Jones and Malvern were dealt a bitter blow during the last round in Belgium, when an unlucky accident in second practice sent their Team Parker Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R into the barriers at Raidillon after Malvern caught standing water at Eau Rouge. Before then, the Porsche had been one of the fastest cars on track, but the damage from the 20g impact couldn’t be fixed at the track, ruling them out for the Belgian weekend.
It also handed the Team Parker Racing technical crew a mammoth task to re-shell the car in time for this weekend’s round at Snetterton. Regardless, the team has worked miracles to get the Porsche back up and running in time for Jones and Malvern to get back on track for the fifth round of the season. And now the pair are aiming to reward the team’s efforts with a pair of strong results in Norfolk.
This weekend marks the first sprint race event of the British GT season, where the one longer race will be replaced by a pair of single-hour events – a format Jones and Malvern have previously been very successful in during their GT4 campaigns.
While their early bath in Belgium may have effectively ruled them out of the overall championship fight, there are still a heap of points on offer and Jones and Malvern currently sit eighth in the championship points.
Nick Jones said: “I’m incredibly proud of the Team Parker Racing lads, who have worked miracles to get the car repaired in time to get us back out there. I honestly thought we wouldn’t make it as it needed a full re-shell and all the components stripped out of it, but the boys were always confident they could do it and their work has been, frankly, amazing!
“I’m really excited for Snetterton. We’re all just having such a laugh at the events this year as there’s no pressure, and we’re getting faster and more consistent with each round. Sure, Spa was a setback, but it’s behind us now and we move on as a team. I like Snetterton as a circuit, and I also enjoy the shorter sprint races. I think the Porsche will be quite at home around the twisty Snetterton infield, so let’s go!”
Scott Malvern added: “Spa was such a disappointment, but in many ways we were very lucky. I was very lucky to come out of such an accident with no injuries – not even a bruise – and we’re also very lucky to have a squad like Team Parker behind us. They’ve literally completed repair work which should take a few weeks in just a few days. They’ve been incredible. I really want to get out on track and go and score a few big results just to pay them back, so that’s the plan for this weekend.
“Our approach doesn’t change with the shorter races. So long as we keep things consistent out on track and maximise our pit stops then we stand a good chance as we know the car will be strong. The Porsche has both great rotation thanks to its short wheelbase and great traction, so it should suit Snetterton really nicely. Traditionally Snetterton has been a Lamborghini circuit, but there’s no reason it can’t be a Porsche circuit this year…”
The fifth round of the Intelligent Money British Gt Championship gets underway with the usual two free practice sessions on Saturday, before qualifying takes place at 15:55. Sunday’s first race is scheduled for 10:10, with race two following at 15:55. Live timing will be available all weekend via TSL-Timing.com, and the races will be streamed live via the British GT website.
