DICK'S LUCK CHANGES WITH CHARGE TO PODIUM

Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick’s luck finally changed in the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship with a stunning third place in Sunday’s second race at Brands Hatch.

Dick, who started 11th on the grid after his fuel filler cap and mounting blew off in qualifying, fought his way through the field to take his first podium finish of the season and launch himself back into championship contention.

“After what has happened so far this season it’s fantastic to finally get a podium,” said Dick. “I feel like my luck has finally changed and we’re back in the championship hunt.”

Dick might have finished higher had the race not been red flagged after title rivals Matt Nicoll-Jones and Ben Elliott clashed, stopping the race with ten minutes still to run.

Jonny Hyde claimed a superb sixth place after a dramatic race. It was his best finish of the season and marks him out as a potential podium challenger as the season goes on.

Dave Jackson cut through the field from 20th on the grid to finish 14th, two places ahead of team-mate Edd Straw.

“I made a great start,” said Jackson. “I picked off a few people on the run down to the first corner and managed to make up some more positions. The car really went off towards the end.

Neil Merry ended up 19th, although he would have finished higher had the red flags not shortened the race having passed Straw in Graham Hill Bend.

“I was pretty lucky to get 16th,” said Straw. “I was a bit hesitant going into Druids and let three cars past me going down the hill, including Neil. I was struggling massively for grip and was going backwards so the red flag did me a favour.”

Tony Hughes finished 23rd after narrowly avoiding a spun car in Paddock Hill Bend, but Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms failed to finish after crashing at the same corner.

Race 2 results
1 Daniel Laddiman, 15m50.136s
2 Joe Osborne, +0.536s
3 Christian Dick, +6.526s
4 Spencer McCarthy, +6.694s
5 Andy Smith, +14.277s
6 Jonny Hyde, +14.410s
7 Richard Austin, +14.659s
8 Gavin Mitchell, +14.935s
9 Frank Wrathall, +15.032s
10 Julian Barratt, +16.080s
11 Mark Wania, +16.215s
12 Paul Rutter, +16.445s
13 Paul Moden, +23.701s
14 Dave Jackson, +26.700s
15 Jonathan Hawkins, +28.299s
16 Edd Straw, +35.681s
17 Stuart Pearson, +36.035s
18 Richard Sykes, +36.109s
19 Neil Merry, +36.250s
20 David Goodwin, +45.804s
21 Christopher Wright, +51.604s
22 Miles Maserati, +55.817s
23 Tony Hughes, +56.373s
24 Duncan Gass, +56.511s
25 Russell Melrose, +58.996s
26 Del "old man" Holden, +60.704s
27 Michael Ralph, +73.542s
28 Neil Houston, +86.626s
29 Paul Galan-Bamfield, +91.514s
30 Simon Wright, +1 lap
31 Steven Graham, +1 lap
32 Gary Simms, +3 laps
DNF Matt Nicoll-Jones – accident
DNF Ben Elliott – spin

DICK SHOWS HIS PACE

Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick has resolved to make amends for losing a certain podium finish in today's round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Brands Hatch.

Dick started down in 13th on the grid after losing his fuel cap and mounting in qualifying, but surged through to third place with an inspired charge. However, while closing in on former T-Cars ace Daniel Laddiman for second, Dick lost a cylinder after a problem with a plug lead and struggled home 13th.

"Obviously it's gutting to have lost a podium finish, but the main thing is that we've shown we have the pace to go for race wins," said Dick. "From 11th on the grid tomorrow a victory is a long shot, but I'm a couple of places better off than I was today so there's no reason why a podium finish isn't on. With a bit of luck, who knows?"

Former champion Matt Nicoll-Jones dominated the race after pole man Ben Elliott, who eventually finished fourth, spun at Paddock, with Laddiman and fellow young gun Joe Osborne completing the podium after Dick dropped back.

Jonny Hyde was the best of Speedworks finishers on a difficult day for the team. After qualifying a strong ninth, he slipped to 11th in the race.

"It was OK, but not what I was aiming for," said Hyde. "There's still tomorrow, so I should be able to do better and pick up some big points."

Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms made good progress through the field to take 22nd after passing team-mate Tony Hughes in the closing stages of the race.

"I learned a lot in that," said Simms. "I improved on my qualifying time and was able to pull off some passing manouevres, so hopefully tomorrow I can get into the top 20 and pick up some points."

Speedworks other drivers failed to finish. Autosport journalist Edd Straw eventually retired with an electrical problem after being forced to start from the pit-lane. While making his way through the field, he clashed with Paul Galan-Bamfield at Surtees, and was eventually forced to retire when the electrical problem continued to blight his race.

"It was frustrating sitting on the grid with no power," said Straw. "I had the belts off and was getting out when it finally fired up! Then the engine cut and kicked back in as I was passing Paul and pushed me far deeper into the corner than I wanted to go and I hit him. Still, the pace is there and tomorrow is another day!"

Neil Merry was forced to retire after eight laps with an engine failure, while Dave Jackson was unable to start after he too was hit with an electrical problem.

