Britcar Snetterton round-up
Updated: Sep 15, 2018
Double Sprint victory for FF Corse while Team Hard Racing and Track Focused have a win each in the Endurance.
Race1
Starting from pole the #7 FF Corse Ferrari 458 GT3 of Ross Wylie made good their escape from fellow FF Corse #22 Ferrari 488 of Laurent De Meeus and had built up a healthy 45s before the mandatory pitstops. The Ferrari 488 pitted 3 laps before Wylie handed over to David Mason. It didn't take long once racing had resumed for the lead to change with the Ferrari 488 now in charge, posting fastest lap on the way to the chequered flag.
Behind the battling Ferraris, it was all happening!
Starting from P3, the Porsche of Peter and Mark Cunningham, the first race for father and son, suffered an oil leak and to they decided to retire the car. The Team Hard Ginetta #285 of Sam Randon and Angus Dudley had driveshaft failure on the opening lap.
Both Track Focused KTM X-Bows suffered a terrible race! Mike McCollum had to pit at the end of the formation lap and re-entered the race at the back of the field and couldn't move further forward. The sister X-Bow pitted after lap 1 but gearbox issues meant that they too couldn't move towards the front of the race.
Clio Cup racer Max Coates was battling well in his Class 4 SEAT TCR and was soon challenging Tom Barley's Class 3 Ginetta G55 and was off challenging for fourth overall. Before he pitted, Coates was running second on the road, but once the stops had all played out the SEAT TCR was behind the Ferraris yet still enjoying a good scrap for Class 4 honours with Jon Watt in his BMW.
The BMW overtook the SEAT TCR and in doing so leading Class 4. The SEAT was soon coming into the clutches of a couple of Ginettas. Simon Rudd in the G55 Ginetta passed, but the Tockwith G50 version clashed with the SEAT which resulted in the Ginetta spinning off and the Ginetta losing its bonnet in the process.
At the flag of the Sprint category it was the FF Corse Ferrari's taking the top two steps with P3 going the way of the BMW of Watt/Prosser. In the Endurance category it was all Ginettas, top step went to the Ginetta G55 GT4 of Simon Rudd/Tom Barley with the Tockwith Motorsport G50's taking the remaining two steps.
Race 2
It was a repeat at the front with both FF Corse Ferrari's battling it out amongst themselves and the same story with Wylie off into the lead and once the pitstops settled down, the sister FF Ferrari took the lead and duly the flag.
Lucky to make the start was the #285 Team Hard Ginetta who didn't make the it past the opening lap in the first race with driveshaft failure. The team worked hard in the carpark to fix it and managed with not much time to spare! Also starting at the back was the DAT Racing SEAT TCR (who clashed with Tockwith Motorsport in race 1). Due to their race 1 issues, both Track Focused KTM X-Bows also started further back in amongst the Class 5 runners.
A good start from Sarah Moore in her Tockwith Motorsport Ginetta saw her upto P4 overall, while Alex Day in his Audi 'Sherman' A4 was doing great and was challenging and passing the Ginetta of Simon Rudd on lap 2. Using all his Clio Cup experience, Coates was picking off his rivals and by the end of lap he was up to P6. It wasn't long before it was P4 overtaking Prosser's BMW and Moore's Ginetta.
Simon Rudd finally got back past the Audi, but Alex Day didn't make it easy, which allowed the sister Team Hard Ginetta, who started at the back to catch up too.
As the pitstops for the Sprint Category were taking place 25 mins into their 50 minute race, the Endurance racers (whose stops would be later as they were in a 2 hour race) were leading. Sarah Moore was doing he best to keep the Team Hard duo behind and the KTM X-Bow.
The Sprint Category saw the chequered board signalling the end of their race. The pair of FF Corse Ferraris took the top two positions again, but it was the DAT Racing SEAT TCR of Guy Colcough/Max Coates who took that final podium step.
Simon Rudd made an early stop as the Endurance pitstops started and Tom Barley rejoined in seventh place with Sarah Moore still leading. Once the stops had shaken out, the #285 Team Hard Ginetta was out in front (due to a short pitstop penalty) just as a few spots of rain was in the air and the teams readied themselves in case they had to change tyres. Luckily the rain didn't come to much and enabled a great surge from the KTM X-Bow of Sean Cooper to try and overhaul a 36s deficit to the Team Hard Ginetta.
Great battles were forming throughout with the BMW M4 of Jackpot Racing chasing EDF Motorsport Aston Martin and a intriguing one between the Tockwith Motorsport Ginettas. Unfortunately that particular battle was resolved by the fact that #15 Tockwith Ginetta was leaking fluid and had to be retired.
Out in front and with minutes left on the clock, the KTM X-Bow had managed not only to catch the #285 Ginetta, but passed it round the outside of Agostini and held the position at the flag. Finishing second was the #285 Ginetta of Sam Randon and Angus Dudley, not bad considering they start dead last. Completing the podium was the sister Team Hard Ginetta of Simon Rudd/Tom Barley.
The next race is at Silverstone International (South) Circuit on 6th October.
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