Ginetta Junior Championship outfit Hillspeed are preparing for a tough couple of races at Thruxton next weekend, after the team’s pair of rookies Pedro Cardoso and Harry Mailer missed the recent test day at the high-speed Hampshire circuit.
Rather than the usual pre-event test day on the Friday prior to the meeting, Thruxton’s official practice day came two weeks ago, with the Derbyshire-based team being one of those to miss the action.
Hillspeed team boss Richard Ollerenshaw are expecting the team to be on the backfoot heading into the meeting, despite Cardoso taking his second top eight finish in as many race meetings during the last weekend’s outing at Donington Park.
The Brazilian racer followed up thirteenth overall in the opening race at Donington with a hard-fought eighth place in race two, lapping just 0.1 seconds shy of outright top four pace in the process.
Team-mate Mailer meanwhile had a more challenging weekend, but still came away with two solid points finishes in seventeenth and fifteenth.
“Pedro and Harry both made progress again at Donington, staying out of trouble and clocking up the mileage which is so vital for rookie drivers,” said Ollerenshaw. “We are aware the next round at Thruxton will be exceptionally difficult as they didn’t attend the test day there. After that, though, the subsequent events will allow them to show what they have learnt.”