Final round of the British GT Championship season for Shaun Balfe and co-driver Sandy Mitchell

Incredible luck in a short timeline helped ensure a winning finish to the British GT Championship season for Shaun Balfe and co-driver Sandy Mitchell.

The duo brought the curtain down on their campaign for 2023 at Donington Park where victory helped secure fourth place in the Drivers' Championship.

It was a weekend of fluctuating fortunes as Balfe was first out in qualifying in his Barwell Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo II which soon brought about an early tyre change.

He explained: "It was mixed conditions with no obvious dry line, just appearing in parts. We went on slicks to be heroes, but had to come in for wets, as most drivers did.

"I didn’t really get a flying lap as it was red flagged, so my best was one of my out laps,” he added after setting the eighth best time.

Co-driver Mitchell went straight out on wets too but immediately pitted for slicks, which proved to be the right decision.

He was quickest in the session by 0.260 secs, which gave them an aggregate to start seventh on the grid.

Post-race penalties, however, left them starting the two-hour race from 11th eventually.

"I had a good start but had to back out for safety in mid-pack as I was getting squeezed a bit,” Balfe said after completing the first lap 12th, chasing Mike Price's Mercedes and John Seale's Lamborghini, while under attack himself from John Ferguson's Mercedes.

"I was chasing Price but it was easy to gain or lose in the melee as I hadn't really got away as I wanted."

The safety car was out after four laps, with two cars off at Redgate and it was another eight laps before the race went live again where Balfe was on the attack again.

He commented: "I tried to show my intention to Mike and got blocked, then challenged him at Goddards on lap 16.

"I was partly alongside, we touched and I was squeezed onto the grass. As I lost traction I hit him and spun him."

Balfe gave the place back to Price, but lost two more after his gesture, and was 14th and having to fight back before the safety car was out again after 29 laps.

He added: "I had held station and was on new slicks, but had to serve a stop-go penalty for the incident. I rejoined in the safety car train, which was a bit of luck for us.

"Most of the crews made their stops as the green flag was readied, but we stayed out. It gave me a couple of extra laps, so when I came in, the pit lane was empty."

The safety car was soon out again and Mitchell rejoined in third but, as the race went live, leader Jules Gounon went straight on at Goddards in his Mercedes and Mitchell was second, with just Marcus Clutton's McLaren ahead of him.

The gap soon came down and, after 41 laps, Mitchell had the lead and drove away from his rivals over the final 30 laps, to win by more than nine seconds.

Balfe concluded: "It was incredible luck in such a short timeline, but our second win of the season to finish fourth in Drivers Championship too."

Shaun would like to thank the support of friends, family and everyone at T. Balfe Construction for their ongoing support throughout the season.