, and not something beyond our control like contact or a mechanical issue. We made a load of progress with the car at Silverstone, which made it so much better to drive with the new differential and I could really attack during the last race. The car also looked fast during last week’s test at Snetterton [when Plowman drove for the day to work on setup], so we should be set up for success. It’s time to go out there and deliver a good finish!”

GT4 racer Tom Rawlings added: “I’m really looking forward to this weekend. I feel like we made some really good steps forward with both the setup and the drivability of the new Artura at Donington Park, and it was only a bit of bad luck at the start that really held us back. Kavi’s been driving really well and I’m feeling more and more comfortable in the car each weekend, so things are moving in the right direction. The one-hour sprint races are great, and tend to favour the Pro-Am crews in GT4. We could easily have been on the overall podium in the sprints at Oulton Park but for some misfortune with the safety car, so we could just as easily spring a surprise this weekend. Either way, a class podium is definitely within reach.”

Action for the fourth round of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship gets underway with two free practice sessions on Saturday morning, before qualifying at 16:10. Sunday gets going with a morning Warm-up session before race one at 11:25 and race two at 16:20. Both qualifying and the races will be streamed live via the GT World YouTube channel , while live timing will be available all weekend at TSL-Timing.com .

Points and positives, but not the prizes as bad luck haunts Paddock at Donington British GT weekend

Mon, 29 May 2023 09:59:19 GMT

Paddock Motorsport enjoyed what was perhaps its strongest weekend of the 2023 Intelligent Money British GT Championship season yet at Donington Park, even if the team was robbed of its best results of the year across both its cars.

Kavi Jundu and Tom Rawlings should have been hunting a GT4 Pro-Am podium aboard their Artura GT4, but early damage limited them to fifth in class in the two-hour race.

Likewise, Mark Smith and Martin Plowman were on course for their best-ever British GT result as a pairing, holding a place within the top seven before late contact led to a desperately unlucky puncture that set them back to 10th overall and eighth in the GT3 Pro-Am class.

Regardless, both of Paddock’s cars showed impressive pace over the Donington Park weekend, largely thanks to a huge team effort across Saturday.

Some pre-event testing helped both the engineers and drivers better understand the setup options for the new Artura GT4, and Jundu and Rawlings were a regular fixture within the top three in the GT4 Pro-Am class, eventually leading them to qualifying a superb second on the grid for Sunday’s race.

Smith and Plowman identified an issue with the differential on their 720S GT3 – something the team suspects had been worsening across the course of the year so far. The decision was made to skip much of Saturday practice in order to replace the whole differential and gearbox, something that breathed new life into the GT3. While the duo would start 11th in class on Sunday, the real breakthrough would come in the race.

Smith wasted little time in switching to attack mode, quickly picking off the McLarens of both Ian Campbell and Mark Radcliffe, and then went on something of an overtaking spree. By mid-distance Smith had brought the #11 Paddock McLaren into a superb seventh place courtesy of a string of great overtakes and others hitting trouble around him.

A lengthy safety car – called to enable both the clean-up of a GT3 crash at McLeans and the necessary barrier repairs – limited Plowman’s race time when the pair relayed with just under an hour remaining, the Paddock crew doing a great job in the frantic pit lane to get the car serviced and back out in sixth place.

When racing did resume for the final 25 minutes, Plowman lost a place to the flying BMW M4 of factory driver Dan Harper, but was successfully keeping the Enduro Motorsport McLaren of Marcus Clutton at bay with seventh place firmly in his sights. However, when a hit from the chasing McLaren punctured the right-rear tyre, Plowman was forced to pit for a replacement, dropping the car to 10th at the flag.

In GT4, Jundu took the start from second on the grid, and soon came under pressure from Carl Cavers’ Century Motorsport BMW. With the M4 enjoying a straight-line-speed advantage on the Artura, Jundu fell behind it on the straight but was crawling all over Cavers through the first sector in an effort to get the place back. He went for a move into the hairpin, only for the BMW to squeeze across. The resulting contact damaged the front of the Artura and knocked the steering out. The resulting loss of aero made the race a battle from then on, something that was compounded by a drive-through penalty earned when the sliding McLaren strayed one too many times off the track.

He and Rawlings managed the wounded car to the flag in fifth place to at least bag some more points for the team.

Mark Smith said: “I loved my stint! I was pulling moves all over the place and the car felt superb throughout. The team did an amazing job with the gearbox and differential change, which just breathed new life into the car and I could really attack people. I got stuck behind [reigning British GT champion] Ian Loggie and that sort of stunted our progress as I couldn’t find a way past. It’s a shame about the clash at the end, but it’s part of racing. But hopefully we can press on from the gains we found this weekend and the results will come.”

Martin Plowman said: “When we finished 11th at Silverstone it felt like a mini win, but finishing 10th this time feels a bit more like a robbery! The team did a brilliant job with the technical changes we needed, and they really improved the car, especially for Mark, who drove a tremendous opening stint to make up so many places. I was just defending at the end when I got the hit on the right-rear, which punctured the tyre and from then there was nothing I could do. Still, the team got the car back out and we grabbed some points. It’s been a real team effort this weekend, we just missed that little bit of luck that could have made the difference.”

Kavi Jundu said: “We definitely took a step forward this weekend as we enjoyed a really competitive car across Saturday, and we would have had one for Sunday too, but it was just bad luck that denied us. At the start I was fighting hard with one of the BMWs, which are so fast in a straight line, but we had the edge through the twisty stuff. I went for a move and the BMW just kept coming across and I had nowhere to go, that damaged the front end and from then the steering was about 15-degrees out. Every time I turned right the car slid wide and that contributed toward the track limits. It’s good that we still got to the finish, we just need that bit of luck to get the results we really deserve.”

Tom Rawlings said: “It’s been a tough weekend but there are positives. We felt we had a really strong car on Saturday, one that we could really fight with and we were well in the hunt for a class pole position. Kavi then got unlucky at the start of the race, and when I got in for the second stint the car’s balance was all over the place due to the damage and it was pulling to one side whenever I got hard on the brakes. I just had to nurse it as best I could. But I’m really glad that we moved forward with the car’s pace, and hopefully we can come out fighting at Snetterton.”

The next round of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship tales place at Snetterton on June 17/18.

Determined to bounce back: Paddock fired up ahead of British GT round three at Donington Park

Fri, 26 May 2023 13:48:49 GMT

Paddock Motorsport heads into the third round of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship at Donington Park this weekend determined to turn the tables in both the GT3 and GT4 classes at the team’s home circuit.

Paddock will once again field its McLaren 720S GT3 Evo for Mark Smith and Martin Plowman, with the new Artura GT4 being handled by Kavi Jundu and Tom Rawlings. The third round of the season offers a reset at Paddock’s home circuit, Donington Park, and the first appearance this season for the two-hour race format.

The opening two events of the year at Oulton Park and Silverstone both forced Paddock’s crews to fight against the odds. After two battling recovery drives into the points at Oulton Park by Smith and Plowman, Silverstone brought a new challenge when Smith was the innocent victim of a mistimed lunge early in the race, forcing the pair to complete the three-hour race with worsening damage to their McLaren. Regardless, they still managed to see the chequered flag, and hold on to their top-10 place in the GT3 drivers’ standings.

Only bad luck denied Jundu and Rawlings a GT4 podium at Oulton, and at Silverstone setup issues and a pit penalty made the going tough, but the duo still came home fifth in the Pro-Am order, meaning they run sixth in the class championship heading into round three.

Donington Park was the scene of superb British GT debuts for both Smith and Jundu last season. Smith showed great adaption to British racing by qualifying the 720S GT3 fourth in his first competitive session this side of the Atlantic. While Jundu celebrated both GT4 Pro-Am pole position and a breakthrough victory aboard Paddock’s 570S GT4 after stepping up to British GT from the GT Cup.

Both crews will be hoping to build on that and bring home strong results this weekend.

Team boss and GT3 driver Martin Plowman says: “Donington Park is the team’s home track, so we’re looking to bounce back from the Silverstone 500, where things outside of our control went against us and made the three-hour race incredibly difficult. However, there were still positives to take from that weekend as Mark drove superbly to nurse the wounded car to the finish and it once again showed that we never give up without a fight! I know we have a great team behind both our GT3 and GT4 cars, and that we can be competitive in both classes around Donington. Mark knows the track from his debut last year, and Kavi was a winner with us on his debut at Donington last year, too, so hopefully it will be a strong weekend for all of us. It’s now time to get our heads down and deliver the sort of result that everybody in the team deserves.”

GT4 racer Kavi Jundu says: “I love Donington Park, it’s a great circuit, and my British GT debut there last year couldn’t have gone better. To score both pole position and then a class win was amazing, so I’ve got some really fond memories of the track. With the Artura being a brand-new car for this year it’s been a race between teams to find the best from the setup. Perhaps we’ve struggled to unlock the secrets as fast as some others, but we’ve made some big steps forward recently and we believe we’ve found some real benefits. Our recent test showed we should have a competitive car this weekend, and Tom’s shown strong pace too, so I think we have to go in with eyes on the podium. I’m really looking forward to getting out there.”

The third round of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship gets underway with two free practice sessions on Saturday ahead of qualifying at 16:00. Sunday begins with a short morning warm-up session before the two-hour race ay 13:00. Both qualifying and the race will feature a live stream via the GT World YouTube channel , while live timing is available all weekend on the TSL Timing website .

