After a seven week break, the 2019 Miller Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup, returned with a trip to Croft, North Yorkshire and Will Burns was looking forward to a good weekend, but it never really materialised for him.
The Rob Boston Racing driver was in buoyant mood after pre-season testing at Croft, but at shakedown on Friday, mechanical problem hit, costing him practice time on the newly resurfaced circuit.
Qualifying in Saturday didn’t go any better, Burns failed to post a time, after an electrical problem cut short his session. This meant he would have to start at the back of the Pro Grid.
By the time race one came around, the rain had a arrived in big style, starting eighth Burns made up four places in the first few corners. But at the very start of lap two, Lee Frost parked his car in the side wall, causing the race to be stopped.
The grid was reset for the restart, of the now five lap race, but Burns made quick start, gaining three place on the first lap, then gaining another on lap two. Burns wisely settled for fourth, electing to come home safely rather than pushing on I the awful conditions.
Race two, saw much better weather, and Burns capitalised, making a place up early on the take third and staying there for the rest of the race, eventually being bumped up to second after Race leader Harry King incurred a 10 second penalty.
The final race of the weekend, didn’t go to plan for Burns, collecting a puncture on lap three, managing to keep his car on the track and nursing it back to the pits for a replacement, eventually rejoining the race a lap down, but doing enough to ensure sixth in class and more precious championship points.
“Complete madness of a weekend.” said Burns. “Nothing has gone to plan at all, through no fault of the team. We’ve had mechanical and electrical issues out of our control that cost us crucial running in free practice and then ruled us out of qualifying.
“It’s frustrating to have not been able to get into a rhythm on crucial weekends like this and we were massively on the backfoot heading into the races. We knew we had a good car though and got up to fourth in the torrential rain and then a podium in race two.
“That’s where we need to be and unfortunately some debris cost us the chance of another trophy in the final race. We salvaged some points though which is crucial. Thank you to Rob Boston Racing for all their hard work, we’re going to come back fighting at Oulton Park.”