Race 1 results
1 Matt Nicoll-Jones, 26m25.269s
2 Daniel Laddiman, +2.934s
3 Joe Osborne, +7.935s
4 Ben Elliott, +7.970s
5 Richard Austin, +15.831s
6 Mark Wania, +16.153s
7 Julian Barratt, +16.760s
8 Spencer McCarthy, +18.024s
9 Paul Rutter, +18.159s
10 Andy Smith, +26.025s
11 Jonny Hyde, +26.422s
12 Frank Wrathall, +32.561s
13 Christian Dick, +32.613s
14 Stuart Pearson, +46.630s
15 David Goodwin, +47.018s
16 Paul Moden, +47.113s
17 Russell Melrose, +49.260s
18 Christopher Wright, +49.742s
19 Duncan Gass, +50.250s
20 Del Holden, +1m03.887s
21 Miles Masarati, +1m16.728s
22 Gary Simms, +1m34.867s
23 Tony Hughes, +1m38.524s
24 Paul Galan-Bamfield, +1m39.098s
25 Michael Ralph, +1 lap
26 Simon Wright, +1 lap
27 Steven Graham, +1 lap
28 Jonathan Hawkins, +1 lap
DNF Gavin Mitchell
DNF Neil Merry - engine
DNF Edd Straw - electrics
DNF Neil Houston
DNS Richard Sykes
DNS David Jackson - electrics
DNS Phil Sykes - withdrawn

HYDE LEADS QUALIFYING

Jonny Hyde headed Speedworks Motorsport's drivers in qualifying for the second round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Brands Hatch.

Despite never having driven the ultra-fast Grand Prix circuit configuration before, Hyde will start ninth and eighth for the two races.

"It's an awesome circuit and I enjoy the fast stuff and to be in the top ten for both races gives me a good chance to pick up some strong results," said Hyde. "The car was handling well and I'm confident there will be more time to come in the races."

Team Principal Christian Dick could manage only 13th and 11th after being black-flagged early in the session when the fuel filler cap and mounting blew off the car.

"After what happened at Oulton Park in the first round we didn't really need this to happen," said Dick. "At least I managed to get a few laps in and put it near the top ten. I love the track and hopefully should be able to make some decent gains in the race."

Edd Straw will start 16th and 14th after a solid performance on his first outing on the Grand Prix circuit, with Dave Jackson, currently 12th in the championship, a disappointed 21st and 20th.

"I just couldn't seem to get into it," said Jackson. "At least I can have some fun making up some places in the race!"

Neil Merry survived an excursion at Surtees in the middle of the session to end up 28th and 25th, with Tony Hughes, in only his second ever qualifying session, 31st and 32nd.

Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms will start 30th and 29th.

"I said I'd be happy if I had half a dozen cars behind me," said Simms. "I feel that I could have gone quicker, which is promising for the race. Hopefully if I can have a mistake-free run I can pick up some points."

The first race is due to start at 1345 today (Saturday) with the second on Sunday afternoon after the final races of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport.

For ticket information for the meeting click here

Race 1 qualifying
1 Ben Elliott, 1m42.979s
2 Matt Nicoll-Jones, 1m43.818s
3 Joe Osborne, 1m44.113s
4 Daniel Laddiman, 1m33.307s
5 Richard Austin, 1m45.379s
6 Spencer McCarthy, 1m45.549s
7 Paul Rutter, 1m45.580s
8 Julian Barratt, 1m45.846s
9 Jonny Hyde, 1m45.911s
10 Mark Wania, 1m45.960s

13 Christian Dick, 1m46.473s
16 Edd Straw, 1m47.028s
21 Dave Jackson, 1m47.437s
28 Neil Merry, 1m49.310s
30 Gary Simms, 1m50.374s
31 Tony Hughes, 1m50.413s

SIMMS READY FOR BRANDS

Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms is eagerly anticipating this afternoon's qualifying session for the second round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit.

The 20-year-old, who is in his first season of racing after winning the scholarship, endured a difficult debut at Oulton Park earlier this month after suffering fuel feed problems, but is hoping for an improved performance on the ultra-fast GP circuit. Despite the 20-minute qualifying session offering his first chance to lap the fearsomely fast circuit, he is confident he can show well.

"Some drivers never get the chance to race on the Brands GP circuit, so to get to have my second ever race there is fantastic," said Simms. "I'll be going into qualifying cold as there's no testing here, but I've done a lot of laps on the PlayStation! Hopefully it'll even up the playing field because although I don't know the track, neither do a lot of the other drivers."

The championship is supporting the final round of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, a high-profile single-seater series which pits national teams head-to-head in identical 520bhp Lola-Zytek single-seaters. For a driver in his first season of racing, Simms is delighted at the prospect of racing at such a major event.

"Just coming into the paddock you see the scale of the whole thing," he said. "The British F3/GT package is big enough, but A1 is just out of this world. To get the chance to be out on track at the same meeting as one of the world's top championships is a dream come true."

For ticket information for the meeting click here

GINETTA COVERAGE ON SKY SPORTS

Highlights of the opening round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Oulton Park will be broadcast on Sky Sports on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

A standalone half-hour programme will be devoted to the thriving series by the UK’s leading sports broadcaster, with Speedworks Motorsport’s eight-car entry sure to feature strongly throughout.

Although only one of the two planned championship rounds ran at Oulton as a result of timetable problems, there will also be all the action from the qualifying race, in which Speedworks driver Jonny Hyde charged from the back of the grid to finish a stunning second. Watch out too for Neil Merry, who surged from ninth on the grid to finish third.

“That the championship can have this kind of television coverage is testament to its strength,” said Speedworks Team Principal Christian Dick. “It’s one of the things that attracted us to coming into the series.

Sky Sports will broadcast highlights of all nine Ginetta meetings during the 2007 season.

BROADCAST TIMES

Wednesday April 25
1730-1800
Sky Sports Extra

Thursday April 26
1530-1600
Sky Sports 3

HOME A1 WIN ON THE CARDS

Team Great Britain is well-placed to give the home crowds plenty to cheer about in this weekend’s A1GP meeting at Brands Hatch. The event, which also features the second round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship, pits national teams head to head in 520bhp single-seaters.

Team Great Britain, which is run by former Formula 1 world champion John Surtees, has won two out of the last three races, and in former British Formula 3 driver Robbie Kerr has a Brands Hatch expert behind the wheel. Kerr himself claimed victory in the sprint race in Shanghai following Oliver Jarvis’s victory in Mexico.