Paddock battles through bruising Silverstone 500 British GT weekend

Sun, 07 May 2023 21:03:26 GMT

From being flooded by the great British weather, to being rammed early in the race and even cruelly robbed of a finish late on, Paddock Motorsport battled against pretty much everything the Silverstone 500 race weekend could throw at it.

Safe to say the second Intelligent Money British GT Championship event of the season was an eventful one, with the showpiece three-hour Silverstone 500 race proving to be as dramatic as it was unpredictable for Paddock’s twin McLarens.

A fifth-place finish for Kavi Jundu and Tom Rawlings aboard the Artura GT4 was the highlight, with Mark Smith and Martin Plowman managing extensive damage to their 720S GT3 for virtually the entire race distance before the car finally succumbed in the closing moments.

This was a weekend that never quite settled down from start to finish. Having shown solid pace during pre-event testing, Saturday proved a near total washout, with qualifying eventually having to be abandoned due to rivers of rainwater running across the track and standing water making it too dangerous for the cars to run. That meant the grid for Sunday’s race had to be set by combining each driver’s fastest time from second practice, which was the first blow to Paddock’s hopes as both cars had spent that session concentrating on long-run pace rather than outright speed. It meant Smith and Plowman would start from P14, with Jundu and Rawlings P8 in GT4 Pro-Am.

Regardless, the potential was there to push forward in the race. However, the second blow was struck by another McLaren, which plowed into the rear of Smith’s car as he took avoiding action when a Porsche had been spun out in front of him early in the race. Smith had been working his way up the order and hovering around the top 10 at that point, but extensive damage to the McLaren’s rear diffuser made the GT3 a real handful from then on.

Smith and Plowman continued to push as best they could, and their consistency helped them manage both the aero issue and a worsening oil leak and climb the order toward what would have been an against-all-odds points finish when Plowman rejoined for the final stint running eighth. However, he was forced to park the McLaren a lap early when the oil finally ran out. They were eventually classified 11th in class – unjust reward for the team’s efforts.

The GT4 crew had a more positive outing, with both Jundu and Rawlings staging a great fight through the order. A superb middle stint from Jundu got the car as high as fourth in class as he and Rawlings again ran on the fringes of a podium finish for a second successive event, but a late stop-go penalty earned for a short pit stop set them back to fifth at the flag. It was solid points at least.

GT3 driver Martin Plowman said: “It’s been a disappointing weekend all-round really, but we have to look at the positives, which were that we continued to fight and so nearly earned some points, despite carrying a lot of damage for over two hours of racing. Mark was so unlucky to get hit early in his stint and that gradually destroyed the aero balance of the car so we were really struggling in the late stages. But the way Mark handled the car and managed to drive around the limitations brought on by the damage was seriously impressive. We managed to stay in the mix for points, then right before the finish, just when we had a decent result in sight, we got an engine oil warning and had to stop the car. It’s gutting, but we’ll come out fighting again at Donington Park.”

GT4 racer Kavi Jundu said: “I feel like our entire garage needs some good luck blessings at the moment! Obviously, it’s not been an easy weekend, but during that race we were making real forward progress and the pace in the middle of the race felt pretty good. I was up into P4 and with the podium runners right in sight, and then a penalty cost us and another good result slipped away, which was a huge shame. Hopefully our luck can change for the next race.”

The next round of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship takes place at Donington Park on May 27/28.

Paddock and Ravenol become performance partners for British GT and beyond

Sat, 06 May 2023 17:30:00 GMT

Paddock Motorsport has joined forces with leading lubricants brand Ravenol in a new partnership that aims to push both brands to the front of the British GT grid.

The partnership will mean that both Paddock Motorsport’s McLaren 720S GT3 and Artura GT4 racers will be regularly prepared and run using Ravenol’s cutting-edge products, and the team will also benefit from the usage for its fleet of racing Mazda MX-5s.

Since the team’s foundation in 2021, Paddock Motorsport has quickly built a reputation for being one of the leading GT racing teams in the UK, regularly fielding world-class McLaren GT machinery in both the Intelligent Money British GT Championship and GT Cup. The team also fields multiple entries into the BRSCC’s Mazda MX-5 Championship, and recently played a starring role in the smash hit BBC series Top Gear. Preparation is key to the success of a team like Paddock Motorsport, so having the considerable expertise of Ravenol to call upon will only help the squad push forward for the future.

Founded in Germany in 1946, Ravenol has steadily grown to become one of the world’s leading suppliers of lubricants for both road and race cars. Ravenol's internationally recognised quality management system guarantees consistently high product quality and meets the highest requirements of the automotive industry. Ravenol has made it their mission to master the technological challenges of the future of lubricants and have therefore developed the ultimate in automotive lubrication technology.

Paddock Motorsport’s cars will also run with Ravenol branding, both during this weekend’s flagship British GT event – the Silverstone 500 – and for the remainder of the season.

Ravenol UK’s Managing Director Brian Chase said: “We are really proud that Paddock Motorsport have chosen to use Ravenol in the McLarens, and we will be supplying the team with both engine and transmission oils. Racing is all about reliability as well as speed and by providing them with the most advanced lubrication technology available we can ensure both.”

Paddock Motorsport Team Principal Martin Plowman added: “Motorsport at the highest levels is a game of incredibly fine margins, so it’s crucial to prepare for every race as well as possible. At Paddock Motorsport we pride ourselves on our professionalism and attention to detail, and this new partnership with Ravenol UK only enhances that. They share the same goals as us, which is to be the best in their field. We would never field one of our race cars without being certain it had benefited from the best maintenance and preparation possible. That’s why we’re delighted to use the Ravenol product range across our GT3, GT4 and production racing cars for both this season and for the future, safe in the knowledge that we have their experience and technical knowledge in our corner.”

Further information on both Ravenol's history and its extensive product range can be found on the company's website .

Paddock ready to roll for the British GT Championship Silverstone 500

Fri, 05 May 2023 08:28:15 GMT

Paddock Motorsport heads into this weekend’s Intelligent Money British GT Championship showpiece – the Silverstone 500 – aiming to push forward following an impressive start to the campaign at Oulton Park.

Paddock will once again field a twin McLaren attack, with a 720S GT3 for Mark Smith and Martin Plowman, and a new Artura GT4 to be shared by Kavi Jundu and Tom Rawlings.

Despite never having visited Oulton Park before, Smith put on a star turn during the opening two races of the season over Easter Monday, helping the Paddock GT3 to a brace of top-10 finishes to score some healthy points. And now, with Silverstone being a more known circuit to Smith, he and Plowman have their eyes set on another strong performance.

They will however face some stiff competition, with the showpiece three-hour Silverstone 500 event attracting the biggest British GT entry for the last 11 years with 24 GT3 cars (the biggest entry since 2014) amongst the total 43-car grid.

Paddock’s GT4 crew probably should have left Oulton Park with at least one trophy, after the new Artura GT4 impressed on its domestic race debut. After two strong qualifying sessions, Jundu and Rawlings finished race one fourth in class, but could so easily have been winners had it not been for the timing of a safety car around their pit stop. Some balance problems in the changing conditions of race two caused some delays, but the duo still finished just off the class podium. Both drivers are hoping to go at least one better this weekend.

GT3 driver Mark Smith said: “Silverstone is going to be an incredibly interesting race, after coming off of the completely different style of track at Oulton Park. My first lap ever at Oulton Park was on Friday in the first practice session, and I was happy with how I was able to come up to a decent pace by the second race, and in the wet. Oulton Park in particular feels like having a lot of laps there is of great benefit. I'm coming into Silverstone with about 40 laps there, so I anticipate that Friday will be more about refining my approach than about starting from scratch. Silverstone is also a track with run-off, so trying different lines carries slightly less risk, which can help with coming up to speed as well. I know Plowey is quick at Silverstone, and he is a great coach, so hopefully we can surprise some people there!"

Tom Rawlings, of the GT4 crew, said: “I’m feeling good ahead of Silverstone. Kavi and I are working really well together and I think our driving compliments each other, and it’s so good to be back with the Paddock team for this year – it’s like being back home! The new Artura GT4 was really impressive at Oulton Park, and I think it will suit Silverstone perfectly as it’s very strong on top-end speed so it should come into its own on the larger tracks. Silverstone is also a special track for me as it’s where I took my first Mini Challenge JCW victory, so I have good memories of the place. The aim for this weekend is to get ourselves onto the podium. We would have taken home some silverware at Oulton if it hadn’t been for a bit of bad luck, so hopefully we can have a quick and clean weekend and get right at the sharp end in GT4.”

The second round of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship gets underway with two practice sessions on Saturday ahead of qualifying at 16:00. Sunday’s three-hour race is scheduled to begin at 12:20. Both qualifying and the race will be streamed live on the GT World YouTube channel .

Paddock battles to points in British GT opener at Oulton Park

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 14:25:14 GMT

Both Paddock Motorsport’s GT3 and GT4 crews produced battling displays to be proud of during the opening Intelligent Money British GT Championship round at Oulton Park last weekend.

Mark Smith and Martin Plowman recovered from a tricky qualifying on Saturday to fight on to a brace of top-10 GT3 finishes on Easter Monday to bag some championship points, while GT4 crew Kavi Jundu and Tom Rawlings impressed with both their speed and two fourth-place finishes in the GT4 Pro-Am category.

Both cars showed their potential across Saturday’s free practice sessions, with Plowman and Smith registering times just outside the top 10, despite working through setup options. Likewise, Jundu and Rawlings marked themselves out as ones to watch in GT4 Pro-Am early doors by topping the opening session.

