The BTCC has announced the date and venue for the 2012 media day and test day. This is where the 2012 cars, drivers and teams assemble to be photographed, filmed and interviewed by the media.
There is also a timed testing session where the cars can be demonstrated and an early idea of who the in-form drivers and teams are likely to be.
The public can generally attend for free to watch the afternoons testing.
Date : 19th March 2012
Venue: Silverstone.
Donington Park’s date on the 2012 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship calendar has now been confirmed – meaning all ten BTCC fixtures for next year are now in place.
The historic Leicestershire venue will host the second event of the season when the BTCC, the UK’s premier motor racing championship, tours the country – in total it will visit nine top-class race circuits in eight different counties.
The BTCC’s 2012 race dates are:
Date Circuit, Location
31 March-1 April Brands Hatch, Kent
14-15 April Donington Park, Leicestershire
28-29 April Thruxton, Hampshire
9-10 June Oulton Park, Cheshire
23-24 June Croft, North Yorkshire
11-12 August Snetterton (300), Norfolk
25-26 August Knockhill, Fife
22-23 September Rockingham, Northamptonshire
6-7 October Silverstone, Northamptonshire
20-21 October Brands Hatch, Kent
Luton-based Team ES Racing has announced their 2012 plans with intention to run a 2 car NGTC-spec team in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.
Talking at the Motorsport UK show in Coventry Team Principal Chris James said: “We are delighted to be able to prove our long term commitment to the BTCC and to have not been a flash in the pan or a one season wonder.”
Following their debut year in the BTCC with the Chevrolet Lacetti the team will be looking to build on the knowledge and experience gained.
“Moving forward the team is able to grow on solid foundations built in the first season, this will allow us to finish regularly in the top 10 and we will be looking to continue to better this.”
The team also unveiled they are in talks with various drivers with the plan of adding a second car to the team. “Adding a second NGTC-spec car was always our intention and now this is almost in place it confirms our standing as one of the top flight teams in the BTCC”
Pic: Chris Enion
Nineteen year-old Daniel Lloyd from Huddersfield has been announced as the winner of the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Scholarship.
Lloyd was chosen from four Scholarship finalists for the prize, which is topped by a massive £80,000 contribution to his Carrera Cup GB budget for 2012. After a day of demanding evaluation at the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone on Monday (31 October), the judging panel selected Lloyd as the 2012 Scholar.
The identity of the winner was unveiled on-line at 10am this morning (Friday 4 November 2011) at http://origin.porsche.com/uk
Lloyd was overjoyed when he watched the video clip and discovered that he had been selected. “It really does mean everything to me to win the Scholarship,” said Lloyd. “I’ve never been so happy in my life. It is a huge deal; I’ve put so much effort into this and I’m so happy it has paid off. It has been a horrible week waiting for the result, and I was very emotional when they announced my name.
“I really can’t stress how much this will change my life and career. Ever since I started racing on the BTCC package when I was 15, I always looked up to the Carrera Cup and thought it was what I wanted to do. Without the Scholarship we wouldn’t be able to do the Carrera Cup next season, so it really does mean the world to me.
“To get to where I am today has been a real team effort and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my parents,” he continued. “It will mean everything to them as well; they are very supportive and they’d love to see me succeed in the Carrera Cup.”
“The four finalists were all excellent candidates,” said Carrera Cup manager Marion Barnaby. “It was a very tough decision for the judging panel but Daniel impressed in all areas and I believe he will be a very worthy 2012 Scholar.”
The four finalists completed a rigorous evaluation process, including driving the latest 450bhp 911 GT3 Cup car on the Silverstone National circuit. They also were put through panel interviews, media assessment and a daunting programme of fitness testing.
Porsche Carrera Cup GB awards presented
As well as a share in over £60,000 end-of-season prize money, James Sutton, Jonas Gelzinis and Simon Leonard picked up the keys for new road-going Porsche 911s during the annual awards dinner for the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at the Runnymede-on-Thames Hotel in Egham on Saturday evening (29 October).
Overall champion Sutton, Pro-Am1 winner Gelzinis and Leonard of SAS/Redline, winner of the teams’ championship, all now have the use of the 911 for a year. The big prize money winners were headed by Sutton, who picked up a cheque for £15,000 in addition to around £10,000 won across the 19-race season. Michael Meadows and Stephen Jelley collected cheques for £10,000 and £6000 respectively for finishing second and third overall in the championship. Meadows also claimed the special award for the ‘most improved driver of the season’ along with a further cheque for £1000.
Sutton paid tribute to the strength of his opposition in the most competitive season in the history of the Carrera Cup GB. “There were more drivers than ever to beat and that made it very special for me,” said Sutton. Meadows, meanwhile, was a worthy runner-up. “I worked very hard on my consistency and it’s been a great year for me. I spent a lot less time in Ray’s office,” he added, referring to series clerk of the course, Ray Sumner.
Jelley said he had loved every minute of the season, apart from the final race weekend at Silverstone when he lost his chance of the title. “It’s been a fantastic year and the guys at Team Parker Racing have worked so hard for me,” he said.
Gelzinis stepped up to collect the Pro-Am1 title, while Rory Butcher and Ahmad Al Harthy took second and third places in Pro-Am1 and a share of the £13,000 end of season pro-am1 prize fund. “It was a fantastic year for me,” said Gelzinis, who will step up to the Pro category for 2012. “Next year I will push like hell,” he promised.
In Pro-Am2, George Brewster, Keith Webster and Richard Denny shared £9000 in prize money. “This is special, particularly after missing it by two points last year,” said Brewster. Celtic Speed is only a small team but they did a great job this season.”
In the teams’ championship, SAS/Redline won the top award, as Parker with Juta finished second and Team Parker Racing took third. The three top teams in the championship also won £7000, £4000 and £3000 respectively.
Stuart Parker, boss of the teams that finished second and third, dedicated their success to Dan Wheldon, the Indycar driver who lost his life in an accident earlier in October. “I raced karts with Dan and then we graduated into Formula Vauxhall Junior together,” said Parker. “I spent many happy times with Dan and he was such a great guy. I dedicate our success this year to him.”
Finally, the BARC Marshals’ Fund benefited by over £1500 from the raffle organised during the evening.
Hetherington reflects on Carrera Cup GB Scholarship season
On the eve of the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Scholarship evaluation, Ben Hetherington, the 2011 Scholarship winner reflected on his first season in the Carrera Cup and his first visit to the overall podium in the final race of the season at Silverstone.
“It’s been a very tough year and a bit of a roller coaster,” said the 19-year old racer from Hulme Walfield in Cheshire. “The Carrera Cup is so competitive that you can’t afford to be off the mark at all. To finish the final race at Silverstone on the podium was just amazing.”
Hetherington says that winning the Scholarship was a massive boost in his bid to make a career as a professional sports and GT racer. “It’s a superb scheme that is bringing young talent through into a very professional and competitive championship. I’ve learnt so much this year and the podium at Silverstone shows just how much I’ve learnt.”