“I’ve had some good runs there in the past,” said Kerr. “In 2002 in F3 and the Porsche Cup I won five out of six! It’s a fantastic circuit, particularly the grand prix loop.”

Kerr faces some stiff opposition in the ‘World Cup of Motorsport’ season finale. Although Team Germany has already won the title, driver Nico Hulkenberg – dubbed by some the new Schumacher – is adamant he wants to round out the season with a win. Likewise Team New Zealand, whose driver Jonny Reid won the Shanghai feature. Also in the mix are drivers of the calibre of ex-Formula 1 racer Alex Yoong (Malaysia) and former Renault F1 junior Loic Duval (France).

McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner Oliver Turvey will drive in Friday's rookie sessions before handing over to Kerr for the rest of the weekend. There will be two unmissable races on Sunday afternoon - the short and sharp sprint and the grand prix-style feature.

For ticket information for the meeting, which runs from April 27-29, click here

FLASHBACK: FIRST WIN

It didn’t take Speedworks Motorsport long to notch up its first race victory. The team, which was formed over the winter of 2005/6, pitched up at Anglesey with a quartet of Mazda MX-5s for its debut in a pre-season MaX5 event. Speedworks left the track with two wins to its name courtesy of now-Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship driver Phil Sykes.

Although Sykes was favourite to take pole for the triple-header event, it was Speedworks team-mate Edd Straw, also now racing with the team in Ginettas, who topped qualifying. With Sykes taking second to complete a Speedworks lockout of the front row, a first victory seemed assured.

At the start, Sykes took the lead ahead of Straw, who was soon passed by Paul Sheard. Sheard, who went on to share a Speedworks Ginetta with Christian Dick in the 2006 Winter Series, soon passed both Straw and Sykes to triumph and the first win had to wait.

But in the very wet second race, Sykes did claim his and the team’s first victory, holding off Sheard in impressive style before repeating the trick in the final race of the day.

“It was a good way to start,” recalled Team Principal Dick. “It may have only been a non-championship race, but it proved that the team had the ability to prepare winning cars straight out of the box.”

DICK: SEASON STARTS NOW

Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick has banished all memories of a dismal start to the season at Oulton Park as the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship moves to Brands Hatch.

Dick failed to score after his car was heavily damaged in a first-lap accident. But the postponement of the second race because of timetable problems has mitigated his losses.

“In a way it wasn’t as bad as it could have been,” said Dick, whose car suffered significant rear-end damage. “No-one’s going to score points in every race, it’s just unfortunate that I’ve drawn a blank on the first one because it gives the rest an advantage."

Dick is one of a relatively small number of drivers in the field with experience of the full-blown Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, and is confident of being in the mix for some strong results next weekend. What’s more, Dick already has a Ginetta race win to his name at the Kent circuit, albeit on the shorter Indy configuration.

“The season starts at Brands as far as I’m concerned,” he said. “I really enjoy the circuit so provided we don’t get any bad luck I’m confident of being able to qualify on the first few rows and pick up some solid points."

HUGHES MASTERS WET CONDITIONS

Speedworks Motorsport’s Tony Hughes put his powerboat experience to good use on his car racing debut in the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Oulton Park on Easter Monday.

Despite a rain shower making the track conditions treacherous in the race, Hughes, used to running at high speed on water, kept on the circuit while more experienced racers threw it off to finish 19th and claim two championship points.

“It was a bit awe-inspiring,” said the former powerboat racer of his four-wheel debut. “For a first-ever race, it’s hard to beat starting with 30-odd cars ahead of you on the grid on slicks in the rain. It wasn’t far off the powerboat – it was slippery and the brakes were about as effective!”

Hughes started 30th in the championship race after finishing 10th in the qualifying heat, coming home 20th on the road before being promoted when third-place finisher Ben Elliott was disqualified.

“I made a really good start in the main race and got ahead of quite a few cars in the first two corners,” said Hughes. “The objective for the race was to finish, and I achieved that. I’m 49 and I don’t expect too much – I’m certainly not expecting to go out and win – I just want to enjoy myself and make sure that I race well against the people who are on my sort of pace.”

Hughes is testing on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit tomorrow ahead of his second race outing on the awesome Grand Prix circuit at the track’s A1GP meeting on April 27-29.

“I’ve never even seen the place,” said Hughes of Brands. “The test will be a good chance to get used to the circuit, even if it’s only part of the one we’re using for the race.”

HANCOCK FLIES IN TESTING

Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship Chief Instructor Olly Hancock underlined his credentials as one of the favourites to succeed Richard Singleston (pictured) as Formula Renault BARC champion with a strong performance in testing at Brands Hatch yesterday.

Hancock, who is driving for proven race-winning outfit Mark Burdett Motorsport, was consistently one of the fastest drivers during the test, although with no official timing available he stopped short of claiming the fastest time of the day.

"I'm sure we were quickest in the morning, although I'm not completely certain about the afternoon," said Hancock. "But if we weren't fastest overall we were within a tenth!"

The Brands test completes Hancock's pre-season running, which has also included outings at Oulton Park, Silverstone, Snetterton and Donington Park, and he is delighted with his progress. What's more, he has crack engineer Mark Goodwin, who also works with Formula Renault UK Championship leader Duncan Tappy, working on his car.

"The team just keep working and the setups are just awesome," said Hancock. "There's going to be some very strong opposition out there this year and it's looking like being very competitive - at Donington we were lapping three tenths of a second faster than the frontrunners last year."

Although the Formula Renault BARC Championship lacks the prestige of the UK championship, which supports the British Touring Car Championship, it is earning itself a reputation as a superb proving ground for young talent. With budgets at around half that required for the UK series, this allows drivers like Hancock to prove their ability without requiring the £140,000 plus required for the main championship.

The Formula Renault BARC Championship kicks off at Donington Park on Sunday April 29.

