by admin | Jun 9, 2014 | Ginetta GT Supercup News
Douglas Motorsport and Andrew Watson continue to lead the Ginetta GT4 Championship after an exciting weekend of action at Oulton Park, Cheshire.
Watson qualified in 6th ahead of the first race of the weekend during a wet qualifying session which was called short due to torrential rain.
The Nineteen year old driver, from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, then finished the first race of the weekend where he had started – in sixth – but not before an exciting tussle for positions had taken place amongst the second half of the pack. By the second lap, Watson had dropped down to 10th position, but some skilful racing saw him move back up the field to sixth, securing the fastest lap time of the race in the process, and setting a new lap record.
Explaining his take on day one, Watson, whose sponsors include Woking Shopping Centre, Westland, Donnelly Group and Adoreboard, said; “We were second in practice on Friday afternoon and the car was great, so we were really happy at that point.
“Then on Saturday the heavens opened for qualifying and it was very wet. I went off a little on the third lap which dropped me back to sixth.
“Qualifying sixth wasn’t brilliant but not terrible either.”
“In the first race I dropped back in to 10th but then raced well during the later stages. Oulton Park is a tough track to pass on, but I moved back up in to sixth and got the fastest lap, so got extra points for that.”
Watson started race two on Sunday morning, again in sixth. Moving up to fourth at the start, Watson kept pace with the front pack enabling him to take full advantage of penalties handed out to fellow drivers, Orton and Breeze, which moved him up in to second place.
Watson held on to that position to the finish, securing vital points to ensure he retained top spot in the Championship table at the end of an action packed weekend.
Watson said; “Sunday was brilliant. I got up to fourth at the start and then moved in to second because of the two penalties handed out. I tried to close on the leader but there wasn’t enough time so I settled in to second for the final laps.
“Oulton Park is not my favourite track on the calendar so coming here and leaving still leading the Championship is brilliant. Douglas Motorsport did a fantastic job and the car was great, so we are all really happy.”
Watson and his Douglas Motorsport team will be back in action later this month, on the 28th of June, when the Ginetta GT4 Championship heads to Croft in North Yorkshire.
by admin | May 5, 2014 | Ginetta GT Supercup News
Nineteen year old Douglas Motorsport driver Andrew Watson this weekend moved one step closer to a championship title as he returned to top of the table in the Ginetta GT4 Supercup.
In action at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire, the Douglas Motorsport driver began the weekend in fourth place following qualifying: “We went for a different strategy than what we would normally have followed. We chose to hover around until the end of the session, when we then went for pole position. But we missed the sweet spot in the tyres and we were lucky to snatch a fourth in the dying seconds.”
Beginning race one on Saturday lunchtime in fourth place, the young driver from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland got off to a good start. Watson managed to pass Charlie Robertson – who, after the second weekend of the competition had led the Championship – but at the expense of his tyres, which showed signs of degradation by the end of the race. Watson said: “This was a hard track to pass on so I was pleased to move past Robertson but I knew, by the end of the race, that the second race would be tough considering how my tyres were looking.”
Watson, whose sponsors include Woking Shopping Centre, Westland, Donnelly Group and Adoreboard, began race two in fourth place but struggled on with worn tyres. “My tyres just fell off the cliff and were down to just canvas so, by this point, we were just focusing on bringing the car home. We were quite happy to finish in fourth and to have beaten Robertson in both races so, going in to day two, we were feeling quite positive.”
Having saved his good tyres for the final race of the weekend, and enjoying a reverse grid pole, Watson got off to a strong start in the final race of the weekend: “I got a good start off the line and I managed to go on to just clear away from the rest of the grid.”
Watson won the final race of the weekend by 13 seconds, leaving him at the top of the table going into weekend four, which will take place at Oulton Park on 7th and 8th June.
On returning to the leader spot, he said: “Confidence is high. The car was quick and everything seems to be going well. Now we just have to ride the wave and keep pushing on.”
by admin | Apr 21, 2014 | Ginetta GT Supercup News
Watson in second place in the Ginetta GT4 Supercup, after second weekend of action at Donington Park
Nineteen-year-old Andrew Watson’s bid for the Ginetta GT4 Supercup title continued this weekend, with a wet and windy two days of action at Donington Park.
The rain came thick and fast on Saturday, creating particularly difficult conditions for Watson, who finished fourth in qualifying.
Despite this, the young driver managed to fight his way into third place, only to slip back down to fifth where he finished the race.
