Ross deprived of class podium on Saturday but scores GTO win in different car on Sunday!
Thornhill Race Ace Ross Wylie (far right above) experienced the strangest race weekend of his near 20-year racing career in the latest rounds of the GT Cup Championship at Brands Hatch last weekend (30 Apr-1 May).
Having been deprived of a likely second-place at the wheel of the Brabham BT62 Competition (bottom photo) in the closing stages of Saturday’s 50mins race, Wylie and co-driver Paul Bailey scored a commanding GTO category victory in a McLaren (centre photo) just 24 hours later!
Wylie tested the Brabham on Friday for the first time with a new engine installed after power issues in its previous race last summer but Ross pitted from class second place with a matter of minutes remaining in the 50mins race with no power.
The SB Race Engineering team made a 250-mile round trip overnight to collect the McLaren MP4-12C Can Am the duo used to claim last year’s GT Cup GTO title last year, a car they placed second twice in the opening two rounds at Donington Park last month (9-10 Apr) while awaiting delivery of engine components for the Brabham.
Bailey started the weekend’s final pit-stop race on wet tyres, the track wet/damp after light rain and handed over to Wylie during the pit stop phase with 20mins to go, Ross resuming 17th. He took the chequered flag 14th but importantly first in class to complete a bizarre weekend on a high.
Ross Wylie (GB):
Age 30. Born & Lives Thornhill nr Dumfries, Scotland:
“Brands was one of the strangest weekends of my motor racing career. To race two different cars, over a period of 48 hours, in the same championship, felt very odd – especially to then get an unexpected class win!“When I took over the Brabham from Paul, the engine didn’t sound normal and it gradually lost power, so I pitted. Everyone was devasted as Brands was the first event with a new engine.
“The team collected the McLaren overnight and we informed the organisers of a change of car. The brake pads we the ones we used in races last month as Paul and the team hadn’t expected to race the McLaren again. We didn’t have any new wet tyres either so we were forced to use old ones. But on Sunday, unlike the previous day, the God’s shone down on us allowing us to take class victory.
“Despite our retirement on the opening day, we’re now placed sixth overall in the championship standings and second in GTO so there’s definitely everything still to play for with five events remaining.”
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