- Cole & Geddie aim to break into top-10 on fastest BTCC track of season
- Davenport & Breeze aiming for points-haul at Thruxton
- Bell & Patterson bid to bounce back in Rockingham two-hour BGT race
With the highest average speed of any circuit visited by the BTCC, Thruxton in Hampshire undoubtedly provides some of the biggest thrills and spills in motor sport. With every race the competitiveness of the team’s Toyota Avensis improves. Last time out at Donington, Glynn Geddie scored a season best 13th for United Autosports and both he and team-mate James Cole are determined to break into the top-10 around the 11-corner, 2.36-mile Thruxton track on Sunday (4 May).
#20 Drivecool – Toyota Avensis
James Cole (GB). Age: 25. Born: Southport, England. Lives: Liverpool, England.
“Thruxton is for me the most challenging circuit on the BTCC calendar. Fast, bumpy, on the edge, scary, dangerous and madness. All words that could easily be used to describe a fast lap there.
“The last time I raced at Thruxton was in a Formula Three single-seater and it was practically flat on the throttle the entire time letting the down force do the work so this time will be very different.
“It’s a ‘power’ circuit and that element is what we are still developing. All Glynn, the team and I can do is keep working on the package. We are making big steps every time we go out. Our time will eventually come we just have to be patient.”
#21 – Toyota Avensis
Glynn Geddie (GB). Age: 23. Born & Lives: Aberdeen, Scotland.
“Like with the race meetings at Brands Hatch and Donington, we are going into the unknown again at Thruxton. It’s a track I really like, very fast and you need to be brave. In the opening six races we’ve been handicapped with restricted boost and straight-line speed issues – elements a driver certainly does not need at Thruxton.
“We’re improving with every race, I was just outside the top-10 at Donington so getting in the top-10 must be our target. We just have to keep our heads up.”
Richard Dean, Team Owner and Managing Director, United Autosports:
“We enter the next BTCC races still with a lot of work to do with the Toyotas, especially following James’ crash at Donington after which we only had eight days to build an entire new car for him. We need to find some more pace for Glynn too but we are confident that it will come, especially as he was hovering around the top-10 at Donington. In theory, the Toyotas should perform well there as it’s a high speed track but we won’t know for sure as we had very little pre-season running at Thruxton.
Davenport & Breeze aiming for points-haul at Thruxton
Placed fourth and seventh respectively in the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup standings, Luke Davenport and Carl Breeze are out to improve their respective points tallies at Thruxton by adding to their already impressive count of 10 top-10 placings and move United Autosports up one place and into the lead of the Teams’ Championship over the weekend (3-4 May).
#2 Blue Chip – Ginetta G55
Carl Breeze (GB). Age: 34. Born & Lives: King’s Lynn, England.
“Thruxton is my favourite track in Britain. It’s an ‘old school’ kind of track where fortune favours the brave! The average lap speed is very high so it rewards a driver who is prepared to push the boundaries. Last season I scored two wins and a second there so I’m aiming for the same kind of success this time.
“The start of the season has been a little frustrating for me but if I harbor hopes of being in title contention I need to be scoring rostrum finishes consistently from now on.”
#23 Duo / Henderson Insurance Brokers – Ginetta G55
Luke Davenport (GB). Age: 20. Born: Cambridge, England. Lives: Little Gransden nr St. Neots & Oxford, England.
“Thruxton is one of those circuits that comes with a big reputation so, for every driver, there are anxious moments in the build up to the weekend. However, once on track, all of those thoughts disappear as you concentrate on the unfolding race.
“Although I have never raced there, I have tested at Thruxton twice now and I like it a lot. We have already proved that we can develop a car over a weekend to get good results.”
Richard Dean, Team Owner and Managing Director, United Autosports:
“The Ginettas are looking promising. It is great to see Luke so high up the championship table and battling with the front-runners and I’m sure he will be able to keep up his momentum at Thruxton. I’m pleased Carl was up there at Donington too after a disappointing weekend at Brands. It was unfortunate that he received a time penalty and missed out on his first podium of the year last time out. The Ginettas should go well at Thruxton so hopefully we can add to our current points tally.
Bell & Patterson bid to bounce back in Rockingham two-hour BGT race
Matt Bell and Mark Patterson are hoping that the first two-hour British GT Championship race of 2014 will perfectly suit their Audi R8 LMS ultra around the 1.94-mile Rockingham “International Long” circuit on Bank Holiday Monday (4 May).
Having placed fourth in the opening race at Oulton Park over Easter, victory looked likely only for Patterson’s Audi to be punted off the track by a rival and into retirement. Third last year in the corresponding race, another podium would be a welcome early 25thbirthday present for Bell.
#23 Allied World / Henderson– Audi R8 LMS ultra
Matt Bell (GB). Age: 24. Born: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne & Wear, England. Lives: Barningham nr Richmond, North Yorkshire, England.
“The two hour race at Rockingham is always a challenge for the drivers. The track surface is very low grip meaning tyre wear is much higher than anywhere else on the calendar, so managing that across a one hour stint is usually the key to victory.
“The Audi has always been ‘sympathetic’ on its tyres so I’m hoping for a good result. We were on the podium last year despite a success time penalty for our podium at the previous round. We have no such penalty this time which means we should be able to fight for another podium and hopefully a win.”
Mark Patterson (USA). Age: 62. Born: Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Lives: Bronxville, New York State, USA.
“Past experience of the ‘Rock’ suggests it’s a challenge to drive in the dry and almost impossible in the wet for me. Luckily our first attack there last year resulted in a satisfactory finish but it’s a technical little monster that can catch you out quickly.
“Rockingham features high-speed weight transition sectors that get many drivers to lift, so there are decent catch-up zones on this track. There are also three good hard braking zones that will help our cause with the Audi with its unique late and trustworthy braking system.”
Richard Dean, Team Owner and Managing Director, United Autosports:
“We make our way to Rockingham after a disappointing end to the BGT weekend at Oulton Park. After finishing fourth in race one and then to be leading the second race only to get punted off was tough but we are aiming for a good weekend at Rockingham. The Audi should perform well around there as there aren’t too many long straights so hopefully we will be able to score some solid points.”