It’s one of the most challenging and demanding race tracks of all – with 2.4 miles of twists, turns and elevations – a high-testosterone environment where a combination of bravery and guile are essential qualities of all who succeed on its stage.

But last weekend, two drivers challenged convention, ignored the naysayers and steered their own paths to success.

Here are 20 of our favourite images from an extraordinary weekend of racing.

      • Jamie Chadwick was the first ever female champion in British GT, now the 20-yr-old adds ‘first ever woman to win in British F3’ to an ever more impressive CV.

      Flick Haigh took her maiden British GT win earlier this season with co-driver Jonny Adam. At Brands Hatch, the pair’s pace propelled them to their third pole position of the year, duly converted into their second win; and the points scored meaning that Haigh now carries a 17.5-point title advantage into next month’s Donington Decider.

      • Race-on: The two-hour GT race delivered a feast of action right through the grid, including this epic battle between GT3 pole-sitters (and race winners) Flick Haigh & Jonny Adam in the Optimum Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage and Sam De Haan & Jonny Cocker in the Barwell Lamborghini.

      • Taking the GT4 honours was the Balfe McLaren 570S of past champions Graham Johnson & Mike Robinson. Fastest lap of the race, however, went to Academy Motorsport’s Matt Nicoll-Jones in the Aston Martin Vantage GT4.

      • Completing the GT4 podium were title hopefuls, Ben Green & Ben Tuck in the Century Motorsport BMW M4 and a season-best 3rd place for UltraTek’s NISMO pairing of Kelvin Fletcher & Martin Plowman.

      • Two SuperSubs were brought into play at Brands Hatch and both duly wowed the crowds and the live broadcast audience.

      With little budget available to continue racing in the UK, Jamie Caroline was forced to head stateside in order to continue his career. But then a clash of commitments for Carlin’s French karting star, Clement Novalak, saw them usher-in the British F4 champion as a replacement for the vacant F3 seat. A stunning pole position, converted into a dominant win shows just how much motor sport in the UK is missing the young BRCD SuperStar.

      Harry King went straight from Ginetta Junior to the Yorkshire manufacturer’s GT4 Supercup. With three wins already under his belt, his Elite Motorsport squad asked him to stand-in for Jamie Hopkins in the G40 Cup and like the champion he will one day be, he truly nailed-it, taking pole position and a full-house of wins from the weekend’s triple-header.

      • It was the worst possible start for the TF Sport Aston Martin of Mark Farmer & Nicky Thiim, the ‘Am’ driver beaching at Paddock Hill before a qualifying time could even be registered. But these guys know how to turn gravel into ‘grit’ and from the rear of the grid, delivered a series of stunning drives to race through the pack and onto the podium.

      • The Caterhams arrived at Brands Hatch, promising to live-up to their fast and furious reputation. The racing was close, then closer still!

      • It’s the oldest rule of motor racing; the first person you have to beat is your teammate.

      • The AMG GT (GT3 & GT4) is fast becoming the race car of choice for teams right across the grid, and with the ERC Sport GT3 of Yelmer Buurman putting-in the fastest lap of all in qualifying, it’s easy to see why.

      • There’s already been much said about Aston Martin and we’re going to finish with a tribute to two privately run teams, Beechdean and Jetstream, both of which continue to hold their own, despite being limited with single entries.

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Images: Steve Hindle (The Black Stuff).

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