Already, Hetherington is planning to return in 2012 for a second season in the Carrera Cup GB. He has raced with Redline Racing alongside championship one-two James Sutton and Michael Meadows and Ben says that the elevation of 2010 Scholarship winner Meadows into a race winner and title contender this season is a clear pointer.
“Michael has demonstrated the benefit of winning the Scholarship and then doing a second year in the Carrera Cup,” said Hetherington. “This is definitely a two-year programme for me. I look forward to putting all that I’ve learnt into practice next year. You’ll now arrive at a circuit in your second year and know just what to do.”
The four drivers selected as finalists for the 2012 Carrera Cup GB Scholarship are Jody Fannin, Tom Ingram, Daniel Lloyd and Ollie Milroy. They will undergo an evaluation process at the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone on Monday (31 October), including driving the latest 450bhp 911GT3 Cup car on the Silverstone National circuit.
Josh Hill at the 2010 Formula Renault Winter Series
Here is the entry list for the Formula Renault Winter Finals, held at Snetterton this coming weekend, and Rockingham the weekend after. The races will include entrants from Formula Renault UK, Formula Renault BARC and the Formula Renault Eurocup teams.
2 Daniil Kyvat, Koiranen
3 Ocon Esteban, Koiranen
4 Hans Villemi, Koiranen
5 John Bryant-Meisner, Koiranen
6 Martin Rump, Koiranen
7 Stefan Wackerbauer, Koiranen
8 Geoff Uhrhane, Atech Reid GP
9 Melville McKee, Interwetten
11 Dennis Van Der Laar, Van Amersfoort Racing
12 Joao Sergio Camara, Van Amersfoort Racing
14 Josh Hill, Fortec
16 Dan Wells, Atech Reid GP
17 Nick McBride, Manor Competition
18 Hector Hurst, Manor Competition
19 Dan De Zille, Fortec
21 Josh Webster, Mark Burdett Motorsport
22 Tomasz Krzeminski, Mark Burdett Motorsport
24 Felix Serralles, Fortec
25 Victor Jiminez, Hillspeed
26 Archie Hamilton, Fortec
27 Ivan Taranov, Antel
28 Chirag Marhotra, Antel
29 Ed Jones, Fortec
31 Joe Kibbler, Hillspeed
33 Sean Walkinshaw, Hillspeed
34 Thomas Jäger, Fortec
39 Shahaan Engineer, Fortec
41 Jake Dennis, Fortec
42 Jordan King, Manor
44 Oliver Rowland, Fortec
66 James Fletcher, MGR
99 TBA, MGR
Pic: Norwich Photo
Louise
Grantham-based Richardson Racing saw the highs and lows of motorsport during the final two rounds of the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup at Silverstone.
Brother and sister pair Andrew and Louise Richardson went into the season finale on the short National circuit aiming for the top step of the podium, with Andrew eager to add to his win tally and Louise hoping to taste victory champagne for the first time this year.
Chasing her first victory of the season, Louise’s weekend started well when she posted the third quickest time amongst the G50 drivers during the two free practice sessions on Friday. Repeating that feat in qualifying, Louise then secured third in class and twelfth overall on the grid for the opening race after a closely-fought session that saw her miss class pole by just 0.073secs.
Andy
However, Louise’s hopes of ending the season with a trip to the top of the podium ended in dramatic fashion on the opening lap, when she was forced onto the grass by the G55 of Jamie Orton as the field headed into the left-hand kink prior to Becketts. Once on the grass, Louise was powerless to stop her car from getting sideways and having come back onto the circuit in the middle of the pack, she was then collected by the car of fellow G50 runner Aaron Williamson.
Heavy contact with the driver’s door caused extensive damage to Louise’s car and left her trapped in her seat, with rescue crews attending the incident to help her from the wreckage. After a visit to the circuit medical centre, Louise was transferred to hospital for checks, but luckily escaped with nothing more than a bruised leg.
“I got alongside the G55 on the run to Becketts but just as we came up the little left-hand kink before the corner and entered the braking zone, he squeezed me onto the grass,” she said. “I’m not sure he realised I was there. When I braked, the car got sideways and when I came back onto the circuit, I hit Jake Rattenbury and that turned my car round right in front of Aaron; he just had nowhere to go.
“Unfortunately he hit my car in just the wrong place and I ended up being trapped in my seat. I’ve got to thank the people that got me out for doing a fantastic job as they helped to keep me calm and made sure I was in as little pain as possible – I’m really grateful for their help.
“I’ve had a lot of bad luck this season and got caught up in incidents that weren’t my fault, but I’ve also shown I have the pace to run at the front and have finished on the podium. I have to thank the boys in the team for the work they’ve done on the car over the season as it improved a lot over the course of the year.”
Louise’s accident meant Andrew was left to fly the flag for the team, although his hopes of victory in race one were also ended by an incident early on. Prior to the red flag being shown for Louise’s accident, Andrew – who had qualified fifth amongst the G50 drivers despite being just 0.131secs from pole – was tipped into a spin by Mark Davies going into Brooklands, which dropped him to the rear of the field.
Andy
That meant Andrew started from the very back of the pack when the race was restarted but he made up five places on the opening lap alone to lie 15th overall. Continuing his forward progress, Andrew worked his way up to eleventh overall and third in class by lap nine and then put Mark Johnston under pressure before clinching second amongst the G50s and tenth overall with a move up the inside into the final corner.
Starting from tenth for the final race of the season, Andrew held his place through the opening lap and fought for the G50 class victory throughout with rival Jake Hill. Despite a G55 driver getting involved in the battle between the pair mid-way through the race, Andrew stayed within a second of Hill throughout the race but had to settle for a repeat of his race one result as he took second in class in the season finale.
“Two podium finishes is a good way to end the season, although it could have been better,” he said. “If I’d not been punted off in race one and had to take the restart from the back, I think I could have battled for victory and in race two, I could possibly have made a move on Jake if the G55 hadn’t got in the mix.
“However, looking at the season as a whole, I think we’ve had a very good year when you consider the amount of track time we’ve had and the fact we have run on a small budget. Personally, I think I have proved myself on track and shown what I can do and there are a lot of positives that I can take away from this season as I start working towards 2012.”
Following the final race, Andrew then headed over to the South circuit at Silverstone for an event with the charity Afghan Heroes, where he gave passenger rides to a number of British servicemen injured in conflict who have since been helped by the charity.
“The event was really good,” he said. “Everyone who came in the car with me was smiling afterwards and seemed to enjoy themselves; which was the main aim of the day. These are people who have been injured fighting for their country and it was great that we could do something for them.”
Declan Jones concluded his maiden season in the 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship at Silverstone last weekend in fine form, with a strong showing in rounds nineteen and twenty.
