Tolman Motorsport Team Principal Chris Tolman has said that the team’s debut in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship ‘absolutely delighted him’ after two good results in their first endurance racing this weekend.
A seventh and fifth in class for Luke Davenport and David Pattison underlined the potential the team have with those two finishes combining with a pole position for the second race at Oulton Park.
In the first race, Pattison had moved up to seventh in class by the time he handed over to Davenport but with numerous safety car periods the team – and their Ginetta G55 GT4 – couldn’t climb up any further.
The second race saw Tolman battle heat and while Davenport held on for much of his stint, Pattison showed he needs to brush up on his endurance racing knowledge as he slipped away to finish fifth.
Team boss Chris Tolman said: “I am absolutely delighted – this has been a superb weekend. We came here targeting two race finishes and with a dream result of a pair of top ten positions. To have actually finished both races – on our first endurance races as a team and for both drivers – would have been achievement enough. To have recorded a seventh in class and a fifth is more that I could have hoped for.
“The entire team has done a superb job. The technicians put together a superb car and ran it perfectly over the weekend and the drivers did an excellent job – exactly what we hoped of them. Luke performed superbly and I think David did exceptionally well in what were two very difficult races, even for experienced drivers.”
The difficulty was something Davenport mentioned as well, but has already identified learning points going into the next round at Rockingham: “We had a difficult first race but it was great experience for all of us – the pit stop went very well and I think we showed how quick we are. I am pleased that I was able to maintain the lead for the second race, especially as I wasn’t entirely confortable in the car. I think I worked the tyres a bit too hard quite early on so there’s a lot for me to learn going forward.”
Pattison has the final word, and he is pleased to be racing after all the off-season testing: “I am delighted with the way the car ran this weekend. The team did really well and I found some pace I didn’t have before in the first race, which was fantastic. It is also good to be finally racing instead of testing or qualifying and looking at the car in front instead of the clock.
“The second race was actually very hard though. Going out in the lead was quite a weight on my shoulders and this is my first British GT race in a car like that. The team is happy with fifth but physically, it was very hard work. They tyres were very well worked by the time I got in and the car was moving around a lot and the track was a lot hotter.”
