Ben Barnicoat set the quickest lap time for Optimum Motorsport during the opening free practice session as part of the British GT’s SRO Spa Speedweek.
His lap time of 2:18.628 set early during the 60-minute session beat Porsche-contracted driver Harry King’s #57 Herberth Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo by just 0.003 seconds.
Unfortunately, King’s teammate, ‘Bankcy’, hit the wall at Stavelot later in the session, preventing the #57 Porsche from completing more than six laps.
Hugo Cook jumped to third position during the second half, positioning his #63 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 third-fastest with a 2:19.176 lap time.
Barwell’s other #78 Lamborghini followed with Jarrod Waberski having completed a 2:19.276, the fastest in the GT3 Silver-Am classification.
Triple-reigning TCR Australia champion Josh Buchan put the #13 Rodin Motorsport Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo in fifth, another GT3 Silver-Am car, with a 2:19.411.
Aston Martin factory driver Ross Gunn finished sixth in the #7 Beechdean Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo after his effort of 2:19.423.
Orange Racing by JMH’s Marcus Clutton went seventh in his #67 McLaren, having set a 2:19.783.
Ben Green put 2 Seas Motorsport’s #18 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in eighth with his 2:19.846 lap time, ahead of reigning GT3 Silver-Am champion Tom Wood’s #69 Orange Racing by JMH McLaren (2:19.949)
Martin Plowman rounded out the top-10 in his #9 Paddock Motorsport McLaren (2:20.007).
Speaking of which, Revie Lake topped the GT4 category in the #84 Paddock Motorsport McLaren Artura GT4 with a 2:29.817.
The most recent and first-time GT4 race winners, Grange Racing by FSR, put their Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo (2:30.569) in second in the hands of Aston Martin stalwart Darren Turner and Daniel Lavery.
Mikey Porter, replacing Luca Hopkinson this morning in #59 Optimum Motorsport McLaren due to unforeseen circumstances, was third from his 2:31.100 time.
Four-time BTCC champion Colin Turkington placed his #61 West Surrey Racing BMW M4 GT4 Evo in fourth place (2:31.316) as Jessica Hawkins and Will Orton rounded out the top five in the #21 MK Racing Aston Martin (2:31.807).
Free Practice 2 continues the action from 12:10 BST or 13:10 CEST.