With a capacity 36-car entry, including eight world-class factory GT3 drivers, qualifying was always going to be a tight-run thing. Smith recovered from a spin in his session to put the GT3 15th on the grid, while Jundu put the new Artura GT4 10th overall. But with unpredictable weather on the way for Monday’s races, there was plenty of scope for both to improve.

As it turned out, the opening race of the weekend threw pretty much a full season’s worth of variables at the field across the course of a single hour, with multiple rain showers hitting the circuit and making tyre choice a gamble. Despite the challenge, both the GT3 and GT4 crews made forward progress across two impressive performances.

Smith took the wheel of the 720S GT3 and opted to start the race on wets from P15 on the grid. However, when the track began to dry he pitted to switch to slick rubber, putting the car to the back of the order. Smith spent the remainder of his stint scything through the GT4 traffic and made it up to 12th in class when the official pit window opened and he dived in to hand to Plowman. Still fitted with slick tyres, Plowman headed out and put on a charge, using all of his experience to hang onto the car as the rain descended again. The showers caught many others out, bu Plowman held on and even made a late dive past James Kell to snatch ninth at the flag.

The GT4 crew had an even more dramatic outing, and were hugely unlucky to miss out on a place on the overall GT4 podium. Jundu opted to start from the pit lane to give the crew the maximum amount of time to make the call to fit slick tyres. When he did join the race he was right at the back but, as the track dried out and the slicks came into their operating window, Jundu flew up the order, picking off multiple cars to run second overall by the time he pitted to hand to Rawlings. However, the safety car was called to recover a stranded GT3 just as Jundu stopped and when Rawlings attempted to rejoin, the safety car was passing the pits meaning Rawlings was held by a red light on the exit. Had he been able to leave the pits three seconds earlier, the car would have gained a lap and been a sure second overall. Rawlings still put in a great drive to claim sixth overall and fourth in the Pro-Am class.

Race two was a calmer affair, with the entire grid opting for wet Pirellis as steady rain fell ahead of the race. Plowman started 13th but got his elbows out early, quickly picking off a handful of cars to run eighth. However, when Plowman pitted at mid-distance the car was blocked in the busy pit lane when Smith tried to rejoin. That cost a couple of places, but when Smith did get out he put on a charge of his own, quickly making his way back up to eighth before engaging in a great battle with Shaun Balfe’s Barwell Lamborghini, despite being nudged wide at Hislops. Smith eventually worked his way past Balfe for seventh, but was set back again when he was forced to take avoiding action by a car braking unexpectedly early in front of him. Regardless, eight was a superb result for his Oulton Park debut.

Things were trickier in GT4. Rawlings qualified the Artura a superb third overall and second in Pro-Am, but come the race the crew struggled with the balance of the car. Rawlings fought hard to try and hold third, but was eventually swamped, with he and Jundu finishing 11th overall, but only just missing the Pro-Am podium as Jundu hassled Chris Salkeld’s Century Motorsport BMW for the final class podium spot, only missing out by 0.2s at the flag.

Mark Smith said: “Wow, what a ride Oulton Park turned out to be! I’m really happy with how we finished the weekend and with my first experience of the track. I felt like we were unlucky with the tyres in the first race, but fortunately Martin made up of some of that and we still got some points. In race two I felt we both drove really well and could have been further up had somebody not braked a lot earlier than I expected. But I’m still really happy. I’ve already had a day at Silverstone, so I’ve got 40 laps in the book there already, so we’ll see what we can do at the next round.”

Martin Plowman said: “For the first weekend of the season I’m really happy. To see the progression we’ve made across the weekend, with both cars, was really pleasing for me. When it rained, Mark Smith was man of the match for me. He’d never driven in the wet, never been to Oulton Park, yet beat some much more experienced drivers and had some really good pace. For me the car felt like it was on rails in that last race, and I could be really aggressive and make some great progress early on and that set up Mark to do his thing. There was no pressure on him, but people’s eyes lit up watching him chase people down like he did. It was superb.”

Kavi Jundu said: “It’s been two slightly bitter-sweet races for us. We started on the back foot in race one with the late change in tyres, and it was very tricky to get any heat into the slicks at the start, but as the track came to the car I had a great time working my way through the pack, and then we just got so unlucky with the timing of the safety car. We didn’t really have the balance in the car for the first half of race one, but we managed to pull it back and we were inches away from a class podium at the end. It’s all solid points and we learned a lot about a brand-new car in all conditions. We can build on this for the rest of the season.”

Tom Rawlings said: “It’s been quite a frustrating weekend for us, purely because we’ve had great pace in the car but the luck just wasn’t with us this time. In race one we missed the overall podium due to the timing of the safety car, which was such a shame. Then in race two our tyre pressures were a bit too low and I was losing temperature and grip with every lap, which made things really difficult. But as a positive we’ve had really good performance in the car and we know there’s real potential here, so we’ll be going all-out for a top result at Silverstone.”

The next round of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship takes place on the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit on May 7/8.

Paddock Motorsport ready and raring to go for the British GT season opener at Oulton Park

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 08:46:32 GMT

Paddock Motorsport is aiming high with its twin McLarens as the opening round of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship at Oulton Park approaches this Easter weekend.

Paddock will once again field two cars in the championship, with the entries split between the GT3 and GT4 categories. American driver Mark Smith will be making his full-season debut aboard the team’s McLaren 720S GT3, and will be partnered by Paddock team principal Martin Plowman.

The team will also bring McLaren’s new Artura GT4 to the grid, with the promising pairing of Kavi Jundu and Tom Rawlings confirmed the share the new-generation car. Jundu was a class winner on his British GT debut with the team at Donington last year, while Rawlings brings significant experience of GT4 competition from both the GT Cup and British GT.

With a car in each class, Paddock will be fighting for glory on both fronts within British GT’s sell-out 36-car entry, with 18 cars fighting it out in each class. The level of competition this year looks set to be extremely high, and the two one-hour sprint races around the tight and twisty Oulton Park track always provides a tough challenge for teams and drivers, but the entire Paddock Motorsport crew feels ready to fight at the front of the nation’s best GT crews.

Professional GT3 driver, Martin Plowman says: “I love the start of a new season. It’s that mixture of anticipation, excitement and opportunity that really gets you going! Oulton Park this year should be something else, with 36 cars on the grid and some truly world-class drivers, whoever wins the championship this year will undoubtedly have earned it! From our part, I feel we’re in good shape to go out and fight alongside the best. As a team we’ve invested heavily in both our machinery and strengthening our technical crew and I believe we’re a match for any team in that pitlane. From a driving point of view, Mark has been very impressive so far. He’s got raw speed, listens and learns well and he’s adapted to the McLaren GT3 so quickly. I think he’ll be one to watch in the Am field this year. I feel as a pairing we have the potential to score strong results from the moment the lights go out.”

Kavi Jundu, of the McLaren Artura GT4 entry, says: “I’m really looking forward to getting the season underway at Oulton Park, and I think we can aim high from the very beginning. There will unquestionably be a learning curve because we have a brand-new car in the Artura GT4, a new team of drivers in myself and Tom, so everything has to take a little time to gel together. We’ve yet to find that silver bullet of setup for the Artura to make sure we’re getting the maximum from the car, but hopefully nobody else has found it yet either, so there could be quite a lot of trial and error across the entire field, and a lot of variables. I love Oulton Park – it’s a brilliantly old-school circuit and getting a good lap around there takes some real bravery. I believe that we’ve got a great package that will be very competitive, and we can be aiming for class wins from the very start.”

More information on the opening British GT round of the year can be found on the series’ website , along with the event timetable , and links to both live streaming for qualifying and the races, and live timing .

Paddock Motorsport confirms Docker and Mutch for GT Cup Championship charge

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 07:12:08 GMT

Paddock Motorsport will return to the GT Cup Championship this season, fielding a single McLaren 570S GT4 for experienced racer Tim Docker and rising sportscar star Gordie Mutch.

Paddock has been a regular in the GT Cup ranks since its formation in 2021 and will continue its presence in the series with the proven 570S GT4. The team will twin the programme with its commitments in the Intelligent Money British GT Championship, where it is running both GT3 and GT4-spec McLarens.

Docker, from Stourbridge, makes his racing return this season after a curtailed 2022 campaign. He was a GT Cup podium finisher in both 2021 and 2022, Britcar Class 4 champion in 2019 and Britcar Driver of the Year in 2018, all preceded by experience in TCR (UK), the VW Racing Cup and the Volkswagen Automotive Group Trophy. A back injury sustained during a testing accident at Snetterton kept him out of action for much of 2022, but he is now fully recovered and raring to compete again. Having previously been coached by Paul O’Neill, Docker will be looked after by seasoned GT4 competitor Jordan Albert this season.

Mutch, from Lockerbie, is gearing up for his first GT Cup season and brings with him a significant racing pedigree. He won last year’s Praga Cup UK contest sharing a high-powered R1 prototype with YouTube star Jimmy Broadbent, the pair taking an impressive six race wins on their way to the crown. Before that Mutch was also a McLaren Driver Development Programme Shootout Finalist in 2021, a Spa 6 Hours class winner, a multiple race winner in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge and Junior Saloon Car Championship, plus also has a national Super One karting championship to his name.

Docker and Mutch will now join forces to handle the 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 570S in the GTH class, which caters for GT4-spec machinery, and the pair have their eyes firmly set on challenging for the championship.

