"Stay out of the pits" is a common instruction in endurance racing, a format that Johnny Mowlem is well-experienced in, and heeding that advice assisted him and Bonamy Grimes to post their second win of the day in the FF Corse Ferrari 458 Challenge in a race of changeable weather conditions, while in the Sprint category, stablemates David Mason and Calum Lockie also minimised their dwell time to take victory in the GT3-spec 458. Rain was forecast to blight the afternoon's two-hour race, and the two categories of competitors - Endurance going the whole way, and the Sprint runners doing just 50 minutes - performed their warming-up laps on a damp track, so wet tyres were the order. The grid, based on the Race 1 result, saw Lockie's Ferrari atypically on the third row, but he made short work of getting towards the front once the red lights went out. Grimes led from pole, with Mark Cunningham trying to grab a slice of the action in the Porsche 997, but Lockie was on Grimes' tail before the end of the opening lap, and by the second tour was in the lead and pulling away considerably. Witt Gamski made a cautious start in the 458 GTE, but was recovering, cutting through the Ginettas and passing Cunningham's Porsche to establish three Ferraris at the front. Not getting away at all, on the other hand, was Ed Moore's Ginetta G50, a drive shaft failing as the car climbed out of the pitlane exit. It was pushed back down the pit lane and the Tockwith team set about effecting a repair, rejoining 12 laps into the race, though Sprint category colleague Richard Woods was pitbound shortly after, retiring the Ford Focus shared with Richard Wakefield with oil pressure concerns. As usual, the three Team Hard Ginettas were fighting an internecine battle, but on wet tyres had no answer for Mark Cunningham, who had no degradation issues, and managed to seize third place back from Witt Gamski's Ferrari. So, with some cars now scrabbling to find the wettest parts on a drying track, a call for slicks may be in order. Gamski was the first to take the call, then the Synchro Honda of Alyn James, followed by a whole raft of the other runners. Significantly staying out on wets, though, was leader Grimes, and Steve Tomkins in the Newbridge Porsche Cayman, toughing it out. Also keeping the wets on for the duration of the Sprint race was David Mason; Calum Lockie had brought the category-leading Ferrari in for its mandatory stop in the midst of the wets-to-slicks melee, but explained: "It takes more pit-stop time to change tyres, there's not much more of the race left, and staying on wet tyres won't affect David's driving style". |
0 Response to "Britcar Brands Hatch Race 2 - Tyres, Toughing It Out, and Timing"
Post a Comment