Former British GT champion Sandy Mitchell delivered a storming Brands Hatch drive in the championship’s penultimate round to strengthen his hopes of lifting a second title.
The Angus 22-year-old and teammate Adam Balon brought their Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo home in second place at the iconic Kent circuit after an action-packed two-hour race.
And it sets up a nail-biting finish to the season at Donington Park next month as the Letham ace bids to another crown to the one he captured in 2020.
Highs and lows
It’s a remarkable fightback in a rollercoaster season.
“Considering we’d only scored two points in the opening two races, and have had two rounds where we have scored no points at all, to be heading into the final race of the championship lying second with a chance of winning the title is fantastic,” said Mitchell.
The highpoint was a history-making win in the summer’s Silverstone 500.
“We set ourselves a determined objective this weekend and we’ve achieved that.
“Adam delivered a very strong opening stint, making three vital overtakes, and the team carried out a faultless pitstop.
“Now we have to focus on Donington.”
Thrill-a-minute opening spell
Balon started the race from fourth on the grid and having slid back a place found himself immediately ahead of championship leader Ian Loggie.
Three safety cars in the opening hour kept the highly competitive field bunched together.
And Balon was fortunate to continue racing after he was tapped into a spin when Loggie’s Mercedes made contact with the rear left of the Barwell Motorsport-preepared #72 Lamborghini.
It dropped the duo to ninth.
“Adam did brilliantly to get the car going again and rejoin the race so quickly,” said Lamborghini factory driver Mitchell, from Letham.
“It’s also testament to the strength of the Lamborghini that he was able to continue at all considering the impact.”
At the driver changeover Mitchell too advantage of success penalties for other cars to rejoin in third.
He hauled in the two leaders and with three laps remaining was 2.7 seconds off the leader and just 1.6s behind the second-placed McLaren.
But dramatically, on the penultimate lap, as the lead Mercedes crossed the start-finish line it slowed to a halt. Its retiral promoted Mitchell to second place.
“I tried everything I had to get the win over those final two laps, but in the end had to settle for second,” said Mitchell, who cross the line just 1.25s down.
Donington decider
With Loggie failing to capitalise on a healthy championship lead, it sets up British GT’s traditional ‘Donington decider’.
Mitchell says the Lambo duo’s target is simple.
“We head to Donington knowing what we have to do, and that’s to win the final race of the year,” he said.
“With 37.5 points available to the winner of the final race, we’re just 24.5pts behind the championship leader.
“We’ll focus on what we can control, then wait to see what happens with the other cars and drivers.
“But we’re in for a fantastic end to the season and we’ll be doing everything we can to win the title again.”
