Strong second round for Academy Motorsport in the GT4 European Series

A strong performance in the face of a fiercely competitive field saw Academy Motorsport succeed, during the second round of the GT4 European Series at Brands Hatch last weekend (5th-6th May). Amongst a 46 car grid, the team led the way for much of the second race, before coming away with secured top 10 finishes.

Just one week after its superb performance in the British GT Championship at Rockingham, in which Managing Director, Matt Nicoll-Jones and team mate Will Moore, claimed an outstanding podium finish, Academy Motorsport made the trip to Brands Hatch for round two of the ultra competitive European series.

A two-car entry saw Nicoll-Jones paired with Fiona James once again, whilst one of Academy Motorsport’s young hotshots, Jan Jonck, was joined by Dennis Strandberg in the second of the team’s Aston Martin Vantage GT4 machines.

After starting 10th and 37th, respectively, Strandberg and James were in charge of the opening stint in race one. Eclipsed by multiple safety cars, race one was a baptism of fire for the 46-car field. Following a lengthy safety car period, race officials stopped the procession whilst under neutralised conditions. Despite endless chaos on circuit, Strandberg and Jonck managed to keep themselves out of trouble to claim a first-class sixth place. Sadly a starter button failure caused a retirement for James after a number of laps.

Nicoll-Jones and Jonck took the reigns for the second race of the day, with the duo starting 11th and 32nd in their respective cars.

As the race began, an inspired departure for Nicoll-Jones saw him fire his Aston Martin immediately into the top 10, as he chased down the leading pack. Within the first 10 minutes of action, Nicoll-Jones was battling for second place, before a commanding manoeuvre around the outside of Ginetta rival, Will Tregurtha, saw him seize position.

After hassling leader Bas Schouten for a number of laps, Nicoll-Jones engineered his way into the lead of the race on lap 15.

Following the mandatory pit stops, James and Strandberg with back behind the wheel. Safety car free this time around, the second half of the race saw Strandberg steer his way to ninth place at the chequered flag, whilst James fought back to 28th overall and 11th in the Pro-AM class, despite being spun around by another car.

Commenting on the weekend’s activities, Nicoll-Jones said: “It was a mixed weekend really, but we can be pleased with the team’s performance as a whole. Both cars progressed well in each race, which is encouraging amongst such a competitive field. We’re heading in the right direction.”

Academy Motorsport now have a break for a few weeks, before the next round of the British GT Championship at Snetterton, during 26th-27th May.

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