Tom Sharp and Colin White had a weekend to forget in the British GT Championship at Brands Hatch, only managing to salvage twelfth after an early puncture dropped them out of contention.
After some strong lap times in free practice, the duo were hopeful of a top ten grid slot, but had to make do with sixteenth, just four tenths away from the top ten. Colin White started the race for the Ginetta team, scything his way through the field and moving up to the lead of the race.
Two laps later, however, a small mistake dropped the Ginetta stalwart down to sixth before a puncture cost further time and forced a pitstop for the IDL Racing with CWS team. Unfortunately the stop came before the mandatory pit window opened, forcing him to return to the pits a couple of laps later to hand the car over to Sharp.
The 21 year old returned to the track in twentieth place and two laps down, now having to focus on a damage limitation attempt. The 2012 Ginetta GT Supercup champion showed strong pace as he moved up the field, but a faulty catch caused his door to open, forcing yet another trip to the pit lane. A drive through penalty for a pit infringement and a snapped toe link causing a spin on the final lap capped off a disappointing day for the team, ending the race in twelfth.
“To lead the race is a massive achievement and something to be proud of,” said Sharp. “Unfortunately we didn’t get the end result that we were after, but we’ve shown that there is huge potential in the car.
“I hope our guests enjoyed the weekend all the same and I would like to thank sponsors Lenlease, Balfour Beatty, Isnag, Dome, Direct Metals, Lloret, Careys, CWS and Green Recycling for their support and encouragement over the weekend.”
