Dumfries and Galloway motor Racing star, Ross Wylie began the defence of his GT Cup GTO Championship title in style by recording two second place finishes in the opening two rounds at Donington Park last weekend (9-10 Apr).
The 30-year-old Thornhill near Dumfries race ace who scored nine GTO podiums including six victories on his way to title success last year along with co-driver Paul Bailey, lies second in the standings.
Wylie raced Bailey’s McLaren MP4-12C Can Am in the two 50mins compulsory “pit-stop” races at the 1.98-mile Leicestershire venue. Ross took over the McLaren with 24mins to run, resuming 25th but had sliced his way into seventh overall – second in class – at the chequered flag.
Bailey again took the start in their SB Race Engineering McLaren for the second “endurance” race with Wylie taking over in 24th position overall. Having clawed the McLaren inside the top-10, Ross was forced to pit in the closing stages with a sensor failure. With minutes remaining, Wylie re-joined the race third in class but moved up to second in the dying moments.
The next rounds of the GT Cup are staged at Brands Hatch over 30 April-1 May but Wylie makes his return to British GT Championship action next weekend when he races a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport with Valluga Concierge team-owner Benji Hetherington in the opening one-hour race on Easter Monday (18 Apr) at Oulton Park.
Ross Wylie (GB):
Age 30. Born & Lives Thornhill nr Dumfries, Scotland:
“It was good to score two, second place finishes to get our GTO title defence off to a solid start.“I had done no testing in the McLaren prior to the Donington meeting. Paul did a good job in the first pit-stop race before I took over and I enjoyed coming through the traffic and having a bit of fun.
“The second race was a little less straightforward having to make a late pit-stop but the team did a great job getting me back into the race and everything came good in the end enabling us to collect more valuable points.”
