by admin | Jan 27, 2016 | Ginetta GT Supercup News, News
Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup ace Will Burns will switch to the Douglas Motorsport squad to mount a full-scale assault on the 2016 championship title, it is announced today.
Weston-super-Mare-based Burns, 25, will compete in his third season in the Michelin GT4 Supercup, in which he has regularly progressed. Burns scored multiple podium finishes throughout the 2015 season, including hat-trick of podiums at Thruxton and Knockhill, on the way to a fifth place finish in the standings.
Burns’ switch to Douglas Motorsport, run by eponymous team head Wayne Douglas, will enable the Eurocams Ltd and Cases Ltd-sponsored racer to embark on a full challenge for this season’s crown over the eight scheduled race weekends, supporting the British Touring Car Championship.
“I’m looking forward to enjoying this latest venture with Douglas Motorsport,” Burns said. “My eyes are focused on using the two years of Supercup experience to date, to fight for the title in year three.
“Having [former Ginetta Supercup champion] Carl Breeze as a team-mate in 2015 helped me to learn that consistency is key to a title fight in this championship. So although I’ll be looking to take the maximum number of points available from each weekend, racking up regular race wins aren’t always the key to winning a title.”
Burns said he has been impressed by the approach of Douglas Motorsport throughout its years competing in the championship: “It’s always been noticeable how Wayne’s previous drivers, Andrew Watson and Harry Woodhead, were so strong from the off and the set-up knowledge that Wayne and the team have is outstanding.
“I’m excited to work with the whole Douglas Motorsport team so we can be at the front of the grid and battle for the title. I’d like to say thank you to HHC Motorsport for their help in 2015 as they exit the Supercup to focus on other racing commitments.”
by admin | Nov 13, 2015 | Ginetta Junior Championship News, News
Having dominated the KICK Start Energy Drink Ginetta Junior Winter Series at Snetterton last weekend, WE are happy to announce that Stuart Middleton has re-signed with Douglas Motorsport for an assault on the 2016 title.
Stuart Middleton (GBR) Douglas Motorsport
Middleton was the recipient of the Ginetta Junior Scholarship last year, receiving a fully funded drive in the KICK Start Energy Ginetta Junior Championship. Teaming up with Douglas Motorsport, he was on the pace almost immediately and belied his lack of experience by running at the front for most of the season. At the Ginetta Junior Winter Series last weekend, Middleton was dominant, winning three races and subsequently being described in the press as being “head and shoulders above the rest”
Stuart Middleton– “I’m happy to have my plans in place so early. I learnt a lot in my first season last year and I think last weekend showed that both Douglas Motorsport and I will be a force to be reckoned with in 2016″
Wayne Douglas– Team Principal Douglas Motorsport- “I’m delighted that Stuart is staying with us for 2016. He was hugely impressive in his debut season as witnessed by his dominant performance at the Winter Series. He is ready to win the title in 2016 and so are we.”
by admin | Nov 11, 2015 | F3 News, News
The 2015 Duo BRDC Formula 4 Autumn Trophy will be decided this weekend (November 14/15) at Brands Hatch, Douglas Motorsport’s very own Harrison Scott currently leads the standings following an almost flawless meeting at Snetterton last weekend. Behind him are a number of drivers including Sennan Fielding and Ben Barnicoat who will be challenging for the title on the 1.2-mile Indy circuit at Brands Hachwith a number of drivers fighting out for glory on the 1.2-mile Indy circuit in Kent.
The opening weekend of the Autumn trophy provided some great on-track action and it was Douglas Motorsport and Harrison Scott who emerged as series leaders. Apart from taking two race wins and two runner-up spots, it was Douglas Motorsport and Harrison Scott who became the first ever race winners in the new Tatuus Cosworth F4-016 F4 car – a testament to the experience of the team in car preparation and setup, and a sign of the abilities of Scott in what was his first race in a F4 car.
Scott holds a commanding lead in the overall standings on 128 points. In second place sits HHC Motorsport’s Sennan Fielding,the race three victor in Norfolk with an additional podium in the first contest of the weekend helping his Autumn Trophy campaign.
Ben Barnicoat, the 2014 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC Champion, showed blistering speed at Snetterton but his quest for the Trophy title was hampered by one non-points scoring finish across the weekend. The 18-year-old Racing Steps Foundation-backed racer did take a win however, in addition to another podium finish, and he has an outside chance of claiming the crown if he enjoys a near perfect weekend at Brands Hatch to broach the 45 point deficit to Scott..
Making his BRDC Formula 4 debut this weekend is the 2015 MSA Formula Champion Lando Norris. He will join up with HHC Motorsport, who ran him to the 2014 Ginetta Junior Rookie Cup title, as he turns 16 this Friday and thus becomes eligible to race in BRDC F4.
