Aston Martin machinery will start both British GT Championship races from pole position on bank holiday Monday after an impressive display from Andrew Howard and Ross Gunn during Saturday’s split-GT3 Qualifying sessions.

Howard will get to lead the pack into turn one for the first of the two scheduled one-hour races on Monday after setting the fastest time of the AM drivers in Qualifying 1.

The Briton pipped Barwell Motorsport’s Rob Collard by just 0.058s to guarantee the best starting position at the Cheshire circuit.

Optimum Motorsport’s Marc Warren was a little further behind in third, while 2 Seas Motorsport’s Kevin Tse improved late in the session and will line up fourth. Alex Martin rounded out the top five for Barwell Motorsport.

An intense Qualifying 2 session saw Ross Gunn and Beechdean Motorsport Ltd secure a double pole position lockout by edging Optimum Motorsport’s Ben Barnicoat to pole position by just 0.019s.

At one point, the two PRO drivers were separated by just 0.001s heading into the final runs, but it was the Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo that prevailed and will have the advantage for the second race on Monday.

Behind them in third was Hugo Cook for Barwell Motorsport, just half a tenth faster than Ben Green of 2 Seas Motorsport. Marcus Clutton will start fifth for Orange Racing by JMH.

Innovation Racing’s Hadley Simpson secured pole position in the first of the GT4 Qualifying sessions, before Jack Mitchell claimed top spot for Toro Verde GT in the second segment.

British GT Championship, GT3 Qualifying 1, Oulton Park

1. Andrew Howard, Beechdean Motorsport Ltd, Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, 1m34.098s

2. Rob Collard, Barwell Motorsport, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2, 1m34.156s

3. Marc Warren, Optimum Motorsport, McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, 1m34.233s

4. Kevin Tse, 2 Seas Motorsport, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, 1m34.298s

5. Alex Martin, Barwell Motorsport, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2, 1m34.443s

British GT Championship, GT3 Qualifying 2, Oulton Park

1. Ross Gunn, Beechdean Motorsport Ltd, Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, 1m32.218s

2. Ben Barnicoat, Optimum Motorsport, McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, 1m32.237s

3. Hugo Cook, Barwell Motorsport, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2, 1m32.584s

4. Ben Green, 2 Seas Motorsport, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, 1m32.631s

5. Marcus Clutton, Orange Racing by JMH, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2, 1m32.683s

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