Declan, who made the step up to the Ginetta Junior Championship for 14-17 year-olds this season, after several successful years in the Lewis Hamilton and Bernie Ecclestone Formula One Management-backed Formula Kart Stars Series and in the Super One Rotax Series, was slowed by severe engine problems last time out at Brands Hatch. However with no such issues this time he was able to show great pace around Silverstone’s 1.639-mile National Circuit.
Indeed the Chicago Soft-backed youngster was right at the front in practice on Friday, a switch to TJ Motorsport paying early dividends. He then maintained that momentum on Saturday morning, finishing third overall in the official free practice session – his best lap a 1 minute 10.533 seconds, which left him just 0.087 seconds off P2.
Qualifying was just as positive and while he slipped to ninth, he was just three tenths off third and a place on the second row.
The first race saw the Liverpudlian storm up to sixth at the start in his Ginetta G40J. Unfortunately though, going into Becketts, he got taken out by one of his rivals and while he could continue, with the steering damaged, he did well to make it to the chequered flag, eventually classified in 14th.
“It has been great with TJ Motorsport from the word go,” Declan said. “It is a nice team and everyone is really welcoming.
“We were good in practice and the car felt strong on Saturday and we had really high hopes. I felt I should have been a bit higher in qualifying but I just couldn’t quite hook up a lap with a really good tow.
“Then in the first race we went from ninth to sixth at the start. It was going well. But after the contact the steering was destroyed – you have holding points for the steering wheel and they were literally bent the opposite way they should have been – and all I could do was bring it home.”
The next day in the second race, which was screened live on UK television on ITV4, Declan made another great start and was up to fifth at the end of the first tour. Although he slipped back to sixth on lap two, he re-gained P5 on lap six, all the time running right up with a gaggle of cars that trailed eventual race winner, Niall Murray and 2011 Ginetta Junior Champion, Seb Morris.
With one lap to the ‘flag, he looked set to at least equal his best result of the year. However, it wasn’t to be and when two of his rivals made contact in front, the 16-year-old was left with nowhere to go. He finished 13th.
“I had a fantastic start again, probably one of my best of the year,” Declan continued. “I was able to do the same lap times as everyone in front of me and I was running right up with them.
“But then it all kicked off directly ahead of me on the very final lap with three corners to go – and I was taken out, again. I guess it was a racing incident. It is racing at the end of the day and you have got to get on with it, although it is obviously disappointing.
“It has been an eventful weekend and while the results might not show it, it was very positive.
“With a bit of better luck we could definitely have got a podium, but still the pace was there. I have learnt loads this year. The set-up is now very good and with fine tweaking I think it could easily be a winning car.”
Declan ends his rookie campaign 13th in the standings – having notched up 172 points and having scored in 17 of the 20 races.
It is not quite over however, as he will take in the stand-alone Ginetta GT Winter Cup event at Snetterton next month (November 5-6) and with four separate Ginetta Junior races on the bill, he could yet end 2011 with a rostrum.
“I am really looking forward to the Winter Cup,” Declan added. “This weekend has been another massive confidence booster.
“It will be good to go back to Snetterton having raced there in August too. It is a nice track. I will be going into it hoping to come away with some trophies. I’m determined to try and get a podium there.”
Declan’s dad, manager and chief mechanic, Kelvin Jones meanwhile felt there were many positives to take from the Silverstone finale.
“The race today was probably Declan’s best of the year,” Kelvin stated. “Knockhill may be his best results wise, as he was fifth, but today he was extremely fast. He has been very quick throughout the weekend and I think we could have had near-on-a-podium in both races. Dec was just unlucky to be twice taken out. The positive though is the speed. We knew we were going to get there and we most definitely have.
“We have the Winter Cup to focus on now and we will again run with TJ Motorsport. I wanted to get a feel for them this weekend and we will do the same at Snetterton. We will then look to finalise our plans for 2012.
“I am convinced with the right package Declan can be a championship contender next year.”
Anybody that would like to get involved and support Declan should contact Kelvin on +44 (0)7989 585186.
Pics: Jakob Ebrey
The AmD Milltek Racing.com team again showed strong pace during its second home meeting of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season at Brands Hatch, only to come away from the penultimate meeting of the year without a top ten finish.
The West Thurrock-based team went into the weekend keen to add to the points finishes it claimed earlier in the year, with Colchester-racer Martin Byford making his first appearance on the longer Grand Prix layout since 2003.
Martin qualified in 19th place at the wheel of his turbo-powered VW Golf but made strong early progress to make up two places through the opening laps. However, the failure of the coil pack on the car saw Martin forced to make an unscheduled trip the pits for a replacement, which in turn dropped him down to the rear of the field.
Rejoining just ahead of the leading Chevrolet of Jason Plato, Byford was forced to pull over to allow both Plato and Alex MacDowall through to lap his Golf but he was then able to keep pace with the leaders before ending the race in 22nd place.
A good start to race two saw Martin make up three places on the opening lap alone and he continued to make good progress to move into 15th position by the tenth lap. Almost matching the pace of cars running inside the top ten, Martin crossed the line in 15th place, ahead of the Vauxhall of Andrew Jordan, which took a race victory earlier in the season.
The final race of the weekend again saw Martin showing the pace to run towards the top ten, but his hopes of improving on his race two result were hit by contact from the SEAT of Dave Newsham early on and he crossed the line in 17th place, having once again set lap-times comparable with drivers inside the top ten despite braking issues as the race wore on.
“It’s been tough weekend for us this weekend,” he said. “I think I’ve been on the pace and have driven well but track position is vital when the series is as competitive as it is at the moment. Without the problem in race one, we’d have probably finished around eleventh of twelfth which would have really set us up for two good results in the following races and we could well have broken into the points.
“However, to get three finishes is good as it’s more mileage for me in the car and I feel more at home in the Golf every time I go out on track. It’s just a shame there is only one race weekend to come before the season ends.”
Team boss Shaun Hollamby said he was once again pleased with the pace shown by Martin on track, even if his performances at the wheel weren’t rewarded with a maiden top ten finish.
“Martin has shown good pace again, but we’ve just not come away from the weekend with the results to match,” he said. “We would probably have been on the cusp of the points finishes in race one and its frustrating that it was a relatively minor thing that meant we had to bring Martin in for a pit-stop, but the coil pack failing is just one of those things that happens sometimes.
“To come from 22nd to 15th in race two was good and showed the pace in the car and it was a solid performance in race three considering that the brakes were going spongy on the car and making it more difficult to drive. We’ve just got to go to Silverstone for the final rounds and focus on trying to end the year on a high.”
A family affair as Tom Ingram toasts ‘phenomenal’ second consecutive Ginetta title triumph
It was an emotional moment, he confessed, as he climbed from his Plans Motorsport car at the end of race three at Brands Hatch and ascended the podium to collect his trophy – and as Tom Ingram reflects upon his superb title glory in the 2011 Ginetta G50 Cup, he admits that it has always been very much a family effort.
