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MUNDIAL - GT EM INGLATERRA - BALFE MOTORSPORT

Domingo, 08 Agosto 2021 17:39 | Actualizado em Sexta, 29 Março 2024 02:15

Heading to Snetterton confident

following BGT Spa podiums
Just two weeks have separated the fourth and fifth round of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship with Balfe Motorsport all set for the forthcoming double header this weekend (August 7-8 August) at Snetterton.
 

Momentum is very much with the team following on from Stewart and Lewis Proctor’s fantastic third place overall at Spa Francorchamps. This extended their Silver-Am championship advantage to an impressive 30 points, albeit with five seconds of success penalty to serve.
 
Ashley Marshall and Jack Brown meanwhile secured their GT4 debut win in style in Belgium and have had little time to take it all in ahead of this weekend’s two 60-minute races.
 
Certainly, recent history suggests that they should be competitive, despite the additional 10-second pitstop success penalty, as earlier his year – in the very same car – Mike Price and Callum Macleod secured Snetterton victory and multiple further podiums in the GT Cup championship
 
The team today shook down both the GT3 and GT4  at Blyton before heading to Snetterton for first practice on Saturday morning.

Q) It’s been a few days now, has the result settled in?
Ashley: “To be honest, I don’t think it has! I just get on with my everyday routines and then suddenly I remember and smile to myself - and then I look at my trophy - it’s just an amazing feeling.”
 
Jack: "First it was a shock and then after some reflection, I can say that I am very proud of what we all "
 
Q) Did you celebrate the success at all, or was it a mad dash back to the UK?
Ashley: “Unfortunately, we didn’t get much time to celebrate as we had to leave in a bit of a hurry to catch the ferry home. I was able to have a beer on the ferry, but honestly, I felt so drained from the race that I just wanted to relax in my cabin and just take in the emotions.”

Jack: "It was a mad dash to get back to the UK, so we didn’t get home until 1am!"
 
Q) It was a far from easy run to the victory, what are your standout memories?
Ashley: “I think the main memory for me has to be the overtake on Will Burns up Eau Rouge. It was an overtake I had been planning, as the typical places you would normally try to overtake at Spa, I couldn’t, as we struggled in those areas due to the damage that we had suffered. So, I had to be a little bit more creative. On the other side, I also know that Will is a very experienced driver and I had trust in that he was going to do anything silly that would take us both off.”
 
Jack: "I was anxious to take the car over from Ashley who was P1 at the time. The pressure to keep up the high standards was immense but enjoyable.”
 
Q) The win moved you fifth in the GT4 championship standings. In your first season in the category, what are your expectations going forward?
Ashley: “This has been a huge boost for us. We’ve known for a while that we were capable of fighting for podiums but unfortunately, luck just hasn’t been on our side, so we haven’t been able to showcase this until this past weekend. Of course, the BMW is tough to beat, but with the team working as hard as they are, they’re giving us the best opportunity to attack. We certainly hope to continue with this form and get a few more podiums before the end of the season.”

Jack: "Having previously had a bit of bad luck, I hope to take this more positive result and move forward over the rest of the season.!
 
Q) Snetterton is coming up fast. The circuit is almost the polar opposite to Spa in terms of fast sweeping corners and gradient. In GT Cup, Mike and Callum showed exceptionally well in the 570S, so you must be relatively confident?
Ashley: “Snetterton is a new track for me, like Brands Hatch, so I’ll be spending a lot of time on the simulator to help me prepare. Historically Snetterton has always been a strong track for McLaren, with the long straights and it certainly helps in having the data from Callum and Mike’s GT Cup weekend, which was very successful for them. Coming off of a strong weekend and heading into a track where this car has already won this year, we can only be optimistic heading into next weekend.”
 
Jack: "Yes, I am confident, I believe we have a great set-up in the car for Snetterton. Hoping for some good finishes and looking forward to the race weekend.”
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