The car was resplendent in its new livery and both driver put the car through its paces to the satisfaction of team manager Nathan Freke. ‘ Both drivers were in the right area in lap times and the car ran faultlessly all afternoon’.

The team will conduct more testing prior to the first round at Oulton Park Easter weekend.

Photo courtesy of Jakob Ebrey

After a lengthy five month winter break, Walkinshaw made a welcome return to the wheel of his self-built Ginetta G55 for the first time since the final 2011 series rounds at Silverstone, equipped with a brand new 3.7-litre V6 engine.

Although the majority of day’s test sessions were spent running-in the new powerhouse, Walkinshaw posted constantly improving lap times around the 1.64-mile Northamptonshire circuit. With his fastest time clocking in at over seven tenths of a second quicker than his best qualifying lap set on fresh tyres last October, the 20 year-old is already on promising form ahead of his first full Ginetta GT Supercup season with Century Motorsport.

After impressing with a best class finish of fifth in 2011, the Oxford Brookes University Automotive Engineering student will be aiming to carry his constantly improving pace into the opening season rounds and score his first G55 podium.

The Ginetta Media Day signalled the official start to what will be a bumper 28-round race schedule for Walkinshaw during his first full year of competition since 2008, with the first triple header battle set to take place at Brands Hatch on March 31/April 1.

“It’s great to be back in the car after a long winter break,” said Walkinshaw. “Our main focus today was on shaking down the car and running-in the engine, rather than worrying about all-out lap times. With that in mind, I’m pleased to see such an improvement. The engine feels a lot more responsive than last year, with quite a bit more torque. The biggest change will come when we get the new differential installed, which will hopefully be before the first Brands Hatch round. The car handled pretty well, we just had a little understeer in the second session which we successfully tweaked for the final run. We were also able to do some work adjusting the brakes which proved worthwhile.”

“The focus now must be on getting as much testing time as possible. The new differential will make a huge difference to the car’s performance, so it will be vital to get some running time with that as well. The Century Motorsport team have done a great job here today, everyone is working and gelling together well and I’m looking forward to a good season.”

Wakefield’s first outing in the car was at the recent Ginetta Media day at Silverstone and he was immediately  on the pace setting times under the 2011 pole mark. ”It was a brilliant day with a great mix of racing and meeting new people. Ginetta put together a fantastic event that we were pleased to be part of. This was my first time out in the G55 and I was very impressed. The car has great pace and the substantial downforce gives it equally good footing in the corners. I am pleased to be running with Century this year - the combination of great team and Ginetta’s great car in an exciting championship is a real boost to my career and I’m confident that we’ll do well with the G55 in the championship.”

We will be embarking on a testing program before the start of the series and during the season to ensure that Dominic and Zoe are running right at the sharp end of things. The car will be a fully upgraded G50 with 3.7 engine, Hewland box, big brakes and upgraded diff. These upgrades will provide the last piece of the package to be absolutely on the pace in 2012.

“After winning the 2011 Welsh Sports & Saloon Championship I wanted a challenge, and racing in British GT will give me that. I wanted to race with the best team and Nathan Freke has built his Century Motorsport team into a Championship winning outfit, but with the right blend of professionalism and friendliness that I wanted. It has to be more than the racing at this level and Century just offered so much more than some of the other teams I approached, I can’t wait to get stuck in”, commented Dominic.

]]> http://www.centurymotorsport.com/?feed=rss2&p=571 http://www.centurymotorsport.com/?p=567 http://www.centurymotorsport.com/?p=567#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:22:40 +0000 admin http://www.centurymotorsport.com/?p=567 Ginetta GT Supercup - We have drives available for owner drivers or arrive and drive customers in both the G55 and G50 classes. We have the best prepared cars and the best data to give you the best chance of front running in this BTCC supporting series. Ginetta have yet to announce the prize for the G55 winner in 2012, but based upon past years it should be a substantial one. The winner of the G50 class will receive the use of a G55 lease car for 2013. Give yourself the bestchance of winning. Interested drivers please contact Century either on 07947 883103 or by e mail ginetta@centurymotorsport.com

