Strong points finish the goal for TF Sport in headlining Silverstone 500
Thursday, May 28, 2015
The Avon Tyres British GT Championship makes a welcome return to Northamptonshire’s Silverstone Circuit for its blue riband three-hour endurance race, and TF Sport is seeking to fight at the sharp end with its pair of Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3s (30-31 May).
With its fast, sweeping corners – including the famous Maggots and Becketts complex – and long straights, Silverstone should play to the strengths of TF Sport’s Aston Martins.
Derek Johnston and Matt Bell will once again pair-up in the Steel Decking-liveried car, while Andrew Jarman and Aston Martin Racing Evolution Academy driver Jody Fannin will share the second Eurostar-backed car.
After the DNFs of Oulton Park’s Easter opener, TF Sport completed round two at Rockingham Motor Speedway comfortably inside the top ten, both driver pairings showing they have the pace to challenge at the top for race wins and podium finishes.
Johnston and Bell, who finished fifth at Rockingham in the season’s first enduro encounter, will be looking to record yet another strong finish, with points-and-a-half on offer this weekend at Silverstone.
“We have no excuses and need to get our heads down and score some very strong points,” said Johnston. “I’ve never raced on the Silverstone Grand Prix configuration before, so it will be a new experience and, with this weekend’s race being run over three-hours, I personally will be driving as hard as I can, for as long as I can to hopefully come away with a podium finish.”
Jarman and Fannin were also on course for a strong points finish in the sister Aston Martin before a series of stop-go penalties for pitlane infringements interrupted their progress and resigned them to ninth position following an intense battle with the similar 22GT Racing V12 Vantage in the dying embers of the two-hour race.
Silverstone’s high speed layout and abrasive track surface will lead to the greatest wear rates this season and will be likely to generate some close battles, as Jarman seeks to finish at the sharp end of the field and make amends for Rockingham.
“We tested at Silverstone last week and it was our first chance this season to test at the same circuit prior to a race weekend,” said Jarman. “The car felt good, so we are fairly confident of having a solid weekend. Silverstone is a lot faster and more flowing than Oulton Park and Rockingham, which will suit the Aston Martin, but, when there are also a lot of teams running the same car, it does dampen your advantage slightly.
“The only time I have raced at Silverstone was last year in the GT4 category, where we went from the front to the back at least twice and still managed to finish third. Hopefully it won’t be as dramatic this time.
“I don’t think the points we’ve scored so far reflect the performances we have put in. At Rockingham we were a lap down due to the penalties, which we took on the chin, but had we not received them, I feel that we could have had a stronger result. This weekend we need to stay out of trouble and score some good points for finishing inside the top five.”
Qualifying for Round 4 of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship is scheduled to get underway at 15.35 on Saturday (30 May), with the headlining three-hour endurance race taking place the following day (Sunday 31 May) at 12.20, with live coverage on Motors TV.
Source material - TF Sport
