This weekend Trackspeed Racing heads to the Midlands for the final round of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship. The Surrey-based team have already sealed the team championship crown, for the fourth consecutive year, and now their sights are set on the overall drivers title.
For the past two seasons, Donington has witnessed the British GT drivers title being clinched in the final race of the championship, and this year is no different, with 10 racers in contention.
One racer with an eye on the crown is Porsche works driver Nick Tandy, who will piloting the polka-dot 997GT3, in the two-hour event with former champion, David Ashburn. Due to a penalty collected at Brands Hatch, Ashburn is unable to finish as joint champion with Tandy, but the Trackspeed team-owner will be doing all he can to help his co-driver overhaul a 14 and a half point deficit. The duo’s accomplished victory at Zandvoort last month has seen them move from mid-field in the standings, back into a spot of contention, that could see Tandy claim his first ever British GT title.
“It’s been a good year in BGT, we’ve had a lot of fun and some great races but now it’s getting serious.” Tandy said this week. “We still have a chance to win the drivers title and that’s what we’re aiming for. I’ve never raced the GP circuit at Donington so I’m looking forward to a new challenge but whatever happens I’d like to thank David and Trackspeed for a great season.”
A season long run of race incidents has seen the ‘Tartan Terror’ Porsche of Gregor Fisken and Stephen Jelley struggle for points, and not fulfil it’s potential. The highlight for the No.32 997 was a flawless win at Rockingham early in the season, where Fisken was co-driving with Richard Westbrook, and the pair are reunited once more at Donington. “It’s great to be back with Richard and it would be dream to end what has been a nightmare run of bad luck with a podium finish!” Fisken enthuses.
Whilst in 2011, Fisken, partnered with Tim Bridgman, claimed a second place finish, Westbrook has never competed at Donington, in the UK’s leading GT championship.
The Demon Tweeks livered Trackspeed car of Jon Minshaw and Phil Keen heads to Donington on the back of a sixth place and podium third-spot finish on the Netherlands’ Zandvoort circuit. This has moved them up to thirteenth in the drivers championship, and although they are out of touch of the title, they are aiming for big points. Should Minshaw and Keen secure a podium finish at Donington, a placing in the top 10 of the 2013 Championship could be possible – a huge achievement for drivers and team.
Keen is no stranger to Donington, have tackled it’s 12 corners not only in a Trackspeed Porsche, but also the open-topped KTM X-Box during his British GT career. For Minshaw, it will be his second visit to the circuit in a 997GT3R, following his first trip there in 2012, when co-driving with Tim Harvey.
The action kicks off on Saturday with a 30 minute qualifying session, with the two-hour race on Sunday, which will be broadcast live on MotorsTV.