British GT - We are looking for drivers to drive in the British GT Series, we can cater for owner drivers in GT3 and GT4 and arrive and drive customers in GT4, as we look to build on our success to date. Interested drivers please contact Century on 07947 883103 or by e mail GT@centurymotorsport.com

MSA British Endurance Series - Century will be seeking drivers to form partnerships in the new MSA Endurance series, driving both their G55 and G50 cars. Building on our experience in the British GT we will be chasing the Championship in 2011. Interested drivers should contact Century on 07947 883103 or e mailmsaendurance@centurymotorsport.com

GT Cup - We have our very competetive G50 with all of the latest upgrades available for the GT Cup series where in the hands of the right driver it will be a winning car. Interested drivers should call Nathan on 07947 883103 or e mail GTcup@centurymotorsport.com

24 Hour Racing - Century are seeking drivers with budget to run in the Nurburgring, Spa, Silverstone, and other  24 Hour races in 2012. Drivers interested in winning with full budget should contact Nathan on 07947 883103 or e mail 24hour@centurymotorsport.com

For details on any of the above, e mail drives@centurymotorsport.com or call Nathan on 07947 883103

In addition Century can offer test days in the Ginetta G55, G50, GT car, or Track days in their MR2 race car - for prices and availability e mail testing@centurymotorsport.com

Please come onto the stand No 73 and have a chat with Nathan about your future motor racing.

Walkinshaw joined the fiercely competitive domestic sportscar championship over halfway through the season in August after building his own Ginetta G55 at Ginetta Cars HQ in Leeds.

The Oxfordshire racer proved his potential from the outset, delivering a pair of eighth place class finishes on his series debut at Snetterton as a privateer. Running with FML, he then qualified third fastest at Knockhill and took fifth in class in round 19 before matching that top season result at Rockingham.

Lady luck, however, has hardly been on Walkinshaw’s side preventing him from recording a full weekend of race results. An unavoidable spin on an oil slick put him out of the running for race one at Snetterton. Non-fault contact, clutch failure and a broken carbon intake ruined his Knockhill chances and a broken driveshaft left him on the start line for the opening Rockingham round.

Consequently the Oxford Brookes University automotive engineering student heads to Brands Hatch hoping to complete all three races under the auspices of Century Motorsport where Walkinshaw joins seasoned Ginetta racer, 2009 G50 Champion and Team Principal team-mate Nathan Freke.

Tackling the historic 2.65 mile Grand Prix circuit for the first time, Walkinshaw will be looking to make the most out of mid-week testing to get to grips with learning the track and continue the development of his self-built sportscar under the Century Motorsport awning.

Walkinshaw commented: “The penultimate series rounds at Brands Hatch should be pretty exciting. I’m really looking forward to my first race weekend with Century Motorsport as they have such a strong Ginetta pedigree.

“The Brands Hatch Indy circuit isn’t one of my favourites but I haven’t raced on the Grand Prix layout before, so that will be a new challenge I hope to enjoy. We have some good testing time scheduled in before the race which will be invaluable in helping set up the car. However, come qualifying we’ll be running on a completely new tyre compound without any previous track time, so that could throw up a few surprises throughout the field.

“I’m hoping for a bit of a change in fortune as I’d actually like to be able to finish all three races for the first time this season. I can’t quite believe my misfortune so far and circumstances beyond my control. They say bad luck comes in threes, so with my first three race weekends complete I hope I can now move on and get some good results in every race.”

The Brands Hatch race weekend starts on Saturday morning with the 20 minute qualifying session at 10:50 followed by round 23 of the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup at 15:05. The first of Sunday’s two 14 lap races will take place at 10:40 while round 25 will be televised live on ITV4 at 16:15.

With the GT3 car featuring more engine updates the team were hopeful of a big steps forward with the new Ginetta G55. A last minute driver pairing change saw Julien Draper and Freddie Hetherington step aside for one round for Jody Firth and Stefan Hodgetts to represent Century Motorsport and the GT3 program.