Tim Docker said: “I’m really looking forward to getting back in action in the GT Cup this year, and unquestionably the ambition is to go and win the GTH Championship. I first raced a McLaren 570S GT4 back in 2021, and it’s a great car to drive. Last year started very well and we were running third in the championship after the opening two rounds, but then the accident happened and that was me out for the year, which was very frustrating. But I’ve had time to recover and regroup and the chance join Paddock Motorsport is a very exciting one. Hopefully I can pick up where I left off by being in the mix for the class title from the very start. Gordie and I have done a couple of test days and he’s a great guy; highly ambitious, very enthusiastic and very quick! I think we’ll make a very strong partnership this season.”

Gordie Mutch said: “I’m very excited to take on a new challenge in GT Cup this year, to have the opportunity to build another strong Pro-Am partnership, and to fight for the GTH title. Testing the Paddock Motorsport McLaren 570S GT4 on the media day earlier this month was the first time I’ve been in a GT4 since the McLaren DDP Shootout, and it felt very natural to be back at the wheel of this car. Last year was quite a successful year for me, to win a championship alongside a driver you’ve helped develop is very special, and there were some incredibly talented drivers in the Praga Cup field despite it being a new series. I’m sure I can have similar success here in GT Cup. Tim had a great start to his 2022 season before the accident ended what was a promising run of form, but he’s come back strong in testing, and I know he’ll be fighting for the win just as hard as me. I can’t wait to get started with this partnership!.”

The opening round of the GT Cup Championship takes place at Donington Park on April 1/2 as part of a seven-round championship, with each race weekend featuring a mixture of sprint and endurance races.

Paddock Motorsport confirms GT4 programme to complete its British GT plans

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 09:07:58 GMT

Tom Rawlings and Kavi Jundu to share new McLaren Artura GT4 in British GT

Paddock Motorsport has completed its two-car entry for this year’s Intelligent Money British GT Championship with the addition of a brand-new McLaren Artura GT4 for promising Pro-Am duo Kavi Jundu and Tom Rawlings.

Jundu and Rawlings will likely be a duo to watch across this year’s championship aboard the new-for-2023 Artura GT4, which promises to be a significant step up from the older 570S GT4 the team has campaigned for the last two seasons.

The GT4 entry will compliment Paddock’s existing GT3 programme, which pairs American Mark Smith with team boss Martin Plowman in a 720S GT3, meaning Paddock Motorsport will fight across both classes of the championship this year.

While Jundu will be gearing up for his first full British GT campaign, he graduates from a successful maiden season of racing in the GT Cup last year. Despite having not raced at all prior to the start of 2022, Jundu was a race winner in the GTH class (for GT4 machinery) alongside Adam Hatfield in a Paddock-run McLaren. He also enjoyed a class-winning British GT debut in last year’s season finale at Donington Park. Stepping up to partner Moh Ritson in the #26 Paddock 570S GT4, Jundu showed impressive adaption to the level of the championship, helping the car to fourth overall at the flag and a Pro-Am victory.

Rawlings returns to Paddock Motorsport for a second spell this year, having stepped up to GT4 racing with the team during the 2021 GT Cup season. Having been a race winner in the Mini Challenge’s top-flight JCW class, Rawlings then finished second in the GT Cup’s GTH Championship during his first year of GT racing in 2021 before graduating to British GT in a Century Motorsport BMW M4 last season. Together the pair should be ones to watch.

Kavi Jundu said: “This year is going to be something quite special, stepping up to British GT with Paddock Motorsport and a brand-new McLaren Artura… it’s going to be incredible. Last year was my first season of racing, and I learned an incredible amount. I’d done loads of high-performance track days, but learning about things like qualifying, race starts, pit stops all clicked toward the end of the year. Then to get a class win on my British GT debut was a dream. British GT is a real step up. The grid is packed with so many great drivers, cars and teams… it’s just another level. I did have a brief test in an early version of the Artura GT4 last year and it felt much different to the old 570S GT4. It was more alive, the front-end is much more responsive and it should be a big step forward in all areas. I think Tom and I will make a great partnership. We have similar driving styles and setup preferences, and with the Paddock team behind us we should have a car to go out there and challenge for some strong results this year.”

Tom Rawlings said: “I’m really excited to get going, and it’s great to be back with the guys at Paddock Motorsport. This is where I started my GT racing career and I’m definitely looking to carry on the same sort of success we had together in the GT Cup where we finished second in the 2021 championship. I learned a lot from my first British GT season last year in the BMW, and feel I’m a better all-round driver coming into this year. Getting to grips with the new McLaren Artura will be a great experience, too. It’s a brand-new car that is both lighter and more powerful than the old 570S GT4, and I loved driving that, so this promises to be even better! I’m looking forward to working with Kavi. He had an impressive British GT debut last year, so I hope we can achieve a lot together in his first full season.”

The new McLaren Artura GT4 is built around McLaren’s new lightweight carbon fibre monocoque chassis and is powered by a twin-turbo 3-litre V6 engine. It is 100kg lighter than the outgoing 570S GT4.

The opening round of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship takes place at Oulton Park across the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, April 8-10.

Paddock Motorsport confirms British GT return with Smith and Plowman

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 08:57:03 GMT

Anglo-American partnership for Paddock's first British GT Championship entry

Paddock Motorsport will return the top class of this year’s Intelligent Money British GT Championship, with Mark Smith and Martin Plowman confirmed to race the team’s McLaren 720S GT3.

As the first of two planned British GT entries for Paddock Motorsport this season, Smith and Plowman will compete for outright race wins and podiums as a GT3 Pro-Am pairing in the highest class of British sportscar racing.

Smith, from California, has significant experience of racing Porsches in America, culminating in him finishing as runner-up in the 2022 Porsche Sprint Challenge North America at the wheel of a 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport. He made both his British GT and GT3 debut with Paddock Motorsport during last season’s Donington Decider season finale. Smith showed impressive pace and adaption to the 4-litre twin-turbo-powered McLaren, qualifying fourth fastest during tricky conditions on his first competitive run.

Paddock Motorsport team owner Plowman forms the professional half of the pairing and brings huge motorsport experience. Having raced at one of the highest levels of single-seater competition in IndyCar, Plowman switched to sportscar racing from 2012. He won races in the American Le Mans Series before going on to lift the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship LMP2 title in 2013, winning the class at that year’s Le Mans 24 Hours in the process. Plowman has been a British GT regular since 2015, and established race-winning team Paddock Motorsport in 2021.

The team’s #11 McLaren 720S GT3 will also be given a refreshed livery for the coming season, with the new design and details of team partners due to be unveiled soon.

Smith said: “Joining Paddock Motorsport and Martin Plowman to campaign their McLaren 720S GT3 in the British GT Pro-Am class is an incredible opportunity to both continue developing as a driver and to compete with a very strong group of racers in some amazing machinery. Martin is an amazing co-driver, and I am very excited to work with him. As an amateur driver, you want to find a Pro who not only has pace, but who makes that pace rub off on you. Martin's list of wins and championships demonstrates his speed, but as I learned at Donington last year, he also makes his Am faster. I’m confident that Paddock’s engineers and mechanics will give us a great car this year and that we will have the pieces in place for a run at the podium.”

Plowman said: “I’m really excited about British GT this year, and to be working with Mark. He enjoyed a really impressive British GT debut with us at the end of last season, and the way he adapted so quickly to both the circuit and a GT3 car shows we have real potential for this season. Obviously, there will be a learning curve as the championship is shaping up to be highly competitive with a big grid and a lot of quality drivers, but we have a full testing programme planned to get Mark as much experience as possible of both the car and the British circuits. I have no doubt that Mark will be one of the amateur drivers to watch this year, and I hope we’ll make a very competitive pairing.”

News about Paddock Motorsport’s second British GT entry will be released in due course.

Paddock Motorsport makes management shuffle ahead of 2023 campaign

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 08:55:55 GMT

Paddock Motorsport is gearing up for a return to the Intelligent Money British GT Championship this year, and has made key changes to its management structure ahead of the new season.

Co-founded by Le Mans 24 Hours winner Martin Plowman and actor/racer Kelvin Fletcher in 2021, Paddock Motorsport has grown to become one of the most recognisable GT racing teams in the country, running both GT3 and GT4-spec McLarens within British GT last term.

However, after a shortened schedule of appearances last year, Fletcher has decided to step away from the team to focus on new career opportunities. The co-founders have made the mutual decision in light of Fletcher’s continued and growing work commitments, which brought about several unavoidable clashes with the British GT race programme last season.

The move means that Plowman will take over Fletcher’s duties within the team, becoming sole owner and team principal of Paddock Motorsport.

Plowman said: “Making a decision of this magnitude is never easy, so it is with a heavy heart that we agreed the move was for the best. Kelvin and I are friends as well as colleagues; however, as Kelvin’s acting career continues to evolve, it is compounding the fact that he can’t be in two places at once. Kelvin had to miss several rounds during the 2022 season due to schedule clashes, and this will only become more acute as his acting career and other public appearances continue. I wish Kelvin and his family continued success, and I can’t wait to see him back on the big screen.”

As for Paddock Motorsport’s plans going forward, a multiple-car entry into British GT is on the horizon, and the team has also received a raft of new enquiries after it played a starring role in a major feature with BBC’s Top Gear towards the end of last season, meaning further campaigns in series such as the GT Cup are also under consideration.

