Beechdean AMR Clinches Stunning Double Pole At Oulton Park British GT 2026

Key Points

• Andrew Howard took pole for Race 1 at Oulton Park in the #7 Beechdean Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo with a 1:34.098 lap.
• Rob Collard was second in the #63 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, 0.058 seconds behind Howard.
• Beechdean secured Race 2 pole as Ross Gunn set a 1:32.218 in qualifying, beating Ben Barnicoat and Ben Green for the top spot.
• Ginetta continued its GT4 qualifying dominance: Hadley Simpson put Innovation Racing’s #74 Ginetta G56 GT4 Evo on Race 1 pole with 1:41.810.
• Toro Verde GT’s Jack Mitchell claimed Race 2 GT4 pole in the #42 Ginetta with a 1:40.875 lap.
• GT3 top seven were separated by just 0.688 seconds, showing a tightly contested field.
• Marc Warren impressed with third in Q1 in the #90 Optimum McLaren, the top Silver-Am qualifier.
• Simon Orange, Jonathan Beeson, Mark Smith, Morgan Tillbrook and Ian Loggie filled the remainder of the GT3 top 10 in Q1.
• Ross Gunn, Ben Barnicoat and Ben Green were the leading Platinum-graded contenders for Race 2 pole; Hugo Cook, Marcus Clutton and others filled the top positions behind them.
• In GT4, Jack Collins, Jessica Hawkins and Luke Shaw were close challengers to the polesitters in Race 1; Thomas Holland, Darren Turner and Will Orton were prominent in Race 2.
• British GT returns Monday for warm-up and two 60-minute sprint races.

Oulton Park (Britain Today News) May 23, 2026 — Andrew Howard claimed pole position for the opening sprint race at Oulton Park, delivering Beechdean AMR’s first British GT pole since the 2023 Donington finale when he extracted a 1:34.098 from the #7 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo. He edged out two-time British GT champion Rob Collard in the #63 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 by a slender 0.058 seconds.

What happened in GT3 qualifying and who narrowly missed out on pole?

The fight for Race 1 pole in GT3 was extraordinarily tight, with the top seven covered by only 0.688 seconds. As Howard set the benchmark, Collard pushed hard but was forced to settle for second. As reported on-site, Marc Warren put in an eye-catching performance to claim third in the #90 Optimum McLaren with a 1:34.233 lap, the highest-placed Silver-Am competitor. Warren’s pace underlined Optimum’s competitiveness and added intrigue to the forthcoming races.

Kevin Tse’s 1:34.298 effort in the #18 2 Seas Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo placed him fourth, ahead of Alex Martin’s #78 Barwell Lamborghini (1:34.443). Simon Orange qualified sixth in the #67 Orange Racing by JMH McLaren (1:34.621), while Jonathan Beeson’s #44 Century Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 Evo took seventh with a 1:34.686. Paddock Motorsport’s Mark Smith completed the top eight in the #9 McLaren with a 1:34.777.

Morgan Tillbrook recovered from a small off at Deer Leap to register ninth in the #77 Optimum McLaren (1:34.786), and 2022 British GT champion Ian Loggie rounded out the Q1 top 10 in the #15 2 Seas Mercedes (1:35.755).

Who secured the Race 2 grid and how close was the fight among the Platinum drivers?

Race 2 pole fell to Beechdean again after a fierce three-way fight among Platinum-graded drivers. Ross Gunn, Ben Barnicoat and Ben Green traded top spots before Gunn posted a decisive 1:32.218 to claim the Race 2 front spot. Barnicoat, in the #77 Optimum McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, drove strongly but could not better Gunn’s time; Ben Green secured third in the #18 2 Seas Mercedes with a 1:32.631.

Hugo Cook’s #63 Barwell Lamborghini (1:32.584) and Marcus Clutton’s #67 Orange Racing JMH McLaren (1:32.683) completed the immediate group behind the leaders. Jarrod Waberski secured Silver-Am pole for Race 2 in the #78 Barwell Lamborghini with a 1:32.852 lap.

