Prominent BMW customer racing team, Triple Eight Racing, takes on the first of two three-hour races at the home of British motor racing, Silverstone, over the next fortnight, with drivers Joe Osborne (GBR), Lee Mowle (GBR) and Ryan Ratcliffe (GBR) entered in the second round of the Blancpain Endurance Series at the Northamptonshire track.
Following on from the opening event at Italy’s Autodromo Nazionale Monza in April, the Silverstone race marks a return to a circuit more aligned to the characteristics of the team’s Groundhog sponsored BMW Z4 GT3. Silverstone’s fast and flowing nature affords the team a better opportunity to utilise the strong aero package of the Z4 GT3 and the collection of mid-to-high speed corners also favour the supreme handling of the Bavarian beast.
Taking part in their first full-season effort of the Blancpain Endurance Series, Triple Eight Racing are working towards landing some significant points at Silverstone, a circuit located just six miles from the team’s factory in Greatworth, before they head to a new track, Paul Ricard (FRA) in around four weeks time.
While the team are fully committed to the Blancpain-backed GT series, a good result this weekend will also stand the team in good stead for the third round of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship, the following weekend (30-31 May), where drivers Joe Osborne and Lee Mowle sit third in the standings.
Action begins at Silverstone this weekend from 09:00 BST on Saturday with the Bronze test, before two 90-minute practices round out the day. Sunday begins with qualifying at 09:00 BST, before the three-hour race gets underway at 14:45 BST, drawing to a close just before 18:00.
Quotes from the Triple Eight Racing drivers ahead of Silverstone:
Joe Osborne: “Silverstone is a circuit familiar to all three of us, so it’s fair to say we’re going to be trying to make the most of the home advantage and getting some points on the board. We’ve been very busy since the last round at Monza, taking in British GT and Blancpain Sprint races, so both Lee and I are very dialled into the Z4. In the past two seasons I’ve managed to get on the Pro-Am podium there. I’d love to be able to do that again this weekend with Lee and Ryan, but we’re not short of competition and we’ll just have to see what is possible after qualifying.”
Lee Mowle: “We’re in our first season of Blancpain Endurance and we’re up against some of the most professional GT teams in the world in the pro-am class, which we have to remember. We’re on a big learning curve, but our aim is to be a major player in GT racing and we’re making good strides towards that, learning with every race. Silverstone should provide us with some comfort though, it’s a circuit we know well and favors the BMW so I’m hopeful of a strong performance and a class podium would be great. Monza was a false economy for us and the other BMW teams, so we should be right up at the sharp end this weekend.”
Ryan Ratcliffe: “Obviously I made my Blancpain debut here last year, but I didn’t have a very pleasant experience due to a Ferrari knocking me off at high-speed. This weekend I’d like to put that well and truly behind me with a good result and I think that’s totally within our capabilities. I’ve done a lot of miles around Silverstone this year and I feel very at home in the Z4. Last time out at Monza I did a few firsts, not least starting a race with 60 or more other cars trying to fight for the same piece of tarmac! Hopefully this weekend I can get my first Blancpain Endurance points, and I have a lot of confidence in the car and the team. We’ve got a strong package under us, especially in race trim; only time will tell how it pans out!”