British GT: Paddock Motorsport ends 2022 with a GT4PA win for Kavi Jundu & Moh Ritson

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 12:56:32 GMT

British GT Report - Round 9, Donington Park

All photos: Craig Wheeldon

The final race of the British GT season saw Paddock Motorsport achieve a first-ever victory with the GT4 as Moh Ritson and debutant Kavi Jundu took the GT4 Pro-Am class win.

Moh crossed the line at the end of the two-hour 'Donington Decider' as the leader of the GT4PA category, almost making it onto the overall GT4 podium too.

Saturday's qualifying saw Kavi go fastest in class in his first ever competitive British GT session, an achievement especially remarkable given the difficult conditions as rain poured intermittently throughout the qualifying sessions. Moh followed that up by securing P1 with his lap, with less than half a second between the Paddock #26 and the next best car on combined times.

Kavi couldn't hold the lead off the start of the race, as the #27 car of the GT4 championship leaders Topham & Turner quickly stormed from P3 into the class lead. Kavi wouldn't let them get too far in front, and the gap between was never any more than 8 seconds. By the end of his first British GT stint, Kavi had reduced that to under a second - and after the pit-stop window opened and Moh took over, the Paddock car was in the class lead.

His task was complicated somewhat by a lengthy safety car, causing the field to bunch up. Restarting not just in the GT4PA lead but P3 overall in GT4, Moh had a fierce battle with the #42 Steller Audi, who would eventually end up the GT4 overall champions.

They would eventually get past for good, dropping us off the GT4 podium, but nothing could stop Moh from wrapping up the GT4PA victory - a perfect ending to our GT4 entry's debut season in British GT. A wonderful result for Moh and Kavi and a much deserved one too.

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British GT: Mark Smith & Kavi Jundu join Paddock lineup for Donington

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 11:46:39 GMT

British GT Driver News

Paddock Motorsport's line-up for Donington Park's British GT finale will feature two series debutants as Mark Smith and Kavi Jundu join the team.

With Kelvin Fletcher unavailable this weekend due to other commitments, Martin Plowman will be partnered in the #11 GT3 by American Mark Smith.

Mark, from California, has been racing Porsches in the USA for the last few years. Driving a Cayman in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America this season, he finished 2nd in the Sprint Challenge standings.

He now comes over to compete in British GT for the first time; this is also his first time in a GT3 and his first time at Donington.

In the #26 GT4 alongside Moh Ritson is Kavi Jundu, part of Paddock's GT Cup team this season. Kavi has shared the #25 car in GT Cup with Adam Hatfield, who was part of our lineup in the last British GT round.

Having just finished the GT Cup campaign at Snetterton last weekend, finishing 7th in the GTH standings, Kavi will now bookend his first season in the McLaren 570S GT4 by making his British GT debut.

Kavi has already shared a car with Moh once this season, when Moh stood in for Adam Hatfield at the Brands Hatch round of GT Cup. As the duo now returns in British GT, our #26 GT4 will be in the GT4 Pro/Am category for this event, rather than GT4 Silver.

GT Cup: Double podium in final round sees Tom Roche & Tehmur Chohan finish season P3

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 12:04:26 GMT

GT Cup Report - Rounds 23, 24, 25 & 26, Snetterton

A 2nd place finish for Tom Roche in Sunday’s sprint race and a 3rd place for Tom & Tehmur Chohan was enough to secure P3 in the GT Cup championship’s GTH standings for the pair in the Paddock #26.

Starting the first race of the day P8 in class, Tom Roche unleashed a storming drive to take him up into 4th almost immediately, eventually pushing past two more rivals into P2.

Tom & Tehmur followed that up by coming P3 in an eventful final race. Both the #26 and the #25 of Kavi Jundu & Adam Hatfield led the GTH field at some point in the race, having started 1st and 2nd. Kavi would unfortunately give up the lead after being forced off track by a GT3 stranded on the racing line, allowing Tehmur to take the lead. After some contact while fighting for the lead, the #26 dropped back to P4, but Tom Roche eventually recovered to P3, with Adam Hatfield just behind in P4.

Sunday's results meant that Tom & Tehmur took over P3 in the GTH standings, having gone into the day P4.

They could have had more points on Saturday, as Tehmur had shown the pace in the car and managed pole position on Saturday’s qualifying; sadly, a spinning GT3 caused his sprint to end early, and left him at the back of the pack for the pit-stop race.

With Steve Ruston & John Whitehouse in the GT3 finishing P6 in both Saturday’s rounds, it was Kavi Jundu who secured the biggest points haul of the Saturday with a P4 in the first race. They too could have had a podium, running P2 in the pit-stop race, but eventually Kavi & Adam ended up P7.

Sunday did also see Steve & John end on a high, managing P5 - their best finish of the weekend. In their debut season with GT3 machinery, t he former GT Cup championship-winning pairing made it to P6 in the GT3 standings.

With Roche & Chohan P3 in GTH, the #25 pairing of Hatfield & Jundu was P7, finishing P8 and P17 in the overall standings respectively, with Ruston & Whitehouse P18.

GT Cup: P2 finishes in GT3 and GTH

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 10:04:54 GMT

GT Cup Report - Rounds 19, 20, 21 & 22, Donington Park

Sunday’s GT Cup sprint race saw Paddock Motorsport take P2 in both GT3 and GTH classes at Donington Park.

Steve Ruston and Tom Roche both made it onto the podium in the first race of the second day. Not only was that Steve’s first GT3 podium, but it also marked the fourth consecutive GT Cup event in which the #26 has made it onto the podium in at least one race.

That came after a Saturday which was plagued with bad luck which started before the sprint race had even begun. John Whitehouse was hit on the formation lap before Saturday’s sprint and was rendered unable to start the race. Tehmur Chohan, meanwhile, had problems early on and had to pit for an extended period of time, dropping him a few laps down.

The pit-stop race saw an improvement for car #44, as Steve & John came from the back to finish P9. The #26 car finished P8, again hit by some car trouble. The biggest success of Saturday was the guests debuting in the #25 car. Ollie Hall and Louis Smithen both did a super job in the #25, not just finishing both races but finishing ahead of the other GTH entry with a P8 and a P7; a conclusion to a journey all involved can be proud of.

With the #25 not running on Sunday, it was up to the others to provide the good feeling - which they both did in the sprint. That was followed up by more solid results as both cars finished the pit-stop race P6 in class. Tom Roche and Tehmur Chohan were unlucky not to have another podium, having been in the hunt until the last lap.

Only one more GT Cup round remains this season as the series returns to Snetterton in 3 weeks' time for the finale, just a week before the British GT campaign ends here at Donington.

British GT: Podium chances in GT4 wrecked as #26 is hit from behind

Sun, 11 Sep 2022 16:21:34 GMT

British GT Report - Round 8, Brands Hatch

Paddock Motorsport looked likely to take a first-ever GT4 podium in British GT but came away with nothing after a desperately unlucky race in which Moh Ritson was hit by the car behind while trying to take P2.

Moh was partnered by Adam Hatfield for this weekend, who has been driving the #25 Paddock car in the GT Cup. The pair qualified P9 in GT4 on Saturday, but when the race started on Sunday afternoon it was quickly lead there was a lot more pace to come.

Immediately jumping into P7, it wasn’t long before Moh made the move up to P5 with an excellent pass at Surtees. He promptly caught P4 and passed him, and then caught up to P3, the Toyota Supra of Tom Edgar. A collision between some of the leading GT3s brought out a safety car, but Moh had overtaken the Toyota just beforehand.

That put him not just into the podium places, but also in a position to challenge for an even better spot. As Moh looked to go around the outside and into P2, he was suddenly hit by the Supra behind him, putting him off the track and into the gravel.

It was from P3 to the side of the road as the damage sustained eventually caused Moh to come off track and retire. With the collision happening less than an hour into the race, meaning Adam Hatfield didn't get the chance to take part in the race at all.

The #11 GT3 also had a troublesome race. An exciting first lap saw Kelvin Fletcher take two positions immediately, also moving from P9 in class to P7. However, the McLaren's door would not stay shut. As he passed the pits on the second lap it came open, forcing Kelvin to cruise round at a slow and safe pace until he could come back to the pits and have the team fix it.

The trouble left our #11 at the very back of the field, putting paid to any chance of competing at the front. There were some exciting moments for Kelvin coming through the field - such as when he unlapped himself from the RJN and Team Parker GT3s out of Clark Curve - but neither he nor Martin Plowman could have done anything to improve the final result.

Only one round of this year's Intelligent Money British GT Championship remains, with the 'Donington Decider' taking place at Donington Park in just over a month's time.

In Memory of Queen Elizabeth II

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 15:50:26 GMT

In Memory Of Queen Elizabeth II

All of us at Paddock Motorsport would like to express our deep sadness regarding the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday. As we mourn her loss, we would like to express our gratitude for her decades of service and send our thoughts to her family.

This weekend's British GT racing will go ahead as planned, with a two-minute silence to be observed before qualifying and before the race to commemorate the life of the Queen.

Paddock Motorsport will also be running with a special sticker on both of our cars at Brands Hatch this weekend, to pay tribute to and give thanks to Her Majesty.

British GT: Adam Hatfield to join Paddock's British GT entry at Brands Hatch

Sat, 03 Sep 2022 08:57:26 GMT

British GT News - Round 8, Brands Hatch

Adam Hatfield will join Paddock Motorsport's British GT entry for next week's Brands Hatch round, partnering with Moh Ritson in the McLaren GT4.

Adam is already part of Paddock's GT Cup team, driving a McLaren 570S GT4 alongside Kavi Jundu - and the pair have been on the podium in the GTH class multiple times in recent rounds.

