Trackspeed’s Nick Tandy and David Ashburn will be looking to defend their Avon Tyres British GT Championship lead this Bank Holiday weekend at Rockingham.
The pairing hold the points lead after the first two races, held at Oulton Park over the Easter Weekend, where they took a win and a second place. They start the Rockingham weekend 18 points clear of fellow Oulton Park race winners and teammates Phil Keen and Jon Minshaw, however their early points lead remains fragile, especially with extra points on offer this weekend for the first of the season’s longer races.
The Porsche squad arrive at Rockingham as defending race winners with Joe Osborne and Steve Tandy having taken the race win in the corresponding event last year. For Porsche works driver Tandy the venue has been the scene of past success.
“Rockingham had always been a favourite of mine, it’s where I scored my first Formula Ford pole, my first Formula 3 win and it’s one of my local tracks,” said Tandy. “I think the new 2013 GT3R will be well suited to the infield section but we have no expectations other than to try to score some good team points and enjoy the racing.”
In contrast to their teammates Gregor Fisken and Richard Westbrook left Oulton Park without a point after being excluded from the first race after Fisken was deemed to have started a first corner accident before mechanical issues dropped them out of the top ten in the second race.
“On the back of a terrible weekend at Oulton Park, Richard and I have to draw a line under the lack of points scored, and move on,” said Fisken, whose family tartan provides the livery for their 997 GT3R. “Our focus for Rockingham is to stay out of trouble and come away with a haul of points. Any position on the podium would be great; anything close to a podium would be good. On the back of recent testing at Rockingham, we’re optimistic, but a week doesn’t go by in British GT when another strong car and pairing joins the series. Oulton Park set the bar high, with the entrants coming to Rockingham, it’s been moved up a notch or two, so we’re going to focus on getting the car home.”
