The middle of June saw the team head to Spa Francorchamps in the Belgium Ardennes region for the annual Britcar 4 hour night race where we ran the Civic Type-R for Hincklehoffer and Coulson and the team's BMW M3 for British GT racers Gardiner and Fenton. With the track heavily modified since any of the drivers had been there and the fearsome reputation of corners like Blanchimont, Eau Rouge and Pounon, Thursday testing was spent learning the track and adapting to the tyre wear characteristics of such a high speed track.
Qualifying saw the M3 take class pole and the Type-R qualify comfortably in the pack. The start was uneventful for the team with both cars making steady progress through the field as others encountered mechanical or accident woes. With a little under an hour of the race run and the first safety car of the race negotiated, the team's M3 with Gardiner sufferred its first mechanical failure for two years. Later diagnosed as a diff problem caused by a recent rebuild, the car was in a safe position and not recovered to the pits. Shortly afterwards the Civic Type-R was damaged as a result of an incorrect gear selection, bringing a painful and traumatically early end to the team's weekend at one of Europe's most atmospheric tracks.
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Contact: Richard Moore - 07939 569027 or Paul Fenton - 07801 417931 |