Now he will make the move from the #25 Paddock Motorsport car in GT Cup to the #26 in British GT. He has raced in British GT before, though, making appearances in the series in 2017 and 2020.

Meanwhile on the other side of the garage, Kelvin Fletcher will make his return to the #11 GT3 car. Kelvin has missed the last two rounds of the British GT season due to other commitments, with Graham Davidson standing in for him at Spa and Snetterton - but he will be back behind the wheel at Brands, partnering Martin Plowman once again.

This will be the first time that he and Martin Plowman will drive together since Donington Park back in May.

GT Cup: Two 1-2 finishes as Paddock Motorsport dominates on Sunday at Silverstone

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 15:59:13 GMT

GT Cup Report - Rounds 15, 16, 17 & 18, Silverstone

Paddock Motorsport dominated Sunday's GT Cup races by taking two 1-2 finishes in the GTH class, with the #26 car of Tom Roche and Tehmur Chohan winning both the sprint race and pit-stop race from the #25 of Adam Hatfield and Kavi Jundu.

It was Tom and Adam who were in the car for the sprint race, and crucially, the team had opted to put slick tyres on both cars - a risk, given that it was still raining ever so slightly as the cars headed to the grid.

The race started with two safety car laps due to the weather, went green briefly, then returned to safety car conditions after a first corner crash. By the time the safety car came in for good, there were less than ten minutes left, and with the track much drier, the Paddock cars were both in a great position.

Already P5 and P6 in class, they were both able to rise up through the field, flying past all the other GTHs and even some GT3s and GTCs who had stayed out on wet tyres. In the end Tom Roche was not just the GTH winner, but P5 overall - the best result a GTH entry has managed this season - and Adam Hatfield followed with P2 in class, also making the overall top 10.

Tehmur Chohan and Kavi Jundu took over to start the pit-stop race a few hours later, both starting high up the field ahead of a number of higher class cars, due to the strong performance in the sprint. Tehmur Chohan led for a while, but both cars were reeled in by the championship-leading #50 Porsche, which was P1 in class by the time the GTH pit window opened.

With ten minutes left the #26, with Tom Roche behind the wheel again, had closed that gap and was fighting for the lead once more. A daring move by Tom up the inside at Maggots and Becketts gave him the lead back, which he would not relinquish. A few minutes later Adam Hatfield caught up too, and though he had to be a bit more forceful, he also got past the Porsche - making it another 1-2 for Paddock.

Meanwhile, the #44 of John Whitehouse and Steve Ruston ended up P8 in 3 of the 4 races, with Steve's 6th place in the Saturday sprint being the best finish of the weekend. Though they weren't as successful as the GTH cars, both drivers still impressed, particularly in Sunday's pit-stop race where they fought back from P20 overall on the grid to make the top ten.

British GT: P7 finish for #11 after having led at Spa

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 11:39:23 GMT

British GT Report - Round 7, Spa-Francorchamps

Paddock Motorsport's #11 GT3 led Sunday's British GT race at Spa-Francorchamps before eventually taking a P7 finish, as the #26 managed P9 in the GT4 class.

Having qualified P5, both Paddock's #11 and Fox Motorsport's #40 car were initially set to be dropped to the back of the GT3 field. Before the race, however, the decision was appealed and our McLaren went from P5 as expected.

Graham Davidson, driving his second race with Paddock as a stand-in for Kelvin Fletcher, had been the fastest AM driver on Saturday. He showed that pace again in the race, immediately taking P4, and although he briefly dropped to P6 a few laps later, it was from there that Graham started to launch a fierce charge.

His first move was a daring pass up the inside of two cars at Les Combes after he'd caught them on the Kemmel straight, jumping straight up from P6 to P4. It wasn't too long before he was right up behind the leader Adam Balon, and he promptly caught and passed Balon - once again, on the Kemmel straight.

However, the stewards were investigating an incident between Graham and Tillbrook in the #77 car, who had been in P3 before spinning. There had been contact, and the stewards eventually handed down a 10-second stop-go penalty for our #11 for the collision.

A safety car period for an accident at Eau Rouge followed, which meant that the field bunched up and when Graham came in to serve the penalty, we dropped down further than we would otherwise, ending up in P13. The fightback from there was impressive; we were able to get back into the top 10 before cars started to dive into the pits.

Taking over in P9, which soon became P7, Martin Plowman saw out the rest of the race with good pace which ensured that finishing position was not under serious threat. At the very end, he even caught up to the Mercedes of De Pauw, gaining on him as they both fought through a pack of GT4s. At the very last corner of the very last lap, Plowey came extremely close to making a pass, but De Pauw held on, so it was P7 for our #11 - P5 in the GT3PA category.

In the GT4 class it was a P9 finish, or P6 in GT4S. Starting from P5, the #26 couldn't replicate the pace it had on Saturday. Losing a place on the first lap, neither Ashley Marshall or Moh Ritson could get it back into the top 5 as they both struggled with the tyres.

Holding P7 when the car came in for the pit-stop and driver change, we rejoined in P9, where Moh was to spend the rest of the stint. The final result of P9 will at least reward the team with P8 points as the car directly in front was a one-off entry, ineligible for points.

The British GT Championship returns in September when we head to Brands Hatch, before the championship ends with another visit to Donington Park in October to close the season.

GT Cup: Back on the GTH podium in one-day Oulton Park event

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 09:15:06 GMT

GT Cup Report: Rounds 13 & 14, Oulton Park

Another GTH podium for the Paddock Motorsport #26 car ended an exciting GT Cup raceday at Oulton Park on Saturday as the team recovered from a tricky first race to take good points with all three cars.

Following a different format to the traditional GT Cup weekends, Saturday was Oulton Park's Supercar Pageant event, headlined by our GT Cup meeting. Only two races - both 40 minute pit-stop races - took place, both on the Saturday.

Qualifying went very well, with John Whitehouse going P3 overall in the GT3, as Tom Roche qualified P3 and Adam Hatfield P4 in the GTH group.

Unfortunately, the first race did not go so well - at the very first corner, contact between a number of the GT3s saw John Whitehouse end up in the wall, not even completing a lap before retiring. That wasn't the only contact we'd have; the #25 car of Adam and Kavi Jundu initially finished P6, but was disqualified for causing a collision with another car; both the #44 and #25 therefore had to start the second race from the very back.

Tehmur Chohan and Tom Roche meanwhile finished P5, the chances of a podium taken away by an unfortunately timed safety car. But they would get onto the podium in race two; the third podium finish for the #26 car in the last four races.

Starting from P5, Tehmur made a series of daring moves at the chicane, getting up to P2 before the pit window opened. Tom Roche took over but came out back in P5, behind the resurgent #25 car - despite starting at the back, Kavi Jundu had taken 6 places in the opening stint, with Adam Hatfield taking P4 just after the pit-stop. Tom made another move at the same chicane to get past his teammate, and less than a minute later he had passed the #86 Porsche too. It was there, P3 in GTH, that he would stay for the rest of the race.

Adam quickly got past the Porsche as well, but soon found himself having to defend from the #77 McLaren of Euan Hankey. He did an incredible job of keeping Hankey behind for a number of laps, but eventually had to relinquish the position with only a minute remaining, making it P5.

Steve Ruston and John Whitehouse also made their way up through the whole field in the #44, making their way from P18 overall to P4 not just in the GT3 class but in the overall race classification.

The result moves the #26 entry into P3 in the GTH standings.

British GT: Best GT4 Result of the Season at Snetterton

Sun, 26 Jun 2022 22:24:52 GMT

British GT Report - Rounds 5 & 6, Snetterton

British GT's Snetterton round proved to be tough for our GT3 entry but ultimately saw our best GT4 result in the British GT Championship in the second race on Sunday afternoon.

Though the #11 GT3 car could only manage 15th in both races, Moh Ritson and Ashley Marshall took P5 in GT4 - and it could have been even better too.

With Ash at the wheel of the #26 McLaren in the last few minutes, he was lapping faster than any other GT4 and closing in on the Toyota ahead very quickly. The clock ran down with Ash already trying to make a move; though it looked as if we'd have one more lap to do the job, the race leaders came past on the pit straight and brought out the checkered flag, ending the race a lap earlier than we'd hoped.

A P5 finish - P4 in GT4S - means a good haul of points for the pairing, and they also set the fastest GT4 lap time in the race.

The first race could have been a similar result, but Moh was hit while trying to take P6. That caused a puncture and some damage which forced Moh to pull over to the side of the road - though we did complete enough laps to be classified.

Martin Plowman and Paddock debutant Graham Davidson showed some signs of pace in the 720S, but in the end it was P15 in both races. The first one was hampered by an early puncture which forced Graham to make an extra pit-stop before the pit window had opened.

Starting from the back in Race 2, a slow puncture held Martin back in the opening stint, while a drive-through penalty halted any possible charge from the 2019 series champ Davidson. In both races, P15 meant P10 in the GT3PA class, which means the team does at least pick up two points for the Pro/Am standings.

The British GT circus rolls on to the popular Spa-Francorchamps round next month, where Martin Plowman and Graham Davidson will once again team up in the GT3.

British GT: Graham Davidson joins Paddock for Snetterton and Spa

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 09:28:10 GMT

British GT Driver Update

2019 British GT champion Graham Davidson will join Paddock Motorsport for the next two British GT Championship events.

Davidson, who won the title alongside Jonny Adam in 2019, will partner Martin Plowman in the #11 McLaren 720S GT3 at Snetterton this weekend, and at Spa-Francorchamps next month.

