Will Burns feels a move to reigning champions HHC Motorsport could be the key to a championship challenge in the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup this season.
2013 Ginetta GT5 Challenge vice-champion Burns stepped up to the Supercup last season with Ginetta stalwarts Academy Motorsport and finished seventh in the standings with four podium finishes to his name.
A torrid run of five consecutive retirements to end the campaign though left Burns seeking a new home for his sophomore year, and the 24 year old tells TheCheckeredFlag.co.uk that HHC were his number one choice.
“HHC had such a good year last year in their first season in the championship and I was regularly stuck behind Charlie Robertson, so I could see their car was working a lot better than mine and their set-up was spot on,” Burns told TCF at the Ginetta Media Day last week.
“Hats off to Academy though, it was my rookie season and they helped me out lots, and we had some highs together with the podium finishes.
“I wanted to raise my game and win races this year though, so it was a no-brainer to come to HHC, though I’m a lucky guy as there was quite a waiting list of people that wanted to join them as well!”
Burns’ Best Result Of 2014 Was A Second At Snetterton – Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography
The four podium finishes Burns achieved last year came during a spell of eleven consecutive top five finishes across the middle of the season, a run unmatched by any of his rivals on the grid.
After proving he had the pace to consistently battle at the front, Burns now feels the other ingredients are in place to aid a championship push this season as he joins 2012 champion Carl Breeze and race-winner Jamie Orton in the HHC camp.
“I know I’m pretty much there with my driving, it was only a matter of two or three tenths last year, but it’s so competitive in the championship that that can be the difference between being on the podium or in seventh or eighth place,” Burns explained.
“With the help of the new team and the set-ups and data of my team-mates to push me that little bit further, I’m confident I can find those couple of tenths. It’s also a case of maintaining that consistency and picking up as many points as possible each race.”
For Burns, the one thing missing from his results sheet in 2014 was a race victory, with the Weston-Super-Mare racer left frustrated as he saw the six drivers above him in the standings, including two fellow Ginetta Challenge graduates, secure victories.
Burns feels getting a maiden Supercup win under his belt early this season will be the key to unlocking a championship challenge in what’s shaping up to be another hugely competitive Supercup season.
“I was the only front-runner not to get a win last year so I had a little bit of a chip on my shoulder about that,” Burns concluded.
“I think you’ll see an ever better version of me once I get a first win on the board, the weight will be off my shoulders, so I want to get that out the way early on and build momentum from it.
“There’s some good drivers coming into the championship that will want to beat those of us established in the series, so I want to get on the podium more regularly and get some more wins, but ultimately finish every race with even more consistent results so I can be there or thereabouts at the end of the season with the title.”
The 2015 Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup season kicks off with the opening three rounds at Brands Hatch on April 4/5.
