The opportunity to race a Gt3 Viper around the fantastic Brands Hatch circuit in Kent was always going to be a highlight of the British GT Calendar. Although the weather threatened rain at various points in the weekend the actual driving was done in the dry.
The team spent Friday working on setup and race pace, which was hampered by red flags and the need for the drivers Mike Gardiner and Paul Fenton to refamiliarise themselves with the car after a month's layoff since Snetterton. Compared with Snetterton, where the team used its endurance racing experience and a calm approach whilst others eliminated themselves, Brands would be a challenge. There are now eleven recognised professional drivers in British GT and some others that don't have a day job, so for two gentlemen it was always going to present a challenge.
Qualifying yielded 9th position in the first session for Mike Gardiner and fears were realised when the second session, in which all the professionals must run, yielded 18th for an off-form Paul Fenton.
The first race started brightly with two safety cars allowing Mike to keep up with the leaders and run in a genuine 7th on the road. The team waited until the last moments of the pit window to bring the car in from the net lead of the race, unfortunately the hoped-for safety car had not materialised and Mike pitted under green flags. Disaster struck in the changeover with Mike's radio lead becoming tangled in the seat. Paul rejoined after a sixty second delay, but the damage was done and the car finished 16th.
Sunday morning warm up was damp so Paul took it easy checking the car over in anticipation of his first start of the year from the grid. The early laps saw Paul entangled with the GTC class leaders and the Cadena Lotus. Once these were passed Paul made steady progress hoping once again for an opportune safety car. The pro/am combinations all stopped as soon as the pit window opened to get the quicker driver in. Each lap turned by the professionals caused the Moore Racing entry to slip back from contention. With the hoped-for safety car not materialising the team once again pitted at the last moment. The car returned to track in 15th and would rise to 13th through attrition.
On the plus side the car returned from the weekend undamaged for the first time this year and further experience has been gained. The next round is at Silverstone and is a two hour race which should suit the car and the team. Extra driver firepower is being drafted in to help the team move up the grid in coming races.
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Contact: Richard Moore - 07939 569027 or Paul Fenton - 07801 417931 |