STRAW BANKS ON TRACK TIME

After a disappointing showing in the opening round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Oulton Park on Easter Monday, Speedworks Motorsport’s Edd Straw is hoping to make the most of more testing time ahead of the next round of the series at Brands Hatch on April 27-29.

Straw is set to test at Mallory Park tomorrow morning as he bids to familiarise himself with the driving style required by the Ginetta G20 after finishing only 20th at Oulton Park.

“I realised very quickly at Oulton that I just wasn’t on top of how to drive these cars,” explained Straw. “I reassessed my targets and aimed for top 20 in race one, which I just managed to achieve, and was hoping to push on closer to the top ten in the second race.

“In many ways the race being cancelled has helped me, as when it is run later in the season I should be on top of the car. When you haven't driven for five months that's not easy, at least not for me!”

Although Straw has raced a Ginetta on several occasions, he has not had the opportunity to complete much meaningful testing.

“With the standard being as high as it is in Ginettas you need to be at the top of your game to run at the front,” he said. “My target for the season is to be a regular top ten runner, and I’m hoping with a couple of days in the car I’ll be somewhere near that for Brands.

“On the plus side, I felt I wasn’t driving well at Oulton and couldn’t push as I wanted to, so to get out of that meeting in one piece and with a point in my pocket is a decent result in the circumstances.”

MERRY MAKES STRONG START

Speedworks Motorsport driver Neil Merry’s cautious start to the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Oulton Park on Easter Monday paid off with a strong finish in the championship race, despite a mid-race spin.

Merry, who has switched full-time to the series after a one-off appearance at Castle Combe last year, followed up his impressive third place in the qualifying heat with 14th in the points race.

“It was a great experience to run at the front for the first time in the qualifying heat, although I’m kicking myself for spinning in the championship race,” said Merry. “That said, I came into the weekend wanting to feel my way into the series and come out the other side with an undamaged car and solid results, and that’s what I’ve done.”

Merry had charged his way up to 11th when he spun. But for his minor off, he would almost certainly have picked up a top ten finish.

“It bodes well for the rest of the season, although for the next round I’ve never driven the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit before so I’ll have to be cautious again," said Merry. "The main thing is that the team has prepared the car superbly and I’m really enjoying my racing. I think some drivers sometimes forget to do that!”

The next round of the championship takes place in support of the A1 Grand Prix World Cup of Motorsport at Brands Hatch on April 27-29. For ticket information click here

LAKEMAN-PETTIT DOMINATES

Dominic Lakeman-Pettit underlined his 2007 PlayStation Ginetta Junior Championship credentials by dominating the pre-season Spring Cup event at Pembrey on April 14-15.

Lakeman-Pettit, who finished sixth in last year's championship, was utterly supreme at Pembrey, taking a clean sweep of wins, pole positions and fastest laps. The victories were his first in circuit racing despite having notched up some strong results during the 2006 season.

On Saturday, it was IDL Engineering's Tom Sharp who ran him closest, following up his defeat by less than a second in race one with another runner-up spot after battling his way past Nick Pointing in the second. But on Sunday it was karting graduate Nigel Moore, contesting his first ever car racing event, who shone by duplicating Sharp's feat with a brace of seconds.

Sharp himself picked up a third and a sixth in the final two races to complete a strong weekend, while Chris Clayton proved he has taken a significant step forward from his midfield form of 2006 with two third places.

Race 1
1 Dominic Lakeman-Pettit, 15m48.829s
2 Tom Sharp, +0.966s
3 Nick Ponting, +13.042s

Race 2
1 Dominic Lakeman-Pettit, 15m49.683s
2 Tom Sharp, +6.193s
3 Chris Clayton, +11.347s

Race 3
1 Dominic Lakeman-Pettit, 15m46.053s
2 Nigel Moore, +7.790s
3 Chris Clayton, +14.259s

Race 4
1 Dominic Lakeman-Pettit, 15m47.252s
2 Nigel Moore, +2.385s
3 Tom Sharp, +20.900s

HARRIS HAS BLONDE MOMENT

Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship instructor Matt Harris has been forced to go blonde after claiming his first British GT Championship race victory at Oulton Park on Easter Monday.

Harris and co-driver Oliver Bryant had rashly agreed with another scholarship instructor, Joe Twyman, that they would bleach their hair in the style of 1997 Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve if they won one of the opening two rounds of the GT championship. The duo duly claimed victory in race two, with a little help from some tricky conditions, and Twyman was resolved to make them go through with it.

"Olly has a habit of making deals and bets with me, most of which I seem to lose," explains Twyman. "However, Olly should have understood me when I said 'I'm going to hold you to that' when he announced that he would be bleaching his hair in a Villeneuve style if he won one of the races at Oulton! Matt said he'd do it too.

"Of course, they won race two at Oulton and no sooner had they finished then I was reminding them of their deal. I was determined to make them go through with this!"

Harris was understandably unavailable for comment.

STRONG GRID FOR GINETTA JUNIORS

This weekend’s Ginetta Junior Spring Cup meeting at Pembrey has attracted a healthy grid of 16 cars.

The four-race event is a non-championship prelude to the Playstation GT Junior Championship, which kicks off at Anglesey on June 30-July 1, and is set to give a strong indication of which drivers will be the favourites for the 2007 season.

The championship caters for drivers aged 14-16 behind the wheel of the roofed Ginetta GT4. Powered by a 1.4-litre Ford Zetec engine, as opposed to the 1.8-litre used by the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Senior Championship, the cars are perfectly conceived to produce a safe and competitive environment for junior drivers.

The best of the returnees from last year’s championship, which was won by James Harrison, are Dominic Lakeman-Pettit and Tom Sharp, who finished fifth and sixth respectively in last year’s standings. However, despite their impressive performances in 2006, there is a strong contingent of newcomers joining the fray for their first seasons of circuit racing.