Arriving at Brands Hatch’s celebrated GP Circuit – home to the British Grand Prix on no fewer than 12 occasions between 1964 and 1986 – Tom knew that at 42 points ahead of any of his rivals on full scores and 78 in the more representative dropped totals table, he had a decent chance of clinching the crown without even needing to compete in the Silverstone finale later this month, but equally, he still had to produce the goods.
“I just tried to approach it as I would any normal race weekend,” underlined the talented young High Wycombe star. “I treated it exactly the same as all the others, targeting some solid points and then seeing where that left us. It was going to be about consistency – not necessarily winning races – and we’ve always been consistent in terms of wins and podium finishes. That’s the way to win championships, at the end of the day.”
It is a tactic that has worked well for him in seasons past – yielding title success in the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2010 and the BRDC Stars of Tomorrow British Karting Championship four years earlier – but that should not disguise the fact that Tom has also been comfortably the out-and-out quickest G50 competitor in 2011.
Unfortunately, an anti-roll bar snapping in half and lodging itself in a wheel did not get proceedings off to the best of starts in qualifying at Brands, restricting the 18-year-old BRDC Rising Star to just two timed laps and an uncharacteristic sixth on the grid for race one – distinctly unaccustomed territory for a driver who prior to that had set seven pole positions out of a possible eight. He maturely refused to let the misfortune throw him off his stride.
“I knew that as long as I didn’t allow it to faze me too much, used my head and kept everything nice and smooth and consistent, it would be ok,” he explained. “I was aiming to just make my way through the pack and regain as much ground as I could in race one – and third place given where we had started was more useful points towards the championship. Although you’d always rather be up on the top step of the podium, in the circumstances, third was just fine.”
Indeed, with his principal adversary finishing further down the order, the result enabled Tom to eke out his advantage once more and take another step closer to the laurels. In race two, despite palpably possessing the pace to triumph and making a bid for the lead, minor contact as he found his attempt brusquely rebuffed prompted the highly-rated Bucks speed demon to wisely think better of it.
“That focussed my attention,” he conceded, “and caused me to stop and think, ‘look, use your head here, Tom – you’ve near-enough got the championship in the bag, so just stay where you are and it will be fine, don’t blow it now!’ I knew there was no point in taking an unnecessary risk to go for the race win when second position was more than enough in terms of the championship, so I just settled for that. My main rival was some way behind again, so the pressure was off a bit and it was all about remaining consistent and not making any mistakes.”
As usual, he made none, and following his supremely intelligent performance, Tom and his Plans Motorsport team immersed themselves in feverish calculations ahead of race three to work out just what he needed to do to put the title definitively beyond the reach of his pursuers. Realising that third position would be sufficient irrespective of what else happened, he sat dutifully in second place throughout, right in the leader’s wheeltracks. As in race two, he had the pace to challenge – but also as in race two, he didn’t need to.
Completing the job to perfection, the former Wycombe and Marlow Sports Personality of the Year was left afterwards to look back upon a campaign in which he has been indisputably the class of the field from lights-out to chequered flag – and having begun his bid for glory at Brands Hatch all the way back in March, it was somewhat appropriate that he should be crowned there, too, at the end of a season that has yielded no fewer than ten victories, 18 podiums and 13 fastest laps from 25 starts. Simply staggering.
“When I crossed the finish line in race three, it was just complete joy,” Tom enthused, after leaping over the parc fermé fence to celebrate with his family and team and kissing the ITV4 camera following his live interview. “I struggled to put into words how it felt to be champion – it’s just crazy! From the start of the year, when we didn’t even think we were going to be racing, to now be the 2011 Ginetta G50 Champion is insane! I was speechless.
“To come away with our second championship in as many years is absolutely phenomenal! It’s been my first year in a senior championship, and as last year’s Ginetta Junior Champion, there was a lot of pressure on me to do well – everybody’s expectations were high.
“I felt totally overwhelmed. I spent a lot of time doing interviews afterwards, and then I was able to have a moment to myself in a corner of the truck on my own – and I just burst into tears. I sat there balling my eyes out! It really brought it all home to me.
“It’s always been such a family affair, and I need to thank my mum and my dad and my grandparents so much. I’ve had incredible support throughout the year from so many people, and in particular I need to say a massive ‘thank you’ to Matthew and Leigh-Anne Kirby, Walker Logistics, Cannon Moorcroft – and of course, Plans Motorsport for a tremendous team effort. I want to thank everybody! This completely makes all the sacrifices and ‘Asda Price’ meal deals worthwhile! It’s just amazing!”
Tom is seeking sponsorship to enable him to continue progressing his burgeoning career in 2012; if you are interested in supporting him, please e-mail: tom@ingram26.fsnet.co.uk
You can follow Tom on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tomingram80, and to keep up-to-date with his latest career news and results, please visit: www.tom-ingram.com
Pics: Jakob Ebrey
The Porsche Carrera Cup GB heads to Silverstone (15/16 October) for the closest finish in the history of the championship. Just three points split Michael Meadows, Stephen Jelley and James Sutton going into the final two races of the 19-round season and with a fabulous 27-car grid it promises to be a sensational conclusion to a fabulous season.
It is not only the overall title that is to be resolved among the stunning field of 450bhp 911 GT3 Cup cars. Although Jonas Gelzinis is now secure as Pro-Am1 champion, George Brewster and Keith Webster are battling for the Pro-Am2 title and the prestigious teams’ championship will also be decided at Silverstone. SAS/Redline has a useful advantage and strong finishes for Meadows and Sutton in the opening race will seal the title for the Cleveland-based squad.
With the kudos of a Carrera Cup title and over £60,000 in end of season prize money awaiting the top drivers and teams, there is going to some dramatic action. In addition, the overall champion, Pro-Am1 champion and winning team manager will all collect the keys to a road-going Porsche 911 to use for a year. There really is a great deal at stake as the final two rounds run in quick succession on Sunday, with barely two hours for teams to re-prepare cars for the second race.
The big story for Silverstone is the overall title race as Meadows and Sutton from the SAS/Redline team go head-to-head with Jelley (Parker with Juta). With one score to drop, it leaves Meadows and Jelley level on points with Sutton just three behind. It really is that close and if either of them finishes ahead in both races, that should be enough to settle the title.
“It’s going to be very tough,” said former Carrera Cup Scholar Meadows, who has enjoyed a superb season. “We’re all going to be giving it everything,” added Meadows. Jelley, meanwhile, is revved up to take the fight to the SAS twins. “It’s really winner takes all, which is fantastic,” he said. “It’s going to be a hell of a weekend.” Sutton reckons that the weekend will throw up a surprise or two. “It never runs smoothly and there is always one final twist,” said the 2007 champion. “I can’t imagine that this one will be any different.”
Of course, there are plenty of other drivers who simply want to win races this weekend, none more so than Bedford’s Nick Tandy who arrived in the championship in style at Brands Hatch in the Nationwide/Motorbase entry. The Porsche Supercup racer will be very hard to beat. Add in young chargers Euan Hankey (Parker with Juta), Richard Plant and Sam Tordoff from Team Parker Racing, Ben Hetherington (Oman Air/Redline) and Kieran Vernon (Nationwide/Motorbase) and the stage is set for two epic races on Sunday.
