Academy Motorsport Begins 2018 GT4 European Series Campaign

Just one week after the opening round of the British GT Championship, Academy Motorsport were back on track for the first round of the GT4 European Series at the Zolder circuit in Belgium last weekend (6th – 8th April)…

Again running two Aston Martin Vantage GT4 race cars in the ultra competitive championship, team owner, Matt Nicoll-Jones, will partner Fiona James in one car whilst Immanuel Vinke will solely pilot the second car.

In very differing conditions to Oulton Park just one week ago, Zolder basked in glorious sunshine all weekend.

In a field of 44 cars, both Academy Motorsport Aston Martins lined up ready for race one. Nicoll-Jones took control of the opening stint in the shared machine, whilst Vinke upheld his position for an hour long battle not far behind.

As the race unfolded, Nicoll-Jones made his way through the field. However as he landed in 24th place, a problem caused him to stop in the entrance to the pit lane seemingly out of contention.

As the pit window came and went, the race settled back into a rhythm, until a Porsche became stranded in the gravel trap. Deemed to have landed in a dangerous position, the safety car was summoned. With the pace neutralised for the following 10 minutes, it was enough time to fix any gremlins in the No.60 Aston Martin, as Fiona James hopped aboard and latched onto the tail end of the field.

With 11 minutes to go, the race resumed, with Vinke collecting a strong 28th finish, having made up nine places. James held on to take the chequered flag.

Another 42 drivers took to the grid for the start of race two on Sunday morning. Faultless performances from both cars this time around, the James – Nicoll-Jones collaboration and lone driver, Vinke, each battled a number of safety car periods to claim 22nd and 34th overall, respectively. Vinke’s efforts also saw him claim seventh place in the AM Cup race.

“It was a challenging weekend, but it was what we expected” said Matt Nicoll-Jones. “The GT4 European Series grid is highly competitive. We did have an issue during race one, but apart from that our cars were running well. Immanuel was faultless all weekend. It gives us something to build on for the rest of the season,” he added.

Academy Motorsport will be back in action in the British GT Championship at Rockingham during 29th-30th April. The team will return to their GT4 European Series exploits at Brands Hatch in Kent between 5th-6th May.