Spa Six Hours 2023: Masters GT Trophy

Series leader Craig Wilkins continued his strangehold on the Masters GT Trophy by claiming a commanding win in the 45-minute race at Spa. Taming the extremely wet conditions, the Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo driver finished 33 seconds ahead of the non-Evo Super Trofeo Huracán shared by Chris Milner and Nigel Greensall.

“That was fun, yeah!” said Wilkins. “I’ve been here before in the wet. Against a pro driver, I’m actually relatively quicker in the wet than I am in the dry.”

“It was absolutely brilliant, it really was”, said Greensall. “The car was fantastic, Chris did a brilliant stint because he was the fastest one in the second sector – so really pleased to see Chris do so well. And I just drove flat out, I loved every second.”

Rob Fenn and Paul Whight did well to haul their invitational Motosport Elise to third, while Dutch father-and-son Jac & Ties Meeuwissen finished fourth in their Masters GT Trophy debut for their Ferrari 488 Challenge.

“This was our first race together in a car we have only had since March”, said a jubilant Meeuwissen Sr. “My initial thought that he would have to wait a few years before I allowed him to race it, but he did well, so why not!”

On its return to active duty after 15 years in storage, Hans Hugenholtz’s Ford Mustang FR500C claimed a popular victory in the GT4 class, passing all of his class rivals to win from Thilo Goos in the Aston Martin Vantage GT4, the George Haynes/Adam Sharpe BMW M3 GT4 and the Daniel Quintero/Peter Reynolds Ginetta G55 that had led the class early on.

“It was fantastic!” said a happy Hugenholtz. “It was nice and wet, nice and slippery. But I’m good in the rain, and the car was super neutral. So yeah, I could corner pretty fast, even though the gear ratios were all wrong – I couldn’t go anywhere near 6th gear! But I had fun, I won, so that’s good.”

“The BMW was challenging but still good fun”, said Haynes. “It’s always fun to be at Spa.”

“The standing water made the car move around on the straights. It was good in the corners but we didn’t have any confidence in the car on the straights”, said Sharpe. “But we finished the race!”

Following a torrential downpour that completely ruined the previous race on the programme, the Masters GT Trophy field was ready for a very wet contest. This time it would be a single 45-minute race, with Chris Milner starting on pole in the first of the Lamborghinis. Having started behind the safety car, the field was released after two laps, with Craig Wilkins immediately taking command ahead of Milner and Keith Frieser. Behind the three Lambos, Rob Fenn moved the Motosport Elise part Jac Meeuwissen in the Ferrari 488 Challenge, while Daniel Quintero’s Ginetta G55 led Thilo Goos’ Aston Martin Vantage GT4, Hans Hugenholtz’s Ford Mustang FR500C and George Haynes’ BMW M3 GT4 in the GT4 ranks.

As Wilkins continued to stream away from his opposition, having opened up a massive gap already, Frieser abandoned third place to retire into the pits on lap 3. The GT4 battle, meanwhile, was a lot tighter, as the four cars were still nose to tail as they started on their fifth lap – the lap in which the pit window would open, but initially there were no takers, everyone having just got into a rhythm. Especially Fenn was enjoying himself in the Elise, as he passed Milner for second on lap 5, but both were now trailing the unleashed Wilkins by half a minute. Further back, Hugenholtz relieved Goos from sixth overall to run second in the GT4 class that continued to be closely contested.

Six laps gone, Wilkins was the first to come in for his mandatory stop, but he was soon followed in by Fenn who would hand over to Paul Whight, and Jac Meeuwissen who would be replaced by his son Ties. Milner, however, continued for one more lap before pitting to hand Nigel Greensall the wheel. Behind the first four, Hugenholtz and Goos also initially continued while Quintero made way for Peter Reynolds, with Adam Sharpe stepping into Haynes’ BMW.

So on lap 8, Wilkins reassumed the mantle of leader, now leading Whight by 49 seconds, with Greensall a further 15 seconds behind, while the younger Meeuwissen trailed Greensall by another 12 ticks. Among the GT4s, Hugenholtz had profited from Reynolds dropping back but was still pressured by Goos, with Sharpe a further 15 seconds behind.

At the front, Wilkins continued to lead after 10 laps, but Whight was about to be caught by Greensall, which on lap 11 became a fact. Wilkins, however, was still a full minute further up the road, despite being unable to match Greensall’s searing pace. Behind the two leaders, Whight was matching Meeuwissen’s lap times to control his grasp on third place.

Holding a safe lead, Wilkins reeled off the remaining few laps to win by 33 seconds over the Milner/Greensall Lambo, with Whight’s invitational Elise claiming third ahead of the Meeuwissen/Meeuwissen Ferrari 488 Challenge. Hugenholtz took a surprise GT4 win in the reborn Ford Mustang FR500C, mastering the conditions to be victorious over Goos in the Aston Martin Vantage GT4, Sharpe in the BMW M3 GT4 and the Quintero/Reynolds Ginetta G55.