He is substituting for regular driver Kelvin Fletcher who is unavailable due to work commitments.

The Scot is Paddock's second stand-in for British GT this season, and has also been a substitute for Team Rocket RJN earlier in the year, called up as a last-minute replacement at Oulton Park.

Co-driver and team principal Martin Plowman said, "I'm really excited to be joined by Graham this weekend. He's a great guy and a former champion of the series, who's very experienced in these cars.

"He's relatively new to the McLaren, but he's a very fast talented driver and we saw what he can do in these cars at Oulton Park earlier this year, so we're sure we'll be pushing for podiums this weekend."

GT Cup: First GT Cup class win of 2022 for Paddock

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 09:50:32 GMT

GT Cup Report: Rounds 9, 10, 11 & 12, Snetterton 300

The final race of the Snetterton weekend saw Paddock Motorsport's first class win of the GT Cup season - although which of our two cars won the GTH class remains provisional.

On the podium yesterday it was Kavi Jundu and Adam Hatfield on the top step; however, their #25 car was later disqualified from the pit-stop race - the runners up, Tehmur Chohan and Moh Ritson, were therefore promoted to P1. Moh, who was standing in for Tom Roche, was actually first to cross the line anyway, but the #26 car had a time penalty imposed for exceeding track limits, meaning they were initially classified as second.

The disqualification is under appeal, so hopefully the initial result will be reinstated.

The pace had been there in both GTH cars all weekend, but only at the end did it all come together. On Saturday, Kavi suffered a puncture in the sprint and had to fight back after an early collision in the pit-stop race, while a problem meant Tehmur and Moh didn't even get to start Saturday's second race. Both cars were flying on Sunday morning, too - Tehmur eventually took 3rd place, after Adam Hatfield came to a halt while leading. Adam did at least have time to set the fastest lap, putting his car on pole for the pit-stop race.

The GT3 entry of Steve Ruston and John Whitehouse had also looked like a contender for a race win, although they didn't manage to get onto the podium in the end. Steve Ruston had managed 4th place in the first race of the weekend, which was followed by a P7 in Saturday's pit-stop race and P5 on Sunday morning.

As with the GTH cars, it was the last race of the weekend where Steve and John had the most pace, taking the lead as they came into the pits later than the other cars. John Whitehouse fought with the leaders before eventually dropping to 3rd, and then 6th once a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pits had been served.

The weekend stands us in good stead for our return to Snetterton the weekend after next for British GT, by which time we should have an update about the outcome of the appealed result.

British GT: Difficult Donington weekend for Paddock

Sun, 29 May 2022 17:03:23 GMT

British GT Report - Round 4, Donington Park

The first Donington Park round of this year's British GT season proved the toughest of this campaign so far for Paddock Motorsport.

With the McLaren 720S GT3 car starting 15th after the combined qualifying, Kelvin Fletcher, returning to the team after missing Silverstone, made his customary good start. Moving up to P12 in the opening lap, he spent most of his first stint in P11, chasing the RAM Mercedes of John Ferguson throughout.

Unfortunately things had already gone wrong for the GT4 entry. Ashley Marshall started the race in the #26, but hit another car on the second lap. The car ran off the road and through the gravel, which forced him to pit; the damage sustained was bad enough to keep the car stationary in the garage for the next hour.

Just past the half-hour mark, Kelvin brought the car in for the first pit stop and driver change, which was then followed by the safety car being brought out. Martin Plowman was P9 when the race went green again, dropping to P11 before the next round of stops.

For the last hour or so, the car was comfortably P11 overall, with a decent gap both ahead and behind. Narrowly missing out on the top ten, the checkered flag at least saw our #11 finish P9 out of the GT3PA competitors, meaning our drivers take 3 points each for the GT3PA championship.

Meanwhile, our #26 also took the checkered flag, having re-emerged from the garage with just under two hours left. That meant Marshall and Moh Ritson both spent some time behind the wheel in the race, crossing the line 12th in GT4. Unfortunately, the car only completed 61 laps; not enough to be classified at the end of the race.

British GT: Points for both Paddock cars at Silverstone 500

Sun, 08 May 2022 16:02:55 GMT

British GT Report - Round 3, Silverstone 500

The British GT Championhsip's flagship Silverstone 500 round finished with both Paddock Motorsport's entries 10th in class, as we take points with both cars for the first time in the series.

On Saturday, the GT3 #11 of Martin Plowman and substitute Andrew Howard qualified 17th while Ashley Marshall and Moh Ritson's #26 was 12th in GT4 qualifying, so both had some ground to make up to get into the points.

Before the first round of pitstops, Andrew Howard, driving a McLaren GT3 for the first time, had already made up plenty of places, fighting for P11 with another McLaren, which put him briefly in P5 when other cars started to come in.

A spin late in his stint and then a stop-go penalty for a pit-stop infringement meant that Martin Plowman found himself in P14 after the first driver change, but the pace was there to catch up.

An hour later, Howard was back in the car and fending off the #32 Lamborghini for 7th, and after the final pit-stop, the #11 was in P11 again - which was to become P10 as another car dropped out late on.

The GT4 started with Ashley Marshall in the car, and he made a strong start, settling in P9 after passing a number of cars in the opening laps. Both Marshall and then Ritson ran high up the order at times, Marshall making it into P2 just before the final stop.

When he did come in, and Ritson's short final stint began, the car was in P12, but he had the pace to make it up to P10, setting his fastest lap and finishing 20 seconds clear of P11.

That made our #26 car the fastest McLaren in the GT4 class, and meant there were points for both cars in our second weekend running two cars in British GT.

The result remains provisional as the success penalties from Oulton have yet to be clarified; however the #11 car finished with a 21 second gap to the next car, meaning that the maximum 20 second penalty will not change the result.

Photos by Craig Wheeldon

British GT: Two-time British GT Champion Andrew Howard joins Paddock Motorsport for Silverstone 500

Mon, 02 May 2022 13:58:02 GMT

Two-time British GT Champion Andrew Howard will make a surprise return to the series with Paddock Motorsport at this weekend’s Silverstone 500 in the team’s McLaren 720S GT3.

Howard, who won the GT3 crown in 2013 and ’15, substitutes for regular driver Kelvin Fletcher - who is unavailable due to the imminent arrival of twins - alongside Martin Plowman.

The news reunites the Beechdean AMR Team Principal with two of his former drivers; Plowman and Fletcher having shared the 2019 British GT4 crown with Howard’s High Wycombe-based squad.

It also adds to Howard’s 2022 race programme, which is focused on the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, with his own team.

We have enjoyed a sensational start to the British GT season with victory in Race Two at Oulton Park for our #11 McLaren and are looking to add to our growing trophy cabinet this weekend.

This weekend’s race will be broadcast live and in full on Sky Sports F1 as well as being available to stream online via the GT World YouTube channel and British GT’s website and Facebook page.

Andrew Howard: “My main programme is the GT World Challenge Europe this year with Beechdean AMR, but as we’re just doing the five races in the Endurance Cup and the gaps between those races are quite large, this is a great way of keeping myself race-sharp, as the other five Beechdean AMR drivers are doing this year with their other programmes.

"I have such a huge emotional tie with British GT - having won the title twice - that when an opportunity came along to jump back into a car, I couldn’t say no. Because of what Kelvin and Martin achieved with Beechdean AMR in 2019, Paddock Motorsport are a team I always keep an eye on when they’re racing, and with Kelvin unavailable at Silverstone it’s nice to be able to keep that association going.

"They’re a great team that have achieved a lot in a very short space of time and winning at Oulton Park was certainly impressive. It’s going to be interesting trying a car that’s completely new to me, but I’m 100 per cent up for the challenge.”

Martin Plowman, Team Principal, said: “It’s a bit unusual to have a driver change so early in

the season - especially after that amazing win at Oulton Park -, but we completely appreciate Kelvin’s decision to be by Liz’s side for the arrival of their twins this weekend and we send them our best wishes.

"In Andrew Howard we have an ideal deputy; a two-time British GT Champion whom both Kelvin and I know really well from our British GT4 title-winning season with Beechdean AMR in 2019. He hasn’t driven the McLaren 720S GT3 yet, but with his experience, I’m sure he’ll be right up to speed extremely quickly.”

GT Cup: Promising but frustrating weekend for Paddock Motorsport at Brands Hatch

Mon, 02 May 2022 13:45:55 GMT

GT Cup Report - Rounds 5,6,7&8, Brands Hatch GP

The second GT Cup meeting of the season was a strange one for Paddock Motorsport, fighting through a lot of bad luck to come out with some decent results - but it was almost so much better.

We began with four test sessions on the Indy circuit on the Friday, during which the #44 GT3 car developed a problem; on Saturday morning, the car was withdrawn from the weekend’s entry list.

Then another problem came up as Adam Hatfield reported he was unwell, and also would not be able to compete. Moh Ritson was drafted in as a last-minute replacement in the #25 McLaren.

That made for an unusual weekend with one less car than usual; running only 2 cars, both in the GTH category, and with one of those having a different line-up than expected.

Kavi Jundu and Tehmur Chohan started Saturday’s races in the #25 and #26 respectively, with Chohan and Tom Roche finishing 5th in both the sprint and pit-stop races. On Sunday, it was Roche in the car for the sprint, and he finished 4th, with our #26 being the leading McLaren car in the GTH category.

