The 2024 GT Cup season came to its conclusion at Snetterton with Topcats Racing having already secured the overall driver’s title. Charlotte Gilbert and Tom Rawlings proved the pairing to beat all the way throughout the season and they managed to wrap up the drivers title last time out at Donington.

However, the sprint cup was still to play for with Warren Gilbert leading Shamus Jennings with just two sprint races remaining. It was a close-fought contest right to the very end with both drivers giving their all throughout the weekend.

Race 1

Tom Rawlings stormed to pole position in the Topcats Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo and immediately set about building an advantage over the G-Cat Porsche of Jennings.

An advantage which looked unsurpassable until Rawlings was captured crawling along pitlane allowing Jennings through and into and unsurpassable lead of his own.

Meanwhile, outgoing champion Paul Bailey was having his work cut out trying to fend off Warren Gilbert in the sister Topcats Lamborghini and Tom Walpole in the striking PMT Motorsport KTM X-Bow GT4.

Gilbert was hounding Bailey but his attempts ended up in the Huracan running wide into Murrays and costing him not one but two positions within GTC.

Rawlings had fought back from his trip through the pits to retake the GTC lead and finish second overall whilst Walpole took advantage of Gilbert’s mistakes to clinch second on the line.

Out front, Jennings brought his Porsche home for another overall victory in 2024 and further points towards the sprint championship with just one race remaining.

GTH meanwhile saw Paddock Motorsports Michael Orant dominate proceedings with a commanding drive to group victory ahead of newcomer, Hadley Simpson in the Innovation Racing Ginetta G55.

Race 2

With Warren Gilbert electing to compete only in the sprint races at Snetterton, it was left to Fraser Fenwick to complete the 50-minute enduro by himself.

And that he did, not only winning in GTC after an early move on Charlotte Gilbert in the sister car. But he also claimed outright victory in the GTC machine after a dominant performance to come home 30 seconds clear of Jennings and Greg Caton in second.

The G-Cat racing duo went on a late charge as Caton was strapped aboard and chased down the gap in front of Tom Rawlings in the sister Topcats Lamborghini.

Caton managed to lap three seconds a lap quicker than Rawlings and had soon caught the youngster and pulled off a bold move into Riches to seal GT3 victory and second overall. Rawlings meanwhile came home third but still maintained second within GTC.

GTH once again saw Orant pull away during his stint but extra success seconds during his pitstop meant that the Innovation Express Ginetta leapfrogged the Paddock McLaren and Martin Plowman was left to charge after the debutants. And in true Martin Plowman fashion, that’s exactly what did. Consistently taking time out of the Ginetta’s advantage to close and then pass for the group victory.

Race 3

As with Saturday’s endurance race, Sunday’s event looked to be going the way of Fenwick until a late race safety car neutralized proceedings giving the pro drivers a chance to catch up.

Ironically, the safety car was caused by the sister car spinning exiting Oggies and remaining stationary at the side of the road before being recovered.

Unfortunately for Fenwick, Greg Caton and David Brabham were right behind him and it wasn’t long before they found their way past the former MX5 racer.

What followed in the closing minutes was a titanic battle between G-Cat team owner Caton and former F1 driver, Brabham as both sought to claim outright victory. Brabham appeared to be the faster driver with the all-black Huracan GT3 darting left and right, determined to find a way through but Caton was having none of it. Despite Brabhams best efforts, Caton secured yet another victory for the G-Cat Porsche by just 0.19 seconds.

Fenwick rounded out the top three but secured GTC honours in the process. But whilst the action at the front had hotted up, the battle for the win in GTH was equally as intense. Owen Hizzey in the SVG Ginetta G56 GT4 led Martin Plowman in the Paddock Motorsport McLaren Artura GT4.

Plowman was all over the back of Hizzey’s Ginetta but the youngster kept his cool and despite an attempt by Plowman which saw the cars side by side through Palmer, Hizzey claimed GTH honours by just 0.3 seconds from Plowman.

Race 4

The final race of the season started with four cars running nose to tail for the opening laps. Warren Gilbert led the way with his wife, Charlotte acting as rear gunner to protect his lead in the sprint cup.

Sprint rival, Shamus Jennings meanwhile was at the back of the four-car queue before Bon Grimes in the FF Corse Ferrari 458 Challenge dived up the inside of Charlotte Gilbert into Agostini before being outdragged by the more powerful Raging Bull.

Jennings meanwhile saw an opportunity to make his move into the fast Brundle / Nelson esses and displaced the Ferrari back into fourth place. Just a few corners later, he was making his next move. Getting a great exit out of Murrays to draw alongside Charlotte and pulling off an impressive move around the outside of Riches to take second in the race.

This compromised Charlotte’s exit and allowed Grimes to close right up and pass her before his left rear tyre gave way and he spun out at Wilson just moments later.

Up front, Warren Gilbert had been reeled in by Jennings and just a lap after the Porsche had moved into second, he took the lead once again into Riches. From then on he managed the gap to the Gilberts behind and cruised to a third outright victory of the weekend.

Warren Gilbert came home second overall and first in GTC which was enough for him to secure the sprint challenge for 2024.

Back in GTH, Michael Orant’s stellar weekend had come undone as he careered into the side of Paul Baileys Lamborghini forcing both cars out of the race. He was ultimately disqualified from the race following a stewards enquiry. This left Marc Elman clear to round out a Sunday clean sweep for SVG Motorsport.

 

GT Cup returns for another action-packed season in 2025 with the opening round taking place at Donington Park on the 29/30th of March.

 
 

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