Sunday’s action got off to a great start for Watson who ended race two in third place; his fourth podium finish of the Championship to date. He said: “It was really wet out there. The rain was falling heavily all morning. But I managed to get a really good start, passing my teammate and pushing up into third place. I was chasing down the leaders but my tyres didn’t come in as strong as I needed them to, so I made the decision to hold pace and hang on to third place.”
The final race of the weekend got off to a somewhat controversial start. After a morning of heavy rain, the entire grid had opted to start the race on wets. But when the rain unexpectedly stopped and the track started to dry, a number of teams moved their drivers into the pits to change to slicks; a decision which was not taken by five drivers, who were all of the opinion that changing tyre at this late stage would be contrary to race regulations.
One of the drivers to remain on wets was Watson. “Wet tyres on a dry track are not ideal. I was leading for a good time, trying to make sure I looked after the tyres and stuck to wet parts on the track but it was quite difficult. It meant that me and Robertson, who had also stuck with the wets, were passed by the rest of the grid who had all started on slicks.”
A hard fought battle between Watson and Robertson ensued and Watson ended the race in ninth, ahead of Robertson. However, Watson was later handed a 0.2 second penalty, picked up when he made contact with Robertson, leaving him in tenth place and Robertson ahead in ninth.
The results of this weekend leave Charlie Robertson of HHC Motorsport in first place, with Watson of Douglas Motorsport just two points behind in second place.
Watson said: “The conditions at Donington Park were tough at times for all of us out there, so overall I was pleased to score quite heavily and to come away with another podium finish.
“Donington Park is one of Charlie Robertson’s best tracks and we always knew he would be quick here. So to come away having fought hard and to only be two points behind him, is a good result.
“I’m looking forward to moving onto Thruxton Circuit. we were quickest there in practice and so we’re feeling pretty confident. We’re certainly looking for wins and now we’re more fired up than ever by all accounts.”
Originally from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, Watson’s debut in the Ginetta Supercup came last season, where he quickly made his mark on the competition. This year, Watson and his Douglas Motorsport team have their sights firmly set on the Championship title.
by admin | Apr 1, 2014 | Ginetta GT Supercup News
THREE PODIUM FINISHES AND A CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD FOR DOUGLAS MOTORSPORT AFTER GINETTA GT4 SUPERCUP OPENING WEEKEND AT BRANDS HATCH
Nineteen-year-old Andrew Watson’s challenge for the Ginetta GT4 Supercup title got off to the best possible start this weekend when he won the first race and then followed that up with a second and third spot in the following two races in his Douglas motorsport run machine.
The three podium finishes across the weekend gives the young driver an impressive 93 points from the opening weekend; 21 points clear of Charlie Robertson in second.
The first race saw Watson claim his first ever victory in the Supercup. Watson, who started in pole after setting an impressive pace in qualifying, was in second place from the start after Pepe Massot, second on the grid, jumped the start. Massot was later handed a drivers’ penalty, but he didn’t take it, meaning he remained out in front on the track. Watson, however, passed him on lap 13 and lead from the front from then on.
The weekend wasn’t without its moments of drama for Watson. In the second race an incident Watson described as a ‘freak oversteer’ in lap twelve saw him end up in the grass, causing damage to his front splitter and bumper. Watson said; “At that point, I just had to get the car home, so me and the guys at Douglas Motorsport were all pretty chuffed that we managed to hold on to second place.”
In the third race of the weekend the grid is reversed, which meant Watson started in fifth. On the second corner he stormed up to second and stayed there until a challenge from third place saw him drop back in to fifth. However an incident late in the race further up the field saw first and second place both suffer damage. Watson explains; “I made a couple of challenges but I didn’t want to do anything stupid. I had a go at the guy in fourth, but then dropped down in to fifth again. Then up ahead the guy who was challenging for the lead made contact with the car in front, and they both had to come in, which put me in third.”
Speaking about the weekend’s success, Watson said; “That is without doubt the best weekend of racing I have ever had. We literally couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. Winning my first ever Supercup race in race one of the series was pretty sublime, and to follow that up with two further podium spots was just fantastic. I’ll be looking for more of the same at Donington Park in April.”
Watson, originally from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, races as part of the Douglas Motorsport Team and is sponsored by Donnelly Group and Westland, amongst others. This is his second season racing in the Ginetta Supercup, following an impressive debut last year. He has his sights firmly set on the title, an ambition looking all the more possible after the series opener.