Ginetta Junior Spring Cup entry list

4 Paul Marsh
5 Jordan Lennox-Lamb
6 Tom Carnaby
7 Nick Ponting
8 James Jefferson
10 Tom Sharp
19 Ashley Bird
25 Nigel Moore
28 George Richardson
34 Chris Clayton
50 Simon Austin
51 Steven Russel
57 Philip Russel
66 Dominic Lakeman-Pettit
72 Casey Watson
91 Fergus Walkinshaw

For further ticket information for the meeting, which runs on both Saturday and Sunday, click here

HYDE SR FLIES AT OULTON

Steve Hyde, father of Speedworks Motorsport driver Jonny Hyde, made a strong start to his British GT Championship campaign over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The GT regular has joined the Team Aero outfit to race a Morgan Aero 8 in British GT, picking up a third and a second place in the GTC class in the two races at Oulton.

It was Hyde’s first outing in the Morgan, although he could do nothing about the all-conquering Team Tiger Marcos Mantis of Chris Beighton and Jon Finnemore, which took the GTC honours in both races.

In addition to his superb class performances, Hyde also claimed some impressive overall results, finishing ahead of, and notably outqualifying, a contingent of the supposedly quicker GT3-class cars.

“I expect a few of the GT3 drivers weren’t impressed to see the Morgan sitting in front of them on the grid,” said Hyde, who qualified eighth overall for race one. “The Morgan is a very well sorted car with everything prepared well, so it’s great to drive.”

The double podium leaves Hyde and team owner Keith Ahlers second in the GTC standings, six points behind the Team Tiger drivers.

Hyde Sr’s impressive form was matched by Hyde Jr, as Jonny recovered from a chronic misfire in practice to charge from the back of the field to second in the qualifying race before finishing 14th in the shortened opening round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship.

DICK IMPRESSED BY TEAM EFFORT

Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick has paid tribute to his outfit’s hard work during the opening round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship over the Easter weekend.

Dick suffered a major rear-end impact during the first championship race, but despite the crash, which ruptured the fuel tank, his car was ready to go out for the scheduled second points round. Using parts taken from Phil Sykes’s car, which was unable to run after an engine failure, the crew had the car patched up and ready to go in plenty of time for the race.

Although it was ultimately cancelled because of timetable problems, Dick was still stunned by the work put in by his team.

“I’m absolutely made up with the amount of work that everyone in the team put in over the weekend, not just with the repair of my car but also in general.

“With eight cars to run you need everyone to be at the top of their game and they all did a fantastic job – even some of the drivers were mucking in when we needed everyone to get my car fixed! I didn’t expect to be in a position to be out for race two but if it had happened I’d have been there. With the amount of damage the car had sustained, that’s an amazing achievement.”

JACKSON CONTENT WITH DEBUT

Speedworks Motorsport's Dave Jackson has declared himself happy with his debut in the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship over the Easter weekend, although he is confident there is still more to come.

Jackson finished 12th in his sole outing after the second championship race was canned because of timetable problems. Despite missing out on his pre-weekend target of the top ten, he is content with finishing the weekend in one piece.

"The race was just a question of survival," said Jackson. "There were cars firing off everywhere in really difficult conditions. It had been dry at Oulton for days and when you've got a decent amount of tyre rubber and oil on the track when it rains you can barely touch the throttle without the car wanting to go straight on or swap ends!"

Jackson emerged unscathed from the first lap carnage which caused a red flag to emerge from the weekend unscathed - something which many of his rivals failed to do.

"I know there's a bit more to come in qualifying - I was half a second off what I have done before around here and that would have put me into the top ten on the grid. I just can't wait to get back out in the car and get some more miles under my belt ahead of Brands Hatch."

Jackson is set to test tomorrow on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit ahead of the next round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship on the full-length grand prix track on April 27-29.

HARRIS CLAIMS GT VICTORY

Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship instructor Matt Harris claimed a stunning British GT Championship race win at Oulton Park on Easter Monday.

Harris, driving a Tech 9 Motorsport-prepared Porsche 997, started sixth on the grid and survived an incident-packed first lap and a clash with the Ascari of Godfrey Jones at Old Hall to complete an impressive opening stint.

Bryant was able to hold off the Aston Martin DBRS9 of former British GT champion Jonathan Cocker to complete a superb victory.

“It was very scary,” said Harris of his run in treacherous conditions. “Some laps you’d be fully committed into a corner and the next lap you’d come into it just as committed with rain coming down and you’d be all over the place!”

The victory, combined with a fourth place in the first race of the Oulton Park double-header, leaves Harris in the lead of the British GT Championship.

For further information on Matt Harris click here

HEROIC REPAIR IN VAIN

Speedworks Motorsport's team of mechanics were left disappointed after the second race of the opening meeting of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship was cancelled owing to timetable problems.

The crew had worked a miracle to repair lead driver Christian Dick's car, which had suffered substantial rear end damage after an accident on the opening lap of race one. Unfortunately, a surfeit of red flags during the day's racing - which included two red flags in the second British Formula 3 Championship race, meant that the race had to be postponed.

"I'm disappointed for the team more than anyone else," said Dick. "The car was a mess after the accident and the fact that they managed not only to get it repaired but also set up in just a short time is testament to their ability."

The cancelled race is likely to be rerun at one of the later rounds of the championship and is most likely to be held at Croft, Silverstone or Snetterton.

RACE AGAINST TIME AFTER SMASH

Christian Dick and the Speedworks Motorsport team face a race against time to make the second race of the opening round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship after a heavy accident in race one.

Dick, who started fifth on the grid, lost it in damp conditions in the opening lap at Cascades and was collected by Frank Wrathall. The impact left his car with significant rear end damage which the team is working flat out to repair for race one.