But this is not only about the overall contest. In Pro-Am1, Gelzinis (Juta Racing) is confirmed as champion but Rory Butcher (Celtic Speed) and Ahmad Al Harthy (Oman Air/Redline) are battling hard for second. However, it is still very close in Pro-Am2 where Brewster (Celtic Speed) has a slender advantage over Webster (Redline Racing). “Nothing is won, but we’re in good shape and it is for us to lose,” said Brewster. “It’s all on Silverstone and I think we’ll have a good clean fight there,” countered Webster. Other leading runners in Pro-Am2 include Steve Parish (Motorbase Performance), Yucel Ozbek (Redline Racing) and Richard Denny (Parr Motorsport).
After qualifying at 12.05 on Saturday, round 18 will start at 12.25 on Sunday followed by round 19 at 15.45. Both races will be broadcast live on ITV4 during the extensive BTCC programme, which starts at 11.00 on Sunday.
The overall points’ situation is:
Michael Meadows; currently on 282 but has to drop a score of 10 points
Stephen Jelley; currently on 272 with zero to drop
James Sutton; currently on 270 but has to drop a score of 1 point
Overall scoring system: 20-18-16-14-12-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 to the first 15 finishers plus 1 point for pole position for each race a 1 point for fastest lap in each race.
The Pro-Am2 points’ situation is:
George Brewster; currently on 121 but has to drop 11 points at Silverstone
Keith Webster; currently on 118 but has to drop 13 points at Silverstone
Pro-Am2 scoring system: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 to the first 10 Pro-Am2 finishers plus 1 point for Pro-Am2 pole position for each race and 1 point for Pro-Am2 fastest lap in each race.
Liverpool-based teenager battles engine woes and rivals en-route to two top-ten finishes in the latest rounds of the Ginetta Junior Championship
Declan Jones took two top-ten finishes during rounds seventeen and eighteen of the 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship at Brands Hatch last weekend, despite severe engine problems that left him down on power.
Declan, who has graduated to the Ginetta Junior Championship for 14-17 year-olds this season and who went to the Kent-based circuit still buzzing following a strong showing last time out at Rockingham, began well on the Friday and was right in the mix in practice for Westbourne Motorsport.
However on Saturday morning the engine began to play up and while changes were made prior to qualifying, the issue persisted with the Chicago Soft-backed youngster having to settle for the 13th best time.
Although a new engine was purchased in a bid to solve the issue, there was no time to fit it for the first race later that day.
However the Liverpudlian got on with and was eventually rewarded with yet another top-ten.
“It was frustrating knowing we were basically running on three cylinders,” Declan said. “The day before we had been something like P6 or P7 in the first practice session and we were really happy.
“Then on Saturday we had the problems with the engine and we just didn’t have time to change it for the race.
“I just had to drive the best I could in the end and tenth wasn’t bad in the circumstances.”
The next day with a fresh engine fitted, Declan was hopeful he would be able to bounce back, but much to his disappointment his Ginetta G40J remained down on power.
Never one to give up though, the 16-year-old persevered, and in another action-packed Ginetta Junior race screened live on UK television on ITV4, he made his way through to claim his second top-ten of the weekend, eventually classified in ninth.
“Obviously I had high hopes on Sunday,” Declan continued. “I thought with the new engine I’d have a lot more power and so to go out and have less power was really frustrating.
“But my dad kept saying to me: ‘Bring it home, bring it home and collect points’. And that is what I did again.
“Overall it has been difficult weekend and at times quite tough. But considering all our problems the results were still really good. I’ve come away with a lot of points and so there is a lot to be positive about.”
Indeed in the end, Declan scored 23 points – his second best haul of the season – and that increases his total to 157, bumping him up to joint 12th place in the championship.
He will now conclude his debut season in the Ginettas in two weeks time (October 15-16), when the MSA British Touring Car Championship-support series heads to Silverstone for rounds 19 and 20, and he is looking forward to getting back out on the National circuit.
“When we tested there at the start of the year in the wet I was really quick. Hopefully it will rain again when we go back,” Declan added. “I like Silverstone and I really want try and get on the podium there.”
Declan’s dad, manager and chief mechanic, Kelvin Jones meanwhile is also looking forward to the finale.
Furthermore with Ginetta due to examine the car this week in a bid to diagnose why it was so down on power at Brands, he is also hopeful Silverstone will prove rewarding.
“It wasn’t an easy weekend for Declan or the team,” Kelvin reflected. “Between qualifying and the first race I went and bought a new engine. We fitted it overnight for the second race but it was actually worse.
“It has got to go back to Ginetta on Wednesday now and they are going to have it for the day on the dyno to try and find out what the problem is.
“Despite all that though, for Dec to still bring it home tenth and ninth in the two races, was very good. We think he has done extremely well given he was fighting with one hand tied behind his back.
“We are now looking forward to Silverstone. It will be the last round and it is going to be one to watch.
“Declan is praying for rain. We were quickest there in pre-season testing in the wet and that was with them all on track. If we give him the right equipment, I know he is capable of doing really well. We will be out to end the year on a high before then starting to think about our plans for next year.”
Photos: Jakob Ebrey
Pic: Sportstock.co.uk
Pirtek Racing will be running two Honda Civics in NGTC guise in 2012, it was announced today. Andrew Jordan and Jeff Smith will kept as drivers.
Team Dynamics will be building the cars for Team Eurotech (aka Pirtek)
The 2011 S2000-NGTC hybrid (right) has been consistently the fastest of the 2011 campaign, with both Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden in contention for the drivers championship title. A new, fully NGTC complient car is coming next year.
Pirtek Racing has announced that it will field a pair of new NGTC Honda Civics for Andrew Jordan and Jeff Smith in the 2012 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.
Team principal Mike Jordan confirmed that the Team Eurotech-operated squad has ordered two cars from Team Dynamics ahead of the coming season. “This is the start of a new two-year partnership with Pirtek and that has given us the confidence and stability to make a major investment,” said Jordan senior.
“We are delighted and excited to announce that we will run two new Civics to the Next Generation Touring Car regulations,” he continued. “We will have exactly the same car as Matt Neal. We looked seriously at several options for doing our own car, but we wanted the best car for the start of the new season. That’s as good as it gets.” Jordan has always enjoyed a close relationship with Team Dynamics, which dates back to racing BMW M3s 20 years ago.
Andrew, meanwhile, can’t wait to start running the latest Honda Civic. “I’m very excited,” he said. “We’ve straight away put ourselves in the best car on the grid for next year. I’m looking forward to working with Team Dynamics; I think we’ll work very well together and they will be very open with us. I think there will be quite a few envious people when they see that we are in the new Honda. I think it will be the best car on the grid. I’d like to think we’ll be consistently near the front and consistency is something I want to concentrate on.”
