Charlotte Gilbert took one step closer to sealing the overall GT Championship title with another strong weekend at Donington Park where, alongside Topcats Racing teammate Tom Rawlings, she finished all four races on the podium in Group GTC, claiming one victory and two-runner up finishes.
Charlotte Gilbert took one step closer to sealing the overall GT Championship title with another strong weekend at Donington Park. Driving for Topcats Racing alongside Tom Rawlings, the pair finished all four races on the podium in Group GTC, claiming one victory and two-runner up finishes. Gilbert and Rawlings also battled for overall race victories in changeable conditions in the multi-class endurance series.
Returning to Donington Park for the penultimate round of the GT Cup Championship season, Gilbert and Rawlings were looking to take a step closer to the overall title. With a 14-point championship lead over nearest challengers Richard Neary and Ian Loggie, the Topcats Racing duo were aiming to capitalise on the absence of the Team Abba Racing pair.
Donington Park proved a strong circuit in the season opener, with Gilbert claiming three victories over the course of the event. Now racing on the Grand Prix layout, she was aiming to replicate this success in her Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo machine.
On-track action began on Saturday morning with the customary back-to-back practice and qualifying sessions. Topcats Racing began the day on the front foot and topped the free practice session in Group GTC with a time which was over two seconds faster than their closest class rival, while setting the fourth fastest lap overall. Unfortunately a technical issue then prevented them from taking part in qualifying and the team were hard at work to ensure the car was ready for Saturday’s two races.
"A driveshaft failure after warm up meant we were unable to qualify", Gilbert commented. "The team worked wonders and fixed the driveshaft in just over 20 minutes, meaning we were able to race but started at the rear of the field with it all to do."
Following superb work from the Topcats Racing team, Tom Rawlings was on the grid for the opening sprint race of the weekend. Starting from the rear of the field, Rawlings gained seven overall positions on lap one to move from 11th up to fourth, while moving into second within Group GTC. After passing the Group GTO Lamborghini Huracan of Paul Bailey on lap two, Rawlings was into an overall podium position.
Now in clear air, Rawlings set an overall fastest lap of the race as he began to catch the Porsche 911 GT3 machine of Shamus Jennings. By lap six, Rawlings had overtaken Jennings and was now in pursuit of the race-leading Topcats Racing machine. A fantastic drive saw Rawlings take the checkered flag in second position, less than a second behind the teammate car to secure a Topcats Racing 1-2.
Gilbert got behind the wheel to start the first mini endurance race of the weekend on Saturday afternoon and lined up on pole position courtesy of Rawlings’ fastest race lap earlier in the day. Charlotte made an exceptional start and held the overall lead while pulling out a significant margin at the head of Group GTC. Gilbert’s early lap times were both fast and consistent and this saw her build a gap of 12 seconds over the first five laps.
On lap seven, the safety car was deployed as Richard Chamberlain was beached in the gravel at Redgate corner. This erased the sizeable lead which Charlotte had built up in Group GTC, with the Topcats Racing driver now requiring to make a clean restart. Gilbert held the lead confidently with a good restart and was able to build up a healthy margin once again. Opening out a gap of over 10 seconds as the pit window approached, Gilbert handed over to Rawlings in a strong position in Group GTC.
As Rawlings rejoined the race, he held the Group GTC lead by six seconds in spite of the pit stop compensation penalty. Rawlings drove smartly to let the Group GTO machine of David Brabham through, before managing the gap to the fellow Topcats Racing car of Fraser Fenwick behind. A series of personal best times to close out the race ensured Fenwick remained behind as Gilbert and Rawlings claimed another excellent victory in Group GTC.
"A good start meant we lead the race until a lengthy pit stop compared to our rivals left us rejoining the race in third place", Gilbert expplained. "Despite the best efforts from our sister car, we were battling up until the chequered flag and held our third place overall and first in class."
Sunday’s action got underway with a second free practice and qualifying session ahead of two further races to come. It was a solid start to the day for the Topcats Racing duo after finishing practice in third place overall, second in Group GTC. Gilbert drove in the subsequent qualifying session and continued her impressive form. Claiming Group GTC pole position by over two seconds, Charlotte missed out on overall pole position by less than a tenth of a second.
Following the qualifying session, the Topcats Racing team were disqualified due to being underweight in scrutineering and Gilbert would therefore lineup from the back of the grid for the second mini endurance contest.
"After being really quick in qualifying we were unfortunately disqualified with the car being underweight, so yet again started at the back of the grid", said Charlotte.
Despite the setback, Charlotte made an exceptional start and ended lap one fourth overall, second in Group GTC. Quickly overtaking the Group GTO Lamborghini Huracan of Paul Bailey, Gilbert got into her rhythm and set a number of consistent lap times.
On lap eight, she set the overall fastest first sector of the race in her pursuit of the Group GT3 Porsche of Shamus Jennings. Gaining around one second per lap on her rival, the gap was down to less than a second at the end of lap 18 as the drivers closed in on the pit window. Handing over the car to Tom Rawlings on lap 21, Gilbert stopped one lap later than their Topcats Racing team car which led the race in the hands of Fraser Fenwick.
Following the mandatory pitstop, Rawlings rejoined just over 20 seconds behind Warren Gilbert who took over the class-leading #3 machine. Rain then began to fall at Donington Park and Rawlings came to the pits to change onto wet weather tyres, with Warren Gilbert stopping shortly after. Following the stops, Rawlings continued to run second in Group GTC but was lapping faster than his teammate ahead.
Despite a great effort from Rawlings in tricky conditions during the closing stages, he was not quite able to bridge the deficit and therefore finished race three of the weekend in second position within Group GTC, fifth overall.
"A great first lap took us up to P4 and after a pit stop on lap 21 for driver change, it began to rain and on lap 24 we decided to pit for wets", Gilbert summarized. "Unfortunately a lengthy stop dropped us back to the rear of the field with it all to do. Finishing P2 in class at the chequered flag."
The final race of the weekend was Gilbert’s solo sprint contest and conditions remained challenging with all drivers fitting the wet weather tyres. Lining up from second on the grid, Gilbert made a quick initial start but spun on the exit of Redgate corner on the wet kerb. The Topcats Racing machine slid across the damp grass and came to rest on the infield with Gilbert able to rejoin the race while just remaining on the lead lap.
After the challenging start to the race, Gilbert was now aiming to bank valuable championship points while gaining wet weather experience at Donington Park. Although Gilbert was lapped by the race leading G-Cat Racing Porsche, a mid-race spin for Tom Walpole offered Charlotte hope to stand on the Group GTC podium. Now running eighth overall, fourth in Group GTC, catching Walpole was set to be a challenge but one which she relished.
With just two laps remaining, Gilbert had cut the gap to less than six seconds and therefore she was set to catch the Track Focused driver on the final tour. Setting the fastest lap in Group GTC on lap 13, the margin had been cut to just one second and Gilbert made her move in the final sector to continue her streak of Group GTC podium finishes with a third-place result, sixth overall.
"After starting along side Warren on the front row, we took the first corner in the lead only to run slightly wide and getting the rear tyre on the wet curb causing a spin off across the track onto the grass", she said. "Managing to re join but now a lap behind, with determination I fought back to claim 3rd in class."
Gilbert and Topcats Racing crew battled changeable conditions at Donington Park but ensured they remained firmly in control of the Group GTC standings. Securing one victory and three other podium finishes, Gilbert and Rawlings will now be looking to wrap up the overall championship during the final round of the season which takes place at Snetterton on the weekend of October 5th/6th.
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