With testing and qualifying going well it was clear that the car was a major step forward in performance. Race one saw tricky weather conditions and a great call on tyres from the drivers and team saw the GT3 car propel it self through the field to 3rd place with Jody Firth behind the wheel.

Having done a superb stint Jody pitted to hand over to Stefan. With blistering pace Stefan did a sterling job and only lost 3rd place a handful of laps from the end due to drying conditions but brought the car home in a well deserved 4th place, an amazing turn around from SPA and a really motivational result for everyone involved in the GT3 program.

The second race again produced difficult conditions. Starting on slicks and with Stefan in the car everyone had high hopes of a potential podium. Unfortunately this wasn’t to be after contact with another car on the second corner Stefan had to pit the car with a bent wishbone. The team managed to fix the car and send it back out to gather more data where it turned in a very respectable lap time, only 1.8 seconds of the absolute fastest of the race. Another massive positive to take and with more upgrades in store for Donington everybody is looking forward to more success in 2 weeks time.

The GT4 assault was headed by regulars Josh Wakefield and Jake Rattenbury. With testing going well everyone was in a positive mood ahead of qualifying. Jake was first out and turned in a very impressive P2, only 1 tenth off pole. Josh was next out and was ready to challenge for pole but with a fuel pickup issue 5th was the best he was able to manage. A frustrating session but Josh was comfortable in the knowledge that he had the pace to challenge for pole and that starting 5th wasn’t the end of the world.

Race one saw Jake start on slicks. After a good start things were looking positive but after 4 laps the heavens opened and the car was forced to pit early to change to wets. With this setback both drivers fought on and put in very solid performances to bring the car home in a very respectable 4th place.

Race 2 was Josh’s turn to start. With a fantastic start Josh quickly moved up the field. Putting in a superb performance a race win looked like it could be a possibility. With only 7minutes to go before he handed over to Jake, Josh got a drive through penalty for a track infringement on the exit of Tarzan hairpin. Josh took the drive through then handed over to Jake. Getting straight into the groove Jake took the bull by the horns and turned in some great laps, recovering the car to 2nd place. After chasing the leader down and lining up to take the lead Jake was served with a drive through penalty for the same offence as Josh. A frustrated Jake took the drive through but kept a level head and recovered the car to finish 3rd place.

A podium was still a great result but with a win so tantalizingly close the boys are both on a mission to make a mends for it at Donington Park.

Friday testing saw the GT4 drivers putting in very competitive times and things were looking very good for qualifying. The GT3 car ran well in the first session, but seemed to lack power. This looked to be an issue with an ECU setting, causing the engine to go into safe mode and restricting power severely. The second session for the GT3 car saw a sudden rise in water temperature and a loss of oil. Unfortunately, despite the teams and Ginetta’s best efforts this was to be the end of the weekend for the GT3 car.

Qualifying for the GT4 car turned out to be problematic, with Jake Rattenbury posting a fantastic first lap time before the diff mounting bracket broke which meant that the rest of the qualifying session was ended. Due to Jake’s first lap time the car started 4th in class for the first race but as Josh didn’t post a lap time it meant that for the second race the car started last in class and at the back of the 52 car field.

Race one saw Jake get a fantastic start, carving his way through the traffic. With an extremely mature drive he pitted at the 30 minute mark and with a pit stop timed to perfection handed over to Josh Wakefield to take the reins. Equally as impressive Josh drove a determined drive and brought the car home in a superb second place. The pace of the duo was fantastic and had it not been for the qualifying issue a win could have been a real possibility.

Race two start was with Josh this time and starting 45th on the grid he had his work cut out. Making a superb start Josh cut his way through the traffic, making 20 places up in his stint. As he came into pit to hand over to Jake the car was in 6th position in class and 25th on track. With a 10 second pit stop handicap from the position in the first race Jake took to the track and had dropped down to 28th. Much like the first race Jake settled into the groove and picked of the field one by one. At the end of the race Jake brought the car home 4th in class and 19th overall on track. This result was a fantastic one considering their starting position and demonstrated their pace with recording the fastest lap of the GT4 class.