Smith will stay with the team to build on a successful learning season in the BTCC. “I’m very pleased that Jeff has enjoyed his first BTCC season to the extent that he is stepping up to a new car as well. He has had what you would expect of a debut year in the BTCC and the aim for 2012 is for him to be a regular front-runner,” said Mike Jordan.
Pic: Nick Dungan / Sportstock.co.uk
Louise
Grantham-based Richardson Racing secured another trip to the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup championship podium during the penultimate race weekend of the season on the Brands Hatch GP circuit.
Brother and sister pair Andrew and Louise Richardson went into the weekend targeting top three finishes in the competitive G50 class, and both impressed in sweltering weather conditions at the Kent circuit.
Andrew qualified second in class and tenth overall for the opening race of the weekend but moved into the G50 lead on the first lap when Jake Hill went off the road at Stirlings. After a brief Safety Car period, Andrew held the lead until lap five when Aaron Williamson found a way through at Sheene, with Andrew then chasing him to the flag to finish second in class and ninth overall.
Andr
The second race didn’t start well for Andrew when he stalled on the line and dropped to the rear of the field. From that point onwards, he was forced into a recovery drive through the pack and drove well to climb to fifth in class and 13th overall when the chequered flag dropped.
A better start in race three saw Andrew settle into third place and, after an early Safety Car period, he set about challenging Williamson and Tom Ingram for victory. However, on the final lap of the race, a small mistake at Druids allowed Jake Hill to close onto the rear of Andrew’s car and he was able to make a forceful move for position through Dingle Dell to demote Andrew back to fourth in class and ninth overall.
“It’s been a bit of a mixed bag really,” he said. “Finishing second in the first race was a good result but then I stalled at the start of race two and that ended my chances of another podium finish there. I think I fought back well but couldn’t get ahead of Louise into fourth.
“We had really good pace in the final race and there was nothing between the top four of us on the times so I’m kicking myself a bit as I really wanted second and just went into Druids a bit too hot. That gave Jake the chance to close up and it was a bit cheeky that he put two wheels on the grass when he made his move but I’m more frustrated with myself for making the error and giving him the chance.”
Louise qualified fourth in class and twelfth overall but made up places to briefly sit second before settling into third through the first half of the opening race. However, as she started to suffer from tyre wear as the race wore on, Louise lost a place to Ingram and settled for fourth at the finish.
A solid start to race two saw Louise climb up to second place behind Williamson before Ingram managed to find a way through into Surtees on the second lap. Louise continued to run in a solid third before Hill fought his way through, with Louise taking the chequered flag in fourth place, just ahead of Andrew on track.
Louise again ran inside the top four in the opening laps of the final race before losing a place to Hill on the seventh lap. Despite starting to feel the effects of the sore shoulder she sustained in her accident at Rockingham a fortnight ago, Louise brought her car to the finish fifth in class and tenth overall.
“It all started well for me although we struggled a little bit with the set-up in the first two races,” she said. “Despite that, I managed to get two fourth place finishes but it was a little bit disappointing as I was in third and second at points and could have been on the podium. The car felt better in the final race but I made a few mistakes and my shoulder started to ache a bit more towards the end, but I got another finish and can now look forward to Silverstone.”
Pics: Jakob Ebrey
Jelley wins Carrera Cup GB round 17 at Brands Hatch
Stephen Jelley swept to victory in round 17 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Brands Hatch today (Sunday 2 October) to set up an incredibly close championship showdown with Michael Meadows and James Sutton over the final two races at Silverstone later this month.
From the start of the race, Nick Tandy (Nationwide/Motorbase) went clear, but a rear puncture ended his race after six laps and it was Jelley (Parker with Juta) who moved ahead to take a very important victory as Meadows (SAS/Redline) and Euan Hankey (Parker with Juta) completed the overall podium. When Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing) went out with a puncture, Ahmad Al Harthy (Oman Air/Redline) took Pro-Am1 victory and the ‘driver of the weekend’ award. Richard Denny (Parr Motorsport) drove a fine race to win Pro-Am2, while Celtic Speed clinched four podium finishes to earn the ‘team of the weekend’ award.
Tandy had everything under control at the head of the race until he plunged through Paddock Hill Bend for the seventh time. “As soon as I hit the compression at the bottom of the hill, just as I’ve done all weekend, the tyre went down,” said Tandy. “We think it might be a cut from a stone; it’s a disappointing end to a superb weekend.”
Jelley took over the lead and ran smoothly to the finish, but there was nearly disaster as he had a rear tyre go flat as the car stood in parc ferme after the race. “Someone was on my side today,” said Jelley who had battled hard to take second from Meadows at Surtees on the third lap. “It got a bit racy in the first couple of laps,” reported Jelley.
Meadows had to spend the whole race defending second from Hankey and there was only a third of a second between them at the flag. “I didn’t seem to have the pace at the start and that was when Jelley made the move,” said Meadows. Hankey was pleased to be back on the podium as they stretched away from the battle between Sam Tordoff (Team Parker Racing) and Sutton (SAS/Redline). It was a strong run from Tordoff to fend off title contender Sutton as Kieran Vernon (Nationwide/Motorbase) chased them home to round out the top six.
Gelzinis ran fifth overall in the early laps but was another to fall foul of a rear puncture and pulled off to retire, leaving Al Harthy to head the class under pressure from Rory Butcher (Celtic Speed). Over the first half of the race Butcher attacked Al Harthy but little by little Al Harthy edged clear for an impressive victory. “It was so important to get this win; it’s exactly what I needed,” said Al Harthy. Alex Martin (Dextra/JD Pierce by Parker) was heading for third in Pro-Am1 after a fighting drive, but another puncture put him out on the penultimate lap and so George Richardson (Motorbase Performance) wrapped up the Pro-Am1 podium.
Denny was mighty in Pro-Am2 and won from the front as Yucel Ozbek (Redline Racing) fended off George Brewster (Celtic Speed) for second. “I had a good start and just drove as many qualifying laps as I could, and tried not to make any mistakes,” said Denny. “The team has worked so hard for this.” Ozbek had to race hard to hold off Brewster for second, while Keith Webster (Redline Racing) got ahead of Steve Parish (Motorbase Performance) for fourth after a long battle.
Tandy takes Carrera Cup GB victory at Brands Hatch
Nick Tandy raced to victory in round 16 of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Brands Hatch today (Saturday 1 October) as James Sutton lead a determined chase in second place. With fellow title contenders Stephen Jelley and Michael Meadows finishing third and fourth, the championship battle remains finely balanced.
However, the Pro-Am1 title is now secure in the hands of Jonas Gelzinis who won the category with sixth place overall. In Pro-Am2, title contenders George Brewster and Keith Webster finished first and second in a race that was full of drama and incident.