The winner of the Autumn Trophy will receive entry into every one of next year’s championship rounds. The runner-up will get 50 per cent off their entry fees with third place enjoying a 25 per cent reduction to form a prize package worth over £10,000, adding an extra incentive to this weekend’s action.
by admin | Nov 8, 2015 | F3 News, News
Harrison Scott led from lights-to-flag in the fourth and final BRDC F4 of the weekend at Snetterton, and in the process opened up a commanding lead in the Autumn Trophy standings. Fortec Motorsport’s Ben Barnicoat came home in second with Faisal Al Zubair taking third.
The Autumn Trophy field lined up on the grid without one driver, as Hillspeed’s Struan Moore sat out the final encounter following his race three crash earlier in the day. Moore aggravated a previous injury that he had suffered and the Jersey racer was taken to hospital for precautionary checks.
As the lights went out, Scott made a good getaway to lead into Riches whilst behind, Sennan Field made a superb start and moved ahead of Ben Barnicoat for second. Sisa Ngebulana bogged down and he dropped to the back as Faisal Al Zubair and Ameya Vaidyanathan moved ahead of the South African.
Completing the opening lap, Fielding made a mistake coming out of the final corner which let Barnicoat retake second position. Further back, Ngebulana and Vaidyanathan came to grief which saw the HHC man suffer damage and eventually forced him into retirement. It also gave Al Zubair clear room in fourth as the pair at the front stretched away from the rest of the pack.
At the halfway stage, Scott held a lead of over three seconds but there was more drama to unfold as Sennan Fielding was shown a black and orange flag, highlighting a mechanical issue on his car. The problem turned out to be a loose engine cover and the HHC man was forced to pit to repair the issue, thus promoting Al Zubair to third.
With two laps left, Barnicoat closed the gap to 2.376s but Scott responded and re-imposed his three second advantage to take the chequered flag and his second win of the weekend. Barnicoat came home second with Al Zubair stepping on to the podium for the first time this weekend. Following the first four races of the Autumn Trophy, Harrison Scott leads the standings on 128 points, with Sennan Fielding 33 points behind in second as Barnicoat is a further 12 points adrift in third.
The 2015 Duo BRDC Formula 4 Autumn Trophy concludes with four more races on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit next weekend (November 14/15) in Kent.
Duo BRDC Formula 4 Autumn Trophy – Snetterton – Race Four
1. Harrison Scott, Douglas Motorsport, 10 Laps
2. Ben Barnicoat, Fortec Motorsports, +2.342s
3. Faisal Al Zubair, Fortec Motorsports, +41.549s
4. Sennan Fielding, HHC Motorsport, +50.928s
5. Ameya Vaidyanathan, Hillspeed, +1m05.807s
DNF. Sisa Ngebulana, HHC Motorsport, 0 Laps
DNE. Struan Moore, Hillspeed, Did Not Enter
by admin | Nov 8, 2015 | Ginetta Junior Championship News, News
Stuart Middleton claimed the Ginetta Junior Winter Series title today at Snetterton with one race to spare. A hat-trick of wins was enough to give the Douglas Motorsport drvier an unassailable points lead.
The two-day event featured one qualifying session and a pair of races on both Saturday and Sunday, with rain dampening play a little for the first encounters. A self-confessed lover of the rain, Middleton started the opening race from second on the grid.
Snatching the lead into turn one, the Middleton’s love for the rain only grew as he crossed the line an impressive 17.596s ahead of Charlie Fagg and Connor Grady, who rounded out the podium.
In race two, it was a slightly tougher win for Middleton, as he lost out to Fagg on the start. Making a comeback, Middleton regained the position on lap two before once again pulling out an 8.823s advantage over Will Tregurtha and Billy Monger, who finished second and third respectively.
A drier day beckoned for Sunday, with Middleton only qualifying fifth after a rather disjointed session due to a red flag midway through. With the title within his grasp, Middleton picked off a number of rivals off the line, before claiming the lead of the race as the pack crossed the line for the first time.
With his position at the head of the field, the championship then went down to the positions of Middleton’s closest rivals, Fagg and Grady, who needed to finish inside the top three in order to keep the title fight alive.
Starting third, Fagg lost out on the frantic start and dropped to fifth. Although he picked up another place, a fall down the order to eighth in the closing laps was enough to give Middleton enough of a points gap to claim the championship as he took another win.
Joining him on the podium was Lewis Brown, who was making his first appearance on the rostrum after a tough opening day. In third, and taking home his first ever Ginetta trophy was Seb Perez, much to the delight of his father and Junior Championship sponsor, Steve Perez.
The final race of the day was then all about who would become vice-champion. Middleton led after lap one as Monger and Brown traded places over second, until a problem for the leader lost him time and allowed the pair to slip past, with Wooder following them through.
Once out front Monger held firm, and the result was enough to earn him the Winter Series vice-championship. Not only that, but his impressive display of overtaking throughout the weekend afforded him an additional prize of the coveted ‘Hard Charger’ award.
Position-swapping all the way to the flag, Brown and Wooder fought over second position, with the former ultimately taking the place and third overall in the championship standings. Middleton meanwhile, took the final flag in fourth place.
Taking the final Rookie race win was Max Bird, and with two second places in class earlier in the weekend, the points were enough to see him second in class, just ahead of Sebastian Priaulx, who finished third.