"The chances of getting it out for the second race aren't exactly high, but we'll have to give it a try," said Dick.

Dave Jackson was the best Speedworks finisher in 13th on his Ginetta debut, leading home Jonny Hyde and Neil Merry (both pictured).

Tony Hughes claimed 19th on his racing debut, while Edd Straw ran as high as 11th but ended up 20th after hitting braking problems which forced him off at Island corner early in the race.

Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms came home 24th despite the treacherous conditions and an ongoing engine problem.

Former champion Matt Nicoll-Jones won after getting ahead of pole man Ben Elliott off the line. Former Formula BMW racer Joe Osborne was an impressive second on his Ginetta debut, while T-Cars graduate Daniel Laddiman took third after Elliott was excluded from third place.

Race 1 results
1 Matt Nicoll-Jones, 11m00.193s
2 Joe Osborne, +1.338s
3 Daniel Laddiman, +14.724s
4 Julian Barratt, +19.129s
5 Richard Austin, +25.516s
6 Paul Moden, +30.300s
7 Richard Sykes, +32.855s
8 Stuart Pearson, +42.801s
9 Mark Wania, +47.307s
10 Andy Smith, +48.816s
11 Lee Birkett, +51.356s
12 Dave Jackson, +52.479s
13 Jonny Hyde, +52.742s
14 Neil Merry, +1m09.425s
15 Christopher Wright, +1m10.804s
16 Martin Jones, +1m11.576s
17 Russell Melrose, +1m12.264s
18 Gavin Mitchell, +1m14.423s
19 Tony Hughes, +1m16.926s
20 Edd Straw, +1m17.242s
21 Jonathan Hawkins, +1m22.744s
22 Neil Houston, +1m26.926s
23 Seven Graham, +2m02.451s
24 Gary Simms, +1 lap
DNF Christian Dick - accident

SPEEDWORKS CLAIMS DOUBLE PODIUM

Speedworks Motorsport duo Jonny Hyde (pictured) and Neil Merry claimed podium finishes in the qualifying race for the opening round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Oulton Park.

Hyde surged from the tail of the field after suffering electrical problems in practice to finish second and earn himself a place on the grid for this afternoon's two championship rounds. Hyde passed Merry for second in the closing stages on the inside of Lodge and with another two laps should have passed race winner Ross Edwards.

"The team did a fantastic job to fix the electrical problem and I had the easy bit," said Hyde. "I'll try and do the same again in this afternoon's races and get into the top ten and take a decent number of points out of the weekend."

Merry, who had made a stunning getaway in both the original start and the restart, was delighted to come home with his first career podium finish.

"I just wanted to get a podium for the team," said Merry. "I got up into second and was having a great time, then I could see Jonny behind me and knew he was way quicker. It was only a matter of time before he got ahead."

Edd Straw also raced his way into the final, surviving dropping to last after starting in neutral on the original start and narrowly escaping a massive race stopping accident on his way to a solid fifth.

"It's job done," said Straw. "I wasn't treating this like a race - I just wanted to get into the top nine. I managed to keep out of the way of the shunt at the exit of Cascades - a car got wide onto the grass then tried to rejoin the circuit too quickly and just launched off the car in front. I could see it happening a mile off and just got out of the throttle. Once I was up in sixth on the restart I just took it very easy."

Racing debutant Tony Hughes narrowly missed out on qualifying for both championship rounds, coming home 10th, while Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms took 14th after a recurrence of an engine problem.

Phil Sykes suffered a second engine failure of the weekend and wil take no further part in the meeting.

Qualifying race results

1 Ross Edwards, 10m06.297s
2 Jonny Hyde, +1.528s
3 Neil Merry, +9.475s
4 Jonathan Hawkins, +12.508s
5 Edd Straw, +24.851s
6 Christopher Wright, +24.
7 Russell Melrose, +25.236s
8 Martin Jones, +27.354s
9 Martin Ralph, +31.433s
10 Tony Hughes, +32.720s
11 Daniel Lewis, +44.435s
12 Neil Houston, +54.150s
13 Steven Graham, +55.09s
14 Gary Simms, +1 lap
DNF Phil Sykes - engine

HARRIS FOURTH IN BRITISH GT OPENER

Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship instructor Matt Harris made an impressive start to his British GT Championship campaign with fourth place in the season opener at Oulton Park.

Harris, sharing a Tech 9 Motorsport-run Porsche 997 with Oliver Bryant, held off eventual winner and reigning British GT champion Tim Mullen's Ferrari 430 GT3 for long period in the second half of the race but was eventually forced to give best to the Northern Irishman.

The quicker Aston Martin DBRS9 of Michael Bentwood and the Ascari KZ1R of Godfrey Jones both found a way past Harris, leaving him to settle for fourth. But for a safety car in the first half of the race, which neutralised the advantage that team-mate Bryant had built up over the eventual second and third-placed cars, Harris would likely have made the podium.

Harris will have another shot at claiming a podium finish in Easter Monday’s second race of the weekend, when he will start sixth on the grid.

Fellow scholarship instructor James Littlejohn also competed in the race, making his British GT debut behind the wheel of a Viper Competition Coupe run by Brookspeed. Sharing with versatile veteran Nigel Greensall, the car was not on the pace and the duo finished 18th.

British GT result
1 Hector Lester/Tim Muller (Ferrari 430 GT3)
2 Tom Alexander/Michael Bentwood (Aston Martin DBRS9)
3 David Jones/Godfrey Jones (Ascari KZ1R)
4 Oliver Bryant/Matt Harris (Porsche 997)
5 Guy Harrington/Ben de Zille Butler (Aston Martin DBRS9)
6 Phil Burton/Adam Wilcox (Ferrari 430 GT3)
18 James Littlejohn/Nigel Greensall (Viper Competition Coupe)

DICK TO START FIFTH

Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick will start the first round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship on Easter Monday from fifth on the grid.

