Victory at Brands Hatch for Trackspeed

Trackspeed Racing took their third win of the 2014 Avon Tyres British GT Championship at Brands Hatch. #31, with David Ashburn and Nick Tandy, took victory, while Jon Minshaw and Phil Keen dropped from the lead to ninth in #63, as a puncture scuppered their chances with a handful of minutes remaining.

Minshaw made a good start, avoiding the slow pole sitter as best he could – though making some light contact – to hold second place on the first lap, then subsequently throughout the first stint. Ashburn, meanwhile, showed caution on his return to the series, and stayed out of trouble. He dropped from fifth to seventh, but good lapping enabled him to hold his ground and then move into sixth place.

Two safety cars, back-to-back, meant that neither driver had long before they handed their cars to their teammates. Tidy pit work earned places for both cars, and as the field settled down Keen held the lead in the Demon Tweeks entry, while Tandy was fourth.

Keen was able to hold his advantage comfortably to second place, while works driver Tandy was pushing hard to make time and places. He was able to catch and pass both Aston Martins ahead and move into second place.

The team were looking good for a 1-2 finish until, with just six minutes to go, #63 suffered a puncture. The car rejoined tenth and, with a hard charge, Keen was able to take ninth place. Tandy inherited the lead and won by 8.5 seconds.

Phil Keen, #63 Porsche 911 GT3 R
“I’m absolutely gutted, to be honest. The car had been running perfectly, and Jon had done a fantastic job. We’re running one and two, a great result for the whole team, and then a puncture right at the end. Sometimes luck doesn’t go your way, and today that was the case. I’m sure we’ll be back with a vengeance at Donington.”

Nick Tandy, #31 Porsche 911 GT3 R
“I’m thinking David should retire more often! Last time he retired, we won on his comeback, and we did it again today. This is a brilliant championship, and I had a lot of fun – I’ve only just finished and I already can’t wait for Donington already. It’s a shame for the other car, because Phil and Jon did a great job and they deserved to win today, and it’s really bad luck for them. At least we could still take home some silverware for the team.”

David Ashburn, #31 Porsche 911 GT3 R
“What a crazy race! At the start, I just tried to stay out of trouble, because I knew it would be tight with the number of cars we have around this track. I kept up with the car ahead and held my position – I knew that if I handed over in a good place we had a chance with Nick to take over. It’s nice to come back and feel so at home again! I’m upset for Jon and Phil, though, because they earned the win but were robbed by some cruel luck.”