Lewis Proctor and Oli Webb gave Greystone GT a Pro-Am pole position and a fastest lap as the International GT Open season kicked off at Portimao, while the team were also in action in the British GT Championship’s longest race, the Silverstone 500.
International GT Open
Beginning his second year in the series in the #66 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo he shares with father Stewart, Lewis Proctor picked up where he left off at the end of 2023 by setting a searing pace all weekend.
His benchmark Pro-Am qualifying time for Race Two gave he and Stewart class pole in fifth place overall and Lewis gave evidence of his talent by running in the hunt for the outright race lead and opening a 10s class advantage by the mid-race pitstops.
Stewart continued to run in podium contention after taking over driving duties, but was dealt a blow when the Safety Car was called out late on; eradicating the lead the Prosource McLaren had built up over many rivals who now had their Pro at the wheel.
The McLaren came home eighth in class; one place behind the position it took on Saturday, when it was Lewis on a charge during the second half of the race – albeit one not aided by any Safety-Car appearances. That fine result came from 18th on the grid.
Joining the Proctors was the #24 McLaren by series debutants Andrey Borodin and Oli Webb, who have moved across from British GT to contest the European series.
Knutsford racer Oli, a Le Mans 24 Hours LMP2 podium finisher, was denied a late flyer in optimal track conditions in a damp, but drying, Saturday qualifying session when a red flag brought the session to a close several minutes earlier than planned.
From 10th on the Pro-Am grid, he wasted no time charging through the field; climbing to fifth before the mid-race driver changes and setting the third-best lap of the race in the class.
Andrey, who had never raced at Portimao before, picked up the baton and finished 16th.
The duo started 16th and finished 15th on Sunday as the car suffered an early spin, though Oli showed stunning speed during his recovery as he set the fastest lap in Pro-Am and the second-best of the race overall.
British GT Championship
Greystone GT’s local circuit, Silverstone, was the scene for the three-hour enduro that featured Mike Price and Callum Macleod aboard the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Navigating through fluctuating weather conditions, the duo showcased their mettle with strong pace during practice session that laid a solid foundation for the weekend ahead.
Sunday ushered in torrential rain, with Mike – who scored his best-ever Pro-Am class result with fifth at Oulton Park at the previous round – taking the initial stint behind the wheel before relinquishing control to Callum.
Amidst 'Full Course Yellow' conditions early on, Callum opted to remain on track while competitors dived into the pits. The #3 car remained in 13th spot in Pro-Am before Mike jumped back in for his next stint.
Capitalising on errors from cars ahead in the difficult conditions, Mike gained two positions to run 11th as the Safety Car was called. The drivers swapped once more to fulfil the last of three mandatory stops; Callum bringing the car home 11th in class.
Due to an operational issue setting up the car in qualifying, Mike and Callum’s true speed behind went unrewarded. However the pace on show promises better things at the next event at Donington Park in May.
Mark McLoughlin, Team Principal, said: “I’m very pleased with the level of performance we showed at Portimao. Our McLarens were fast and Lewis and Oli proved it by taking Pro-Am pole and fastest lap on Sunday. Lewis’s confidence continues to grow and his overtaking in Race One was also very impressive. For Andrey this year is all about learning new tracks, new rivals and the Michelin tyre and having a co-driver like Oli will help hugely. Oli was very fast in the races, as his fastest lap in Pro-Am on Sunday proved. It’s just a shame that factors outside of your control like safety cars can stop you getting the result you deserve, but that’s racing and you luck in just as often as you luck out. Mike and Callum’s practice pace looked very strong so without any issues and with consistent weather, I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do at Donington.”
