Joel Granfors fastest as Fortec top GB3 and GB4 pre-event testing

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Joel Granfors was fastest on the opening day of GB3’s pre-event testing for this weekend’s Oulton Park season opener.

The Swede edged JHR Developments’ Matthew Rees by 0.073 seconds in the closing stages of the final session, the pair having been quick throughout the day. Fellow Fortec driver Nikolas Taylor was fastest in GB4 testing, topping two of the three sessions.

Elite Motorsport’s Tom Lebbon led GB3’s morning running during the first 25 minutes. Granfors knocked 0.053s off his benchmark, with James Hedley then putting Elite back on top with the first sub-1m30s lap. Lebbon responded with two quick laps to go fastest again before Granfors moved ahead once more.

Douglas Motorsport’s Marcos Flack then set a 1m29.089s to top the times, but Rees beat his effort by 0.002s with three minutes remaining.

Rees went fastest early in session two, albeit 0.6s off his morning effort. As several drivers improved, Hitech GP’s Luke Browning went quickest with a 1m29.441s before Granfors posted the best lap so far to beat Browning by 0.614s.

Rees set his personal best lap in session three, but was denied top spot by Granfors who set a 1m28.729s in the final 10 minutes. Lebbon also improved to end up third ahead of Flack, the only driver to not improve on his morning best. Carlin’s single-seater rookie Callum Voisin was fifth quickest ahead of Hedley.

Having not recorded a time in the first two sessions, Carlin’s Roberto Faria finally made it to track in the afternoon, and was seventh fastest overall.

Points leader Alex Walker headed most of the morning’s GB4 running for Elite, with Kevin Mills Racing’s Tom Mills having a brief spell at the top approaching the halfway mark. Walker responded with a best effort of 1m36.070s to finish 0.191s ahead of Taylor.

Mills improved to go fastest early on in session two with a 1m36.581s, but Taylor registered two quick laps two-thirds of the way through, setting a new benchmark. He was fastest again in session three with an effort 0.4s shy of his session two best. Walker remained in second overall despite not bettering his session one-topping lap.

Max Marzorati and Megan Gilkes, who have been retained as Hillspeed’s line-up after starring in round one, made improvements in session three to end up third and fourth quickest overall. Mills was fifth ahead of Fortec’s Elias Edestam, who recorded the most laps of the GB4 field. 

Elite’s Jack Sherwood was the only other driver to improve in the final session, his effort leaving him eighth. Graham Brunton Racing did not take part, but is expected to appear on Friday with an expanded line-up of three cars.

Test results