Notable mid-field efforts included Triple TCR Australia champion Josh Buchan, who slotted his #13 Rodin Motorsport Ferrari into seventh for Race 2 (1:32.914), ahead of championship leader Charles Clark’s #44 Century BMW. Martin Plowman, Aaron Walker, Jack Brown and Matt Griffin featured further down the grid, showing depth and variety across the field.

How did Beechdean describe the pole positions and their form?

Following qualifying, Beechdean team members highlighted the importance of extracting performance from the Vantage at Oulton Park’s undulating circuit.

“Securing both poles shows the car and drivers are dialled in,”

a team representative said. The team emphasised set-up work and tyre management as crucial to unlocking the quick laps that put both Andrew Howard and Ross Gunn at the head of the grids.

What were the standout stories in GT4 qualifying, did Ginetta continue its dominance?

Ginetta again enjoyed a strong qualifying outing in GT4, extending an impressive run of poles. Hadley Simpson delivered a 1:41.810 in the Innovation Racing #74 Ginetta G56 GT4 Evo to take Race 1 pole — the marque’s fifth consecutive British GT pole in GT4. Innovation’s recent record, including pole at Silverstone and strong race showings, confirmed the Ginetta package’s competitiveness in the class.

Toro Verde GT’s Jack Mitchell starred in Q2, taking Race 2 pole for the #42 car with a 1:40.875. Mitchell’s lap gave Toro Verde a vital starting position and underlined the close competition between Ginetta customer outfits.
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Which GT4 drivers pushed the polesitters closest and what were their times?

Century Motorsport’s Jack Collins was marginally off Simpson’s pace with a 1:41.853, just 0.043 seconds adrift in the #24 BMW. Jessica Hawkins, Aston Martin F1 team ambassador driving the #21 MK Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo, set a 1:41.925 and started third, demonstrating strong single-lap pace. Toro Verde’s Luke Shaw put the #42 Ginetta into fourth and topped the GT4 Pro-Am order with a 1:42.120.

Daniel Lavery (Grange Racing by FSR Aston Martin) and Optimum’s Josh Stanton (McLaren Artura) slotted into fifth and sixth respectively, while James Townsend (Townsend Racing Fox Aston Martin) and Ian Duggan (Toro Verde Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS) completed the upper midfield. The GT4 field emphasised how small margins separate Pro, Pro-Am and Silver runners.

In Race 2 GT4, Will Orton matched Hawkins’ pace to put the #21 MK Racing Aston Martin second with a 1:41.350 and top the GT4 Silver Cup. Innovation Racing’s Thomas Holland was third in Race 2 ahead of Darren Turner. Other notable Race 2 performers included Ronan Pearson, Luca Hopkinson and four-time BTCC champion Colin Turkington, all contributing to a stacked grid.

What’s next for British GT at Oulton Park and what are the expectations?

British GT will return on Monday for a morning warm-up and two 60-minute sprint races. With both Beechdean and Ginetta showing one-lap pace across the classes, strategic choices — including tyre selection, pit timing and driver stints — are likely to shape the race outcomes. The tight GT3 qualifying gaps suggest that Race 1 should produce close wheel-to-wheel action, while GT4’s dense lap-time board promises intense battles through the classes.

Teams have highlighted the importance of consistency over the race distance. As one engineer noted,

“We can run quick laps in qualifying, but managing tyres and traffic will decide who turns pole into victory.”

That pragmatic view frames Monday’s contests as tactical as well as speed-based.

British GT continues to attract a mix of professional factory drivers and strong privateer entries, meaning on-track narratives will blend championship ambitions, class honours and personal milestones. Oulton Park’s flowing layout and overtaking opportunities should make the two sprint races compelling viewing for spectators and decisive for teams fighting for points.