The 31-year-old set a time of 1m57.336s to land a place on the third row.

"In the circumstances fifth is a very good place to start," said Dick. "We've had a lot of problems during testing in the last few weeks and I'm pleased just to have the car running well enough to be able to qualify in the top six. We've still got a problem with the radiator to resolve, but at least we're in the race for Monday."

Dave Jackson will start 15th after a solid session, while the rest of the Speedworks line-up will have to make the grid for the championship rounds through Monday morning's qualifying race. Phil Sykes, who only completed three laps after hitting engine problems, will start fourth on the grid, one place ahead of Edd Straw, with Neil Merry and Tony Hughes eighth and 13th respectively.

Both Jonny Hyde and Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms hit problems during the session. Hyde was blighted by a chronic misfire and will start 16th in the qualifying race, while Simms first lost a bonnet because of a pin failure and then struggled with an engine problem.

A place in the top ten in the qualifying race will guarantee a spot in both championship rounds.

Pole for the first championship round fell to Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship returnee Ben Elliott with a stunning lap of 1m56.084s ahead of 2005 champion Matt Nicoll-Jones. The second row of the grid was filled by former Formula BMW racer Joe Osborne and T-Cars graduate Daniel Laddiman.

Qualifying results

1 Ben Elliott, 1m56.084s
2 Matt Nicoll-Jones, 1m56.791s
3 Joe Osborne, 1m56.794s
4 Daniel Laddiman, 1m57.313s
5 Christian Dick, 1m57.336s
6 Gavin Mitchell, 1m57.484s
7 Julian Barratt, 1m57.506s
8 Paul Moden, 1m57.769s
9 Richard Sykes, 1m57.844s
10 Richard Austin, 1m58.289s
11 Mark Wania, 1m58.586s
12 Frank Wrathall, 1m58.654s
13 Stuart Pearson, 1m58.766s
14 Lee Birkett, 1m58.789s
15 Dave Jackson, 1m58.808s
16 Jonathan Cook, 1m59.042s
17 Max Henderson, 1m59.191s
18 Spencer McCarthy, 1m59.705s
19 Andrew Smith, 1m59.833s
20 Andy Coombs, 1m59.836s
21 Ross Edwards, 1m59.979s
22 Jonathan Hawkins, 2m00.018s
23 Russell Melrose, 2m00.248s
24 Phil Sykes, 2m01.144s
25 Edd Straw, 2m01.523s
26 Martin Jones, 2m01.759s
27 Miles Masarati, 2m01.806s
28 Neil Merry, 2m02.198s
29 Steve Williams, 2m03.214s
30 Stuart Hale, 2m03.221s
31 Duncan Gass, 2m03.640s
32 Neil Hudson, 2m03.740s
33 Tony Hughes, 2m03.769s
34 Michael Ralph, 2m03.999s
35 Christopher Wright, 2m05.133s
36 Jonny Hyde, 2m05.615s
37 Steven Graham, 2m06.552s
38 Gary Simms, 2m26.228s
39 Daniel Lewis, no time

TEXACO HAVOLINE GINETTA CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON PREVIEW

The 2007 Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship will kick off at Oulton Park this Bank Holiday weekend.

The thriving series has attracted a remarkable 38-car entry for its season opener, including eight cars fielded by Speedworks Motorsport. With two-times champion Stewart Linn not returning to defend his crown, the field is open for a new Ginetta Champion.

Edd Straw of Autosport magazine takes a look at the drivers likely to be fighting it out at the front of the field:

Christian Dick
The Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal not only has eight cars to prepare, but is also one of the leading contenders for the championship title. The 31-year-old, a former MaX5 Champion, already has a Ginetta win to his name in the 2006 Winter Series and is hoping to claim his first championship race victory at Oulton Park.

Matt Nicoll-Jones
The 2005 Ginetta Champion returns to the fold after a season spent largely on the sidelines. He proved with an appearance in last year's DTM support race that he still knows how to be searingly fast in a Ginetta and he remains many pundits' favourite to take a second title in his self-run entry.

Joe Osborne
Osborne is best known for two massive accidents during his 2005 Formula BMW campaign, but if his pre-season pace is anything to go by he will make a very different name for himself in Ginettas. His pace is not in doubt, but at Oulton he will be eager to prove he has the racecraft to match his stunning speed.

Mark Wania
Wania came on in leaps and bounds during the 2006 season and is certain to claim his first Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship race win this season. He was one of the most consistent drivers in the field in the second half of last year and will be looking to get his title bid off to a strong start at Oulton.

Julian Barratt
Barratt is the best-placed of last year's returnees - he finished third overall in 2006 - and is sure to be a strong challenger for this year's title. Driving for Reflex Racing, a former Ginetta championship winning team, he has been quick in pre-season testing and is sure to add to his Ginetta win tally.

Richard Austin
The father of former British Formula 3 race winner-turned Ginetta ace Rob Austin, Richard will be looking to repeat his strong start to last season when he led the championship after the first four races. Fourth in the standings last year, he switches to Rob Austin Racing for his 2007 campaign.

Gavin Mitchell
He may have finished only sixth overall last year, but he was the star of last year's season-opener at Oulton Park, winning both races. He didn't win again all season and will be looking to prove he has the pace to make the step from race winner to genuine title contender.

Ben Elliott
The former BRDC Single-Seater class champion returns full-time to Ginettas this season and is likely to be a strong contender for wins. Elliott capped an impressive debut Ginetta season in 2005 with a first win at Rockingham and only missed out on a second victory on his sole appearance last year at Silverstone after spinning while leading.

Jonny Hyde
Ranked eighth overall last season in his first year in Ginettas and his switch from running as an independent to driving for Speedworks Motorsport should move him even further up the grid. After a strong finish to last season, including a superb fourth place in the sodden season finale at Donington Park, a first podium is surely just around the corner.

