PEOPLETON’S Academy Motorsport endured a frustrating time at Silverstone in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship’s longest race of the season.

With the regular pro driver of the Aston Martin Vantage GT4 car, James Harrison, restricted by budget restraints, team boss Matt Nicoll-Jones stepped in to partner regular Chris Webster in the three-hour enduro race.

The team’s Vantage was unchanged, with Will Moore and Dennis Strandberg fighting for their second podium in a row following second place in the previous round at Rockingham.

Nicoll-Jones and Webster lined up 14th with their team-mates in 12th before Moore led the early stages of the damp race after a fine start.

Strandberg and Moore had another podium in their sights but both crews collected stop-and-go penalties as the cars were not held in the pit box for the correct amount of time.

Moore and Strandberg eventually came home fourth with Webster and Nicoll-Jones 12th.

The next round is at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, on July 10 and 11 but the team first head to the Aston Martin Festival of Le Mans on Saturday.

They have recruited experienced GT racer Ade Barwick for this weekend.

Barwick, who regularly competes in the British GT Championship and finished third in the standings in 2014, has never raced an Aston Martin machine before.

He will team up with Academy's regular racer Will Moore. 

The team will also field their second Vantage GT4 racer at Le Mans.

Nicoll-Jones plans to put his professional racing skills to the test in one of the seats with the second seat still available alongside him.

"This is an amazing opportunity which has come about at just the right time in my schedule," Barwick said.

"I was planning on heading to Le Mans and the Aston Martin Festival anyway and saw the opportunity. 

"Not many people can say that they've had the opportunity to race around the full Le Mans circuit on the same weekend as the annual 24-hour race.

"That opportunity probably won't happen again for me, so it was something I couldn't pass up.

"The Academy Vantage GT4 cars are brand new this year. The team has already stood on the podium at a round of this year's British GT Championship with the cars, so I know they will give Will and I a great car to compete with.

"I'm doing this for the history and experience of racing at Le Mans. I don't know my way around the circuit but I'm certainly going to enjoy the car."

Team boss Nicoll-Jones added: "Ade is a great addition to the team, he's a fantastic bloke and it's a great coup for us to have him for Le Mans. I think that both he and Will will perform extremely well. 

"I'm going to suit myself up too and prepare to race my heart out around such a legendary circuit like La Sarthe.

"I would ask anyone who would like to join me at this stage to contact me directly as this is an opportunity which just cannot be missed. Ade did just that and he's looking forward to his first appearance at Le Mans."