Britcar Silverstone Round up
Wins for Team Abba Racing and FF Corse
Britcar. Source: Ian Cutting Photography
Race 1
Richard Neary in his Team Abba Racing Mercedes AMG takes the win from FF Corse Ferrari 488 with an audicious move round the outside of Copse Corner. Starting from fourth after picking up an early puncture and having to sit out rest of qualifying, Neary certainly was a man on a mission. Having quickly gotten past those ahead, he was soon on the tail of the Ferrari 488. After the pit stops, the Ferrari emerged in the lead so Neary had to do it again and duly did. The last lap though the FF Corse made its move and into the lead and held on to take the flag less than a second ahead of the Mercedes.
Class 2 was a win for the #98 Porsche 911 of JMH Automotive ahead of the FF Corse Ferrari 488 in the sprint class.
Class 3 and after the dominance of Black Mamba at Rockingham, it was the turn of Team HARD Racing to have a better outing. Simon Rudd and Tom Barley took the class win despite a 30 sec time penalty for a pitstop infringement (this was later amended to 4 sec time penalty). Black Mamba took second and final step went to Track Focused KTM X-Bow. The sister Ginetta from Team HARD finished in fourth with Callum Hakins-Row returning (Darron Lewis was unavailable for this round) to partner Adam Hatfield.
Class 4 sprint and success for Tockwith Motorsport's Sarah Moore and Matt Greenwood in their Ginetta with Maximum Motorsport's Stewart Lines and Adam Morgan finishing second in their Seat Cupra. Completing the podium was Synchro Motorsport and their new Honda Civic Type R. There was close racing between the Ginetta and Seat with the lead changing several times as the Tockwith Ginetta struggling for grip around the Silverstone GP circuit.
Team Abba Racing. Source: Ian Cutting Photography
Race 2
Just as the cars were being assembled the weather had changed and was starting to rain. After picking up a puncture earlier in the day on the way to the assembly area, Neary opted to start from the pitlane for the race knowing he had the speed in the Mercedes AMG. Such was the sped that by lap 8 Neary was in second behind the FF Corse Ferrari of Ross Wylie.
Over at Brooklands Rob Young's BMW had a slight mishap and David Holloway in his Ginetta was stranded on the grass. This brought out the safety car and also the right time for some pitstops for those in the Sprint section. Some of the Endurance Class used this opportunity to change to wets as the track was getting wetter with each lap.
Once racing got back underway again it didn't take Neary long to get past David Mason's Ferrari and then was off. At the end of the 50 min Sprint section, Neary took the flag just over 30 sec in front of the Ferrari. Completing the podium in the Sprint Class was the Porsche 911 of Igoe and Wilcox.
In the Endurance Class it was still a win for FF Corse with their Ferrari 488 GT3. After a second short safety car period the Ferrari was out in the lead where it stayed (albeit by using all of Mowlem's driving skills in the wet conditions) until the end on tyres that were way past their best.
Trouble for others meant that the Class 4 SEAT TCR of Stewart Lines and Adam Morgan were challenging for podium! With the Team Hard Ginetta of Callum Hawkins-Row having a couple of rotations it left Lines unchallenged to claim that last outright podium.
After their dominance at Rockingham, Black Mamba couldn't repeat that form in Class 3. Ruling that this time round was Team Hard Racing claiming P1 and P2 in class while Black Mamba claimed P3 for one of their Ginetta's. The sister Ginetta retired from the race 3 laps from home.
Maximum Motorsport's Stewart Lines and Adam Morgan not only claimed third overall, but P1 in Class 4. Completing the top three in class was Tockwith Motorsport's Ginetta of Greenwood and Moore and then the Honda of Synchro Motorsport.
FF Corse Ferrari. Source: Ian Cutting Photography
The next round is at Oulton Park June 23rd.