Chohan and Roche looked set to improve on that in the damp pit-stop race. Chohan had been fighting for the lead of the race, and a place on the podium was certainly within reach. But with just a few minutes remaining, Roche was forced to pit with what seemed to be a puncture. That dropped him down to P7, but the stop did not solve the problem as it proved to be a suspension issue, and the car was ultimately forced to retire.

The #26 car meanwhile, finished 10th in both of the sprint races, and 6th in both pit-stop races, an impressive effort from Kavi in his first ever Brands Hatch races and from Moh after his late call-up.

Although we didn’t get the podium we were after, we did still manage to take home some decent points, with the #26 car now 4th in the GTH standings with 67 points, and the #25 car 12th with 28.

Paddock takes first British GT win in opening weekend at Oulton Park

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 19:16:19 GMT

British GT Report - Rounds 1&2, Oulton Park

Fletcher and Plowman on the podium - Photos: Craig Wheeldon

Martin Plowman, Kelvin Fletcher & Paddock Motorsport - British GT overall race winners for the first time!

In a crazy, interrupted race on Easter Monday, our #11 McLaren 720S GT3 came through the field to take an amazing victory all the way from P14 on the grid.

Martin Plowman and Kelvin Fletcher both put in stunning drives in the second race at Oulton Park to give the Imagine Holidays sponsored car our first ever overall win in GT3; finishing third on the road was enough to take the victory on the corrected times as the front two both had penalties to be applied.

The first race of the day had ended in disappointment when a puncture forced us out of the points, but there was clearly more pace than there had been on Saturday, which both Plowman and Fletcher would show in the second race. Plowman started the race and started it well, moving up to P10 on the first lap at Cascades, and then taking P9 in a frantic battle with Scott Malvern.

Then came chaos - rain was starting to pour and cars were starting to pit when two heavy crashes resulted in first a safety car and then a red flag. Some confusion followed, but since the red flag was thrown during the pitstop window, when we got going again it was with Kelvin Fletcher in the car, going from P7 with 20 minutes to make further progress.

That quickly became P4, leaving only Loggie, Balfe and Flewitt ahead. However, Loggie and Balfe both had success penalties to be added on at the end of the race meaning that the race win was up for grabs, if someone could finish less than seven seconds off the lead.

Fletcher passed Flewitt for third with 10 minutes to go, but with a 10 second gap between him and the leader Loggie. He pushed and pushed, and set qualifying lap after qualifying lap in effort to narrow that gap down. It was down to just over seven seconds with two minutes to go, but as Loggie and Balfe hit traffic, it was significantly under that margin. Fletcher crossed the finish line right behind the pair, comfortably securing the win - although he wasn't actually sure until he got out of the car.

A historic weekend for Paddock Motorsport, who were also running two cars in the British GT Championship for the first time. Sadly, it was not an ideal weekend for the GT4 crew of Ashley Marshall and British GT debutant Moh Ritson. Finishing only ninth in the first race, the second race ended prematurely when Ritson was hit from behind at Shell Oils, putting him into the barriers and out of the race. Fortunately, Moh was OK after a fairly heavy impact.

The GT3 win puts Paddock in third place in the overall standings after the first two rounds.

Paddock expands British GT commitment with multi-class McLaren programme

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 09:41:03 GMT

> Fletcher and Plowman switch to 720S GT3
> 570S GT4 for race winner Marshall and debutant Ritson

Paddock Motorsport has expanded its Intelligent Money British GT Championship programme this season after teaming up with McLaren for a dual GT3 and GT4 assault.

Familiar Pro-Am duo Martin Plowman and Kelvin Fletcher return, albeit aboard a 720S GT3, while Ashley Marshall – who won at Spa last season – shares the team’s 570S GT4 with Moh Ritson who finished second in GT Cup’s GTH (GT4) class in 2021.

Plowman and Fletcher established their own team at the end of their GT4 Pro-Am title-winning campaign with Beechdean AMR in 2019. Two years later, and after sitting out the pandemic-hit 2020 season, they initially returned with JRM before switching to their own Paddock outfit from Round 2 onwards.

The pair scored a best finish of second and Fletcher also notched up his first GT3 pole en route to 11th in the drivers’ standings. Now, and with the growing pains of establishing a new operation quickly and from scratch behind them, the team owners and co-drivers are hopeful of becoming regular victory and podium contenders.

“I’ll be honest: the team was flying by the seat of its pants last year!” said Fletcher. “Martin and I were supposed to spend the season with JRM but when that unravelled we were left with no choice but to turn Paddock into a bona fide British GT operation literally overnight. That wasn’t the plan at all: it was supposed to be something we built slowly, methodically and when time allowed, but the situation dictated otherwise. Just having the Bentley on track each weekend required a minor miracle and amazing support behind the scenes, most notably from Martin’s mum and dad who rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in.

“We learnt a helluva lot in a very short space of time but can now put that experience to good use by expanding further this year. Paddock is already the race team I think we hoped we’d have maybe two or three years down the line. We were already running the McLaren GT4 in GT Cup so that’s a known quantity and continuation for the drivers, as well as a natural progression for the team. It means Martin and I can focus more on our own racing, getting to grips with the 720S and building on our existing GT3 momentum.”

Plowman added: “Our Snetterton podium and Kelvin’s pole at Oulton felt like championship wins given what we’d been through at the start of the season. It’s a whole new chapter this year. We’re far better equipped to hit the ground running and the McLaren is also a proven performer. You only need to look at the number of them entered to know how highly rated the 720S is by Pros and Ams alike. British GT is super competitive but I do think we’ve got the potential as a pairing to give the established GT3 combinations and bigger teams a run for their money this year.”

The team’s second McLaren features Marshall who returns to the familiar surroundings of a 570S GT4, albeit one overseen by Paddock instead of Balfe.

Marshall and former co-driver Jack Brown, who has switched to Century’s BMW this year, finished sixth in the overall standings thanks to their victory in Belgium, which kickstarted a strong end to the season.

“Things really clicked at Spa and we were able to build on that as the campaign progressed,” he said. “Sticking with the 570S and building on what I learnt last year felt like the most sensible option, but the opportunity to join Paddock originally came about through McLaren. They’re a very ambitious team that overcame a lot of hurdles last season, which really underlined the scale of their achievements on track. Martin also has so much experience, both as a driver and now from running his own operation, so this feels like a really good fit for me.”

He's partnered by Ritson, another driver with existing 570S experience as well as knowledge of Paddock after racing the same car with them last year.

“Moving up to British GT is a big deal for me,” said the 19-year-old. “It looked like I’d be doing GT Cup again until a few weeks ago when Martin mooted the idea of British GT. It’s taken some time to get everything in place but I’m delighted with how things have worked out. Most of GT4’s debutants are starting from scratch and a lot of established drivers have moved teams or manufacturers. Sure, I’m new to the grid, but I know the car and team from last year, and can also count on Ash’s race-winning experience. It feels like a great combination.”

The opening round of this year’s Intelligent Money British GT Championship takes place at Oulton Park on April 16 & 18.

Image: JEP / Greystone GT

Paddock Motorsport Put Themselves in the Digital Driving Seat for 2022 Season.

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 14:04:33 GMT

Paddock Motorsport Put Themselves in the Digital Driving Seat for 2022 Season.

Press release published 01 February 2022

Paddock Motorsport has been getting a head start during the offseason period by building a brand new extensive and dynamic website to showcase their full suite of services with the help of motorsport website specialists Blam Websites.

Team Principal, Martin Plowman and Celebrity Director, Kelvin Fletcher are anticipating that the successes and progress made in 2021 will lead them to develop new opportunities for the Paddock Motorsport brand, starting with an online upgrade.

Providing a full inventory of all things Paddock, digital visitors will now have access to: the latest race results, track day preparation details, Driver Academy, partner and sponsorship opportunities, as well as everything they need to know about the exclusive Premium VIP guest hospitality services.

Former Le Mans winner (2013, LMP2) and Team Principal, Martin Plowman says,

“We’re delighted with the new website and the potential to reach new audiences! Paddock Motorsport is passionate about supporting and inspiring drivers young or old, professional or amateur and setting them on a successful motorsport career path wherever they aspire to be.”

To receive updates on the latest results, book a coaching session, make sponsorship enquiries or apply to become a driver, make a pit stop at: www.paddock-motorsport.com to find out more.

Darren Andrew - Head of Partnerships

Tel: +44 07845316969

Email: darren@paddock-motorsport.com

Snetterton Race Report: First GT3 Podium for Paddock Motorsport

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 09:49:38 GMT

Paddock Motorsport takes first British GT3 podium.

Paddock Motorsport takes its first ever British GT GT3 podium with P2 at Snetterton.

After a brilliant qualifying from Kelvin Fletcher to put the Imagine Cruising Bentley GT3 on the front row, Kelvin put in a strong opening stint to build a healthy gap to P3 and keep within touching distance of Al Harthy in P1.

A flawless pit stop from the Paddock Motorsport crew saw the guys hold station with 38 minutes of the race left. With Plowman now at the wheel, he set about managing the gap to the chasing pack of Pro drivers of Marcus Clutton, Johnny Adam, and Dennis Lind. Holding a 2.5 second gap, Plowman had to be aggressive in traffic to keep a safe buffer.

With 5 laps to go Plowman started to complain about tyre degradation with the Lamborghini of Lind starting to close in. A decisive move past two GT4 cars on the last lap helped to seal the deal and bring home a first ever GT3 podium for both drivers and the new team.