Logie secures British GT3 title despite spin

The RAM Racing Mercedes-AMG driver went into the championship decider with a 24.5-point advantage over nearest rivals Adam Ballon and Sandy Mitchell (Barwell Lamborghini Huracan), with a maximum of 37.5 points available for the winners of Sunday’s two-hour race.

Along with newly crowned GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup champion Jules Gounon, Logie only started 10th after heavy rain during opening qualifying before they could complete a lap.

Ballon/Mitchell were also hampered by Saturday’s changing weather and started ninth, while James Cottingham/Lewis Williamson (2 Seas Mercedes) and Morgan Tilbrook/Marcus Clutton (Enduro McLaren 720S) – who were mathematically in contention for the title but need was to win the race. – started 12th and eighth, respectively.

Logie’s task became more difficult at the first corner when Tilbrook spun, forcing the Mercedes driver and Bailon to avoid the Redgate gravel.

All three rejoined but Logie dropped to last in the GT3 field before suffering a spin on the exit from Goddards as he made his way through GT4.

His cause was helped by an early safety car to remove debris from the track and problems for a number of rivals, including Cottingham, who had to remove a billboard from the front of his car, and Tilbrook, who was serving a penalty for a driving incident on the opening lap.

This meant that when Gounon took over the team after just an hour, they were able to overtake Mitchell (in place of Ballon) and Clutton (in place of Tilbrook), with both crews serving their penalties for success in the previous round.

Gounon was back to second overall and another safety car period, again to collect debris, shortly after pit stops meant he was five seconds adrift of the race leader and ex-Formula E driver Alexander Sims was withdrawn.

However, the Century BMW M4 driver, running alongside British GT debutant Darren Leung, never took the lead as they took the win, finishing just enough second for Logie to claim his first British GT title.

“I never thought it would turn out like this after I was on the gravel at the first turn,” Logie said. “I thought I had a decent start, I was going to make up a few places and the next thing you’re in the gravel.

“We just stopped, got together, came up with a few places. An amazing pit stop, it was just fantastic and we got ahead of Lamborghini and McLaren.”

Logie’s title success came after winning the second one-hour race at Oulton Park alongside Gounon, following a successful appeal against a post-race penalty after a red flag.

There was another win alongside Callum McLeod in the opening one-hour event at Snetterton, while there were podiums in the first race at Oulton, during May’s visit to Donington and at Spa in July.

The only blemish on the Scot’s season was his retirement at the three-hour event at Silverstone after he crashed in the Abba Racing Mercedes of Richard Neary, who had led the Donington finale until he stopped on track after 50 minutes.

Sennan Fielding/Richard Williams (Steller Audi R8) took the overall GT4 title

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

In GT4, Senan Fielding/Richard Williams (Steller Audi R8) took the overall title after also finishing second, overcoming a 12.5-point deficit to Matt Topham/Darren Turner (Newbridge Aston Martin Vantage).

The Audi duo finished behind Jordan Collard / Tom Edgar’s Toyota Supra, but that was enough to deny the title to the R Racing Aston of Josh Miller / Jamie Day, who finished fourth and moved up to second overall.