Aston Martin Vantage n°99 (LMGTE Am)

Owner: Andrew Howard
Team Manager: Paul Diggins
Engineer: Dave Brewer
Location: High Wycombe (UK)
Website: beechdeanmotorsport.co.uk

2016 ELMS classification: 1st, LM GTE Teams’ Championship (98 pts, 2 wins)

2017 ELMS results

4 Hours of Silverstone: 26th (3rd in LM GTE), Howard/Gunn/Turner (GBR/GBR/GBR), Aston Martin Vantage

4 Hours of Monza: 23rd (3rd in LM GTE), Howard/Gunn/Turner (GBR/GBR/GBR), Aston Martin Vantage

Beechdean Motorsport was founded in 2001 by Beechdean Farmhouse Dairy Ice Cream boss Andrew Howard. After a few years of club outings, Howard made his racing début in 2006 at the wheel of a Ferrari 360 Modena Challenge in British GT before switching to competition full-time the following year, with a GTC-class Ferrari 360 Modena. Five wins made this initial full campaign a successful one, culminating in a second place in the Teams’ and Drivers’ championships. 

Beechdean Motorsport switched to an Aston Martin V8 Vantage N24 in the GT4 class in 2008 (Howard and Jamie Smyth). The adventure continued the following year but with two Aston Martins this time: a DBRS9 in the GT3 class for Howard and Smyth, and V8 Vantage N24 for Ben de Zille-Butler and Richard Jones in GT4.

In 2010, the outfit joined forces with 1992 Formula One world champion Nigel Mansell – one of the biggest names in motorsport. Under its new name of Beechdean Mansell Motorsport, the team entered a Ginetta Zytek GZ09S LM P1 in the Le Mans Series and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Mansell and his two sons, Leo and Greg. It finished the LMS season in seventh place, with 36 points on the board, while at Le Mans, the car only completed four laps before retiring after Mansell Sr. left the track at Indianapolis. The partnership ended later that year. However, that did not prevent the team from taking part in a few rounds of the British GT championship with its Aston Martin DBRS9. Leo Machitski partnered Howard for two rounds, and Darren Turner, making his first appearance with the team, joined up with him for the Silverstone race.

For the 2011 British GT season, Beechdean Motorsport fielded the DBRS9 once again, this time driven by Howard and Jonathan Adam (GT3). The duo notched up two wins and finished fifth in the Drivers’ championship. Over the years, Howard had worked closely with Aston Martin so it was only logical that Beechdean Motorsport became the first to run the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the 2012 British GT championship. A victory rewarded Howard and Adam for their efforts, and they ended the season in eighth place in the Drivers’ championship. For the first time since it was created, the outfit took part in a 24-hour race, at Spa-Francorchamps. Howard and Adam were joined by Phil Dryburgh and John Graw for the venture but, unfortunately, the quartet failed to finish.

After so many attempts over the years, Howard finally clinched the British GT Drivers’ Championship title in 2013, with a narrow 1.5-point advantage over his nearest rivals. His co-driver in the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 was again Jonathan Adam. This was also the year that the team now known as Beechdean AMR took its first steps in another championship, the Blancpain Endurance Series. An Aston Martin Vantage GT3 was entered in the Pro-Am class for Howard, Adam and Daniel McKenzie, with the backing of AMR works driver Stefan Mücke for the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, where the four men finished in 23rd place.

In 2014, the team fielded two Aston Martin Vantages in the British GT championship, a GT3 and a GT4. In GT3, Howard lost his crown as he and Adam won just one race. Things were much brighter in GT4, however, where Ross Wylie and Jake Giddings won three times and took the Drivers’ title. Beechdean AMR fielded its GT3 in just two Blancpain Endurance Series races, one being the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (Howard, Adam, Mücke and Daniel Lloyd), but was forced to retire again. 

The 2015 British GT championship again saw an Aston Martin Vantage entered in GT3 (Howard and Adam) and GT4 (Jamie Chadwick and the first appearance of Ross Gunn). With three GT3 victories, Beechdean AMR won the Teams’ and Drivers’ championships and, boosted by two GT4 wins, the team doubled up by clinching that title too. The season had got off to a flying start with victory for an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 at the Silverstone 24-Hour event with Howard, Adam, Chadwick, Gunn and Harry Whale taking turns at the wheel. 

2016 marked Beechdean AMR’s first step into an ACO-badged series. The team entered an Aston Martin Vantage in the LM GTE class of the European Le Mans Series with Howard, Alex MacDowall and AMR works driver Darren Turner. Placed second going into the ELMS grand finale at Estoril, the crew won the race, snatched the Teams’ and Drivers’ titles and picked up an invitation to the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans into the bargain! Howard’s outfit actually made an appearance in the 2016 running of the French endurance classic, but under the name of Aston Martin Racing. Howard himself shared the wheel with Liam Griffin and Gary Hirsch, finishing in 36th place overall, seventh in LM GTE-Am, in an Aston Martin Vantage adorned with the dairy ice cream maker’s own livery. 

After competing in British GT every year since 2006, Beechdean AMR has given the championship a miss in 2017 to focus on the European Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Aston Martin Vantage is again entered in LM GTE with Howard,  Gunn and Turner forming the driver line-up. Looking to defend its crown, the team has so far scored two third places in class at both Silverstone and Monza. With Turner retained by the Aston Martin Racing works team for the 24 Hours, he will be replaced by Oliver Bryant who has just one previous appearance at the Circuit de la Sarthe to his name. In 2016, he drove a Corvette C7.R for Team AAI (39th overall, ninth in LM GTE-Am).

Beechdean AMR has devised its endurance project over three years. After two years in ELMS, the outfit is planning to step up to the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2018.

Photo: PASCAL SAIVET / VISION SPORT AGENCY