Tandy (Nationwide/Motorbase) got the start he wanted to head the field into Paddock Hill Bend and immediately set about building his lead as Sutton (SAS/Redline) slotted into second from Jelley (Parker with Juta) and Gelzinis (Juta Racing). At Surtees further round the first lap Ben Hetherington (Oman Air/Redline) suffered a broken radiator after a tangle in the pack and left coolant on the track.
Next time around, the leaders avoided the slippery section of track, but Rory Butcher (Celtic Speed) slid wide and lost time and further back Pro-Am2 poleman Richard Denny (Parr Motorsport) dropped to the back of the pack with a spin. Up front, Tandy established his leading margin at up to two seconds as Sutton concentrated on fending off Jelley. Gelzinis was next to run wide at Surtees and lost a lot of ground slithering across the grass. He managed to rejoin just ahead of his Pro-Am1 rivals Ahmad Al Harthy (Oman Air/Redline), Butcher and Derek Pierce (Dextra/JD Pierce by Parker).
“Over the first few laps I pushed to get a gap,” said Tandy, who was never more than two and a half seconds clear of Sutton. “Then I eased off to protect the tyres and stay off the kerbs. We were all pushing hard,” added Tandy after taking a nicely measured victory. Sutton knew that chasing Tandy to the flag was a good result for his title ambitions and he was able to fend off Jelley. “Nick is doing an extraordinarily good job; I thought I might be able to give him a race in the second half,” said Sutton. “James put up with the pressure very well,” added Jelley after taking the final podium place.
Euan Hankey (Parker with Juta) had run right behind Jelley for many laps before sliding off into the gravel at Druids and so Meadows (SAS/Redline) moved through to fourth with Kieran Vernon (Nationwide/Motorbase) and the recovering Gelzinis close behind. Out of this battle with a rear puncture went Richard Plant (Team Parker Racing) as Al Harthy and Butcher battled for second in Pro-Am1. Pierce was another to go out with a puncture.
The action was just as busy in Pro-Am2 as Brewster went ahead in the early stages. However, Steve Parish (Motorbase Performance) and Webster (Redline Racing) chased hard and battled at just about every corner. Just as the three cars got very close together, Parish spun at Surtees and Webster was delayed, which allowed Brewster to rebuild his leading margin. Webster never stopped chasing on his way to second while Yucel Ozbek (Redline Racing) took third despite a spin at Paddock Hill Bend.
“That’s job done,” said Brewster. “I got a decent start and managed to avoid the melees. Thankfully we got it to the end.” Webster, meanwhile, lost his chance of challenging Brewster when Parish spun out of the race. “I had to back off big time when Steve spun,” confirmed Webster.
Gelzinis clinches Carrera Cup GB Pro-Am1 title
Lithuanian racer Jonas Gelzinis became the first 2011 champion to be crowned in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB after round 16 of the season at Brands Hatch on Saturday (1 October).
With his tenth Pro-Am1 win from 16 races, Gelzinis took an unassailable lead in the Pro-Am1 category with three races left to run. The 23-year old from Kaunas started karting at the age of seven and first came to race in the Carrera Cup GB for the 2010 season when he finished second in Pro-Am1. This year he returned with the family-run Juta Racing team and built on the experience gained in his first season in the UK.
“I have really enjoyed the season,” said Gelzinis. “I have not always been as consistent as I would like to be, but I have good speed. Nurburgring was one of my best races because I had never driven on the track before.”
Gelzinis now says that he wants to try and move up to fifth in the overall championship. “I have one more target now and that is to overtake Richard Plant in the overall standings,” he said. Currently, Plant is 10 points ahead.
However, Gelzinis and the team have already turned their thoughts to the 2012 season and are planning another campaign in the Carrera Cup GB. “Next year I want to come back and join the Pro category and fight for the championship,” he said.
Tandy takes Carrera Cup GB poles at Brands Hatch
Nick Tandy was the class of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Brands Hatch today (Saturday 1 October) as he dominated qualifying to take pole position for rounds 16 and 17 of the championship.
While Tandy (Nationwide/Motorbase) set a fierce pace to be half a second clear on the grid for the weekend’s opening race, Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing) topped Pro-Am1 on both grids and Richard Denny (Parr Motorsport) set the Pro-Am2 pace.
After posting a best time on 1m28.203s in testing on Friday, Tandy’s aim was to break into the 1m27s bracket in testing despite ambient temperatures being even higher. However, even he was surprised to set a best of 1m27.596s on his first set of tyres. He later completed the job with a second best lap of 1m27.793s to make sure of pole for round 17.
“I wanted to do two good laps on the first set of tyres and save the second set,” said Tandy. However, he caught slower traffic on his first set and so elected to go back out late in the session on his second set of tyres to make sure of a double pole as the only driver to break the 1m28s barrier. “The car was fantastic and that’s job number one done, but the hard work is in the race,” said Tandy.
It was a mixed session for James Sutton (SAS/Redline), who ended qualifying second fastest for race one but only seventh for race two. “In the overall scheme of the championship, second is like being on pole,” said Sutton, who will start ahead of his title rivals in the opening race. Third and fifth overall secured top slot in Pro-Am1 in both races for Gelzinis, but he was frustrated by the session. “I caught slower cars on the second set of tyres and it should have been faster,” said Gelzinis.
Michael Meadows (SAS/Redline) set a time good enough for fourth fastest, but that lap was one of several disallowed for drivers running all four wheels off the track on the exit of Graham Hill Bend. Instead, the championship leader will start fifth for race one, but jumps up to second on the grid for race two. Third and fourth fastest was title contender Stephen Jelley (Parker with Juta), who was another to have problems finding clear track in the session. Also posting top six times were Euan Hankey (Parker with Juta) and Sam Tordoff (Team Parker Racing).
In Pro-Am1, Rory Butcher (Celtic Speed) and Ahmad Al Harthy (Oman Air/Redline) were second and third fastest behind Gelzinis. But with seven Pro category drivers separating them from the Lithuanian driver the prospects are good for Gelzinis to clinch the title in round 16. “I just wanted to be further up overall,” said Butcher.
In Pro-Am2 the stage is set for some tremendous racing with the top five drivers covered by one second. Denny took a double pole with a major step forward from testing. “That’s a vast improvement over testing,” confirmed Denny. “I love this place and it all came together.” George Brewster (Celtic Speed) and Yucel Ozbek (Redline Racing) were second and third fastest for race one and then reversed places for race two. “I maybe didn’t get the best out of the first set of tyres, so I really had to make the second set work,” said Brewster. With Steve Parish (Motorbase Performance) and Keith Webster (Redline Racing) well in touch in fourth and fifth, the Pro-Am2 contest is set to be a thriller.
Denny wins Michelin award in Carrera Cup at Brands
Richard Denny is the latest Porsche Carrera Cup GB racer to benefit from Michelin’s on-going support of the championship by winning a set of tyres this weekend at Brands Hatch (1/2 October).