The next round is Rockingham on 4th September where the GT3 car will be back stronger and faster and the GT4 car will be looking to take its second victory of the season.

Testing went well for Nathan on the Friday which translated into 2nd on the grid for race 1 after a tight qualifying session.

After a clean start in race one, and slotting into second it soon became apparent that Nathan had the pace to win. After 5 laps Nathan saw his opportunity and took it going into the Old Hall corner, once in the lead Nathan easily stretched out a healthy margin and eventually went on to take his maiden series win by some 7 seconds.

Race 2 looked promising, with Nathan lining up on pole position, after a great start Nathan instantly started to eek out an advantage, but it was short lived. With bad weather drawing in and rain beginning to fall Nathan became the victim of arriving at the Knickerbrook chicane before anyone else, where it was far wetter than he was aware. Going straight on at the corner demoted Nathan to 2nd place, and with conditions worsening Nathan had to make sure no silly risks were taken which could result in a non finish and so had to settle for second. Nathan commented after the weekend - “Oulton park is one of my favourite circuits and this weekend has marked a change for us in the championship. It feels so good to get my maiden win and I know this will be the first of many - the team has done a great job in putting a fast and reliable car under me and i’ve managed to do get the job for them and for my sponsors, The Player International.”

Only 2 weeks after Oulton Park the team were back on the road again and up to Croft Circuit in Darlington. Having only ever raced there twice this is the Circuit where Nathan had the least experience. Friday testing went well with the team working on setup to get the car consistent over a race duration. Croft is an extremely abrasive circuit and tyre management is essential - with that in mind Nathan knew that looking after his tyres would be the key to success this weekend.

With the track only just drying up for qualifying Nathan sat in the pits for half the session to see what the times were like and when he felt happy with the track condition he went out with the view of doing only 3 laps. The plan went perfectly and Nathan set a time of 1:24.5 - over 2 tenths quicker than his next rival.

Race 1 was dry and Nathan got a text book start and went unchallenged throughout the race and recorded his 2nd win of the season by over 3 seconds. Race 2 was less straightforward, with a heavy down pour before the race Nathan took the decision to go on wets but it soon became apparent on the out lap that this was a mistake. Despite having the pole position grid spot Nathan decided to pull into the pits, change to slicks and start from the pitlane. As the filed rushed past Nathan came out of the pits in last place and a huge task ahead of him. Demonstrating his speed and race craft Nathan carved through the field to finish 4th overall.

Commenting after the race Nathan said - “I made a big mistake before the race going for wets. I guess I was just too conservative knowing that I was on pole. As soon as we got round the back section of the track I could see the error in my ways!! The team did a fantastic job in getting the tyres changed in time and I’m glad I could get some points out of the situation. The car had so much pace, another lap and I would have been on the podium!”

With the reverse grid draw Nathan lined up on P2 for the last race. Getting a good start Nathan slotted into 2nd place. After only 4 laps Nathan could see he had the fastest car and made his move for the lead. Once at the front there was no stopping him, pulling out a 7 second gap in 5 laps, only to have it reduced by the deployment of the safety car. After 3 laps behind the safety car the race was back under way again and it was a 4 lap dash to the finish line. Marking his authority on the rest of the field Nathan romped home to a 9.5 second victory margin. “Apart from the second race this weekend went perfectly. The car was completely balanced and it allowed me to look after my tyres so well that at the end of the races we were seconds faster than the rest of the field - something that rarely happens! I’m so grateful for these wins and am pleased that i’m able to deliver the goods for my sponsors The Player International and repay the hard work that the team put in getting this car ready for me each race. I’ve got a great points haul here this weekend and it’s clear that the title is still within reach, we just need to keep focused and keep putting in solid performances like this - the rest of it is out of our control.”