Denny, driving for Parr Motorsport, joined the Carrera Cup in 2010 and is now one of the leading runners in the Pro-Am2 category. His best result of the season to date was a memorable Pro-Am2 victory during the Porsche Carrera World Cup at the Nurburgring in June.
Having been the control tyre supplier for the Carrera Cup GB since the championship was created in 2003, Michelin is once more supporting the teams and drivers with the award of a complete set of slick racing tyres at each event. Before the start of testing, a name is drawn from a hat to receive the tyres, with a value of more than £1200.
Sampler day announced for Carrera Cup GB
Drivers interested in the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB will have the perfect chance to sample the latest 450bhp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup during an exclusive Sampler Day at Silverstone on Monday 31 October.
From 1.30pm onwards, the Silverstone National circuit will be available exclusively for teams from the Carrera Cup GB to offer test sessions to prospective new drivers.
In 2012 the Carrera Cup GB will continue to be Britain’s fastest one-make race series, with a prime support slot to the British Touring Car Championship and a superb TV package, headlined by over five hours of live TV coverage on ITV4.
With superb back-up from Porsche Cars GB and an unrivalled hospitality centre at every round, the Carrera Cup GB is the ideal choice for ambitious rising stars as well as drivers wanting to compete at a very high level in British motor sport.
All of the leading teams will be on hand for the Sampler Day and anyone interested in testing a car should contact the teams directly.
Tandy heads Carrera Cup GB test at Brands Hatch
As temperatures soared at Brands Hatch, Nick Tandy set a scorching pace in testing for the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at the Kent track today (Friday 30 September) ahead of rounds 16 and 17 of the championship.
Making his debut with the Nationwide/Motorbase team, Tandy blasted to the top of the times in both test sessions and ended the day with a best lap of 1m28.203s, half a second clear of the rest of the field. A superb second overall ensured that Jonas Gelzinis (Juta Racing) topped the Pro-Am1 field while Steve Parish (Motorbase Performance) headed the Pro-Am2 files.
“I’m very pleased,” said Porsche Supercup pacesetter Tandy after testing on a day when track temperatures approached 40 degrees. “The car is very good and I was quite pleased with our pace on old rubber as well.” Gelzinis was impressive on his way to second fastest. “It’s OK, but it’s a big gap to Tandy,” said Gelzinis. “There was a lot of traffic and maybe I could find another two-tenths.”
The four title contenders filled four of the next five places, split by Kieran Vernon (Nationwide/Motorbase). Points’ leader Michael Meadows (SAS/Redline) was third overall from Stephen Jelley (Parker with Juta). “That was average,” said Meadows. “I’m ahead of the title contenders but I think we can improve the car for qualifying.” Jelly, meanwhile, just grabbed fourth best time on his last flying lap of the second session after an earlier red flag interrupted his run on new tyres. “I had just one lap and the next one should have been better,” said Jelley.
Vernon continued his encouraging recent form to go fifth fastest and reckoned that having Tandy in the team had been a big help. “I’ve got more confidence and feel good with the car,” said Vernon, who ended the day fractionally ahead of Euan Hankey (Parker with Juta) and James Sutton (SAS/Redline). Sam Tordoff (Team Parker Racing) was eighth fastest to make it eight drivers within a second of Tandy’s best lap.
Rory Butcher (Celtic Speed) was ninth overall and second in Pro-Am1 from Ahmad Al Harthy (Oman Air/Redline). “I went just as fast on old rubber, but the car is feeling good,” said Butcher after his first experience of the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit. Ben Hetherington (Oman Air/Redline) completed the top 10 overall times.
Parish topped Pro-Am2 where the stage is set for some great battling with the top four drivers covered by three-quarters of a second. “I love it at Brands Hatch,” said Parish. “Out the back on the Grand Prix circuit is the best fun in motor racing,” he added. Yucel Ozbek (Red Line Racing) was second fastest ahead of his first race on the GP circuit, despite ending the second session in the gravel at Westfield. George Brewster (Celtic Speed) and Richard Denny (Parr Motorsport) completed the key Pro-Am2 contenders.
Triple Eight announce a new driver. Tony Gilham left Triple Eight earlier in the season and the second car has been driven by Aron Smith, and now Ollie Jackson. Here is what they have to say…
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Triple Eight Race Engineering are pleased to announce that they have signed reigning Porsche Carrera Cup Pro-Am1 Champion Ollie Jackson to race for the Greatworth-based team at the final two rounds of this season’s MSA Dunlop British Touring Car Championship’s (BTCC) starting this weekend at Brands Hatch.
Jackson, 27 is from Reigate in Surrey and has this season been racing in the British GT Championship, sharing a GT4 Lotus Evora with former Triple Eight driver Phil Glew. The pair recently won the GT4 Class at the British series’ ‘away round’ at the famous Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. The Brands Hatch meeting will mark Jackson’s touring car debut.
Ollie Jackson: “I’m thrilled to have signed for Triple Eight and can’t wait to make my touring car debut. So far I’ve only had an afternoon in the car and Brands will be the first time I will have raced a front wheel drive car so clearly they’ll be lots to learn once Saturday morning practice starts. That said, I’m really looking forward to the experience, I know the track and I’m confident that I can put up a good showing.”
Ian Harrison, Chairman Triple Eight: “We’re pleased to have signed Ollie for Brands and Silverstone. I’m sure he’ll soon find his feet. It’ll be good too to have a second car out there again to hopefully to secure some more points for us in both Championships.”
Nick Tandy, one of the most successful drivers in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup and the Carrera Cup Germany, will join the Motorbase Performance team for the final four races in the 2011 Porsche Carrera Cup GB, starting at Brands Hatch this weekend (1/2 October).
Tandy (26), from Pavenham near Bedford, was runner-up in the 2010 Supercup and currently lies fifth in this year’s Supercup and is leading the Carrera Cup Germany. He will take a 12-point lead to the final round of the German series at Hockenheim the weekend after contesting the final two Carrera Cup GB races at Silverstone on 15/16 October.
Team boss David Bartrum explained the situation. “With Michael Caine moving to the BTCC, we had a Carrera Cup seat vacant. What better way to fill it than with such a quality driver? He’s absolutely current with the car,” said Bartrum. “We want to show the strength of Motorbase over the last four Carrera Cup GB races.”
Tandy jumped at the chance to race in Britain. “I’m looking forward to racing back where I started my Porsche career,” said Tandy, who made his Porsche debut in the Carrera Cup GB VIP car at Silverstone in 2008. “It will be really good to race in my home country again. I’ve raced just about every weekend of the season, but only once in the UK so far.”
With the Carrera Cup GB title race very finely balanced with four races to run, Tandy is aware that there is a lot at stake for the title contenders. “I don’t want to get involved in the title fight, but I want to get the best results that we can. In motor racing you can never guarantee your results!”
Tandy will test with Motorbase for the first time at Brands Hatch tomorrow (Tuesday 27 September) and then run in official testing on Friday ahead of the weekend’s pair of races on the Grand Prix circuit at the Kent venue.