Spencer McCarthy
McCarthy moves to the championship after running for many years in the MG BCV8 Championship. A class rival of World Touring Car Championship race winner Rob Huff, he has proved himself time and again in MGs.

For ticket information for the meeting, which also features the British GT and British Formula 3 Championships, visit www.motorsportvision.co.uk

TRACK TORQUE: OULTON PARK
Oulton Park, which will host the opening round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship on Monday April 9, is widely regarded as one of the best circuits in Europe.

The circuit offers a wide variety of challenges as well as several corners where getting it wrong can lead to disaster.

Among the highlights of the lap is the awesomely fast Druids corner, which is no less daunting now that circuit owner MotorSport Vision has extended the run-off by some 22 metres as part of a raft of track improvements. A fast run out of Druids can give a significant run on the car ahead on the run to the slower right-hander at Lodge, always a popular overtaking spot.

Another key passing place is the first corner - Old Hall - a rapid right-hander which has been the scene of many a race-defining passing manouvre.

For spectators, a spot on the infield in the vicinity of Cascades, the long left-hand second corner, is popular as it also offers views of the tight Knickerbrook chicane, another area guaranteed to deliver dramatic race action.

Pole for last year's round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship fell to Jamie Clare at 1m57.405s, a mark which is likely to be broken in qualifying in 2007.

For ticket information for the meeting, which also features the British GT and British Formula 3 Championships, visit www.motorsportvision.co.uk

DICK: IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK
Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick will return to race action at his home circuit for the first time since 2004 in the opening round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Oulton Park on April 9.

Dick spent much of the 2006 season on the sidelines building up Speedworks, but returns to competition full time with a Ginetta campaign.

"Oulton is like a second home to me and it's amazing to think I haven't raced there for three years," said Dick. "It's a fantastic place to start the season and a very rewarding circuit to drive. I can't think of a better place to start the season.

On his last race at Oulton Dick lost out on victory by the narrowest of margins on his last appearance at the classic Cheshire venue.

"I lost by something like nine-thousandths of a second last time I race here," he said. "It's going to be very close again in Ginettas with the standard of opposition and with around 40 cars out there I'm not going to take anything for granted."

For ticket information for the meeting, which also features the British GT and British Formula 3 Championships, visit www.motorsportvision.co.uk

PRE-SEASON TESTING COMPLETED
Speedworks Motorsport's drivers have completed their pre-season testing ahead of the opening round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Oulton Park on April 9.

Six of the team's drivers ran during the official championship test day on Silverstone's National circuit on April 3, with Christian Dick, Neil Merry, Dave Jackson, Tony Hughes, Jonny Hyde and Speedworks-assisted Phil Sykes all in action.

The team's remaining two drivers, Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms and Edd Straw ran at Oulton Park on April 4. It was Simms's first official test as a Speedworks driver.

"It's great to get some time in the car under my belt," said Simms. "It's a fantastic circuit and I can't wait to get out there in qualifying!"

SYKES PSYCHED UP FOR OULTON
Speedworks Motorsport-assisted driver Phil Sykes is confident of making a good impression on his Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship debut at Oulton Park on April 9 despite limited testing time.

Sykes has had his Ginetta for less than a month, but has already shown that he has the potential to run in the top ten.

"I'm not 100% comfortable with the car as I've not had as much running as I'd have liked, but I'm getting to grips with it," said Sykes. "I know Oulton well because it's my local circuit, but It's the first race of the season so I'm keen to get an idea of where I am in the field without setting high targets straight away."

Sykes claimed Speedworks Motorsport's maiden race win on the team's debut in 2006 before finishing fourth in the MaX5 Championship. He's hopeful of being able to add to his victory tally during the 2007 Ginetta season.

"I showed last year that I know how to win races and I'd like to think that I've got a shot at getting some podiums in Ginettas and maybe even picking up a win later in the season," said Sykes. "Once the first weekend is out the way I'll have a better idea what sort of year I'm in for."

For ticket information for the meeting, which also features the British GT and British Formula 3 Championships, visit www.motorsportvision.co.uk

SPEEDWORKS SIX TO GO TESTING
Speedworks Motorsport will field six cars in Tuesday's official pre-season Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship test day at Silverstone ahead of the first round of the series at Oulton Park on April 9.

Ginetta has organised the day both as a test and press day for the championship, which is developing an ever higher media profile. Close to 30 cars are expected for the test, which will be held on Silverstone's National circuit configuration.

Christian Dick, Dave Jackson, Neil Merry, Tony Hughes, Jonny Hyde and associate driver Phil Sykes will all run for Speedworks at the test.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to get an idea of where we are in comparison to the rest of the field ahead of the start of the season," said Team Principal Dick. "Most of the cars entered for Oulton have been out in testing around the country over the past few months, but this is the first chance we'll have to compare the relative performance of the field."

Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms will attend the test, although he will have to wait until Wednesday's test day at Oulton Park to have his first outing as an official Speedworks driver.

HANCOCK LANDS FRENAULT DEAL
Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship Chief Instructor Olly Hancock has completed his deal to race in the Formula Renault BARC single-seater championship this year.

Hancock, a former Formula Ford 2000 champion, will drive for the well-respected Mark Burdett Motorsport outfit in the thriving series.

“This is an all-out championship attack,” said Hancock. “It’s a big step up from what I’ve done before, which is why I’ve got a good testing programme planned before the first round of the championship.”

Hancock’s campaign will kick off at Donington Park on April 29.

SIMMS HAS SEAT FITTING

Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms had his seat fitting today ahead of his racing debut in the opening round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Oulton Park on April 9.

The 20-year-old, who has won a completely free first season of racing with Speedworks Motorsport, completed the seat fitting ahead of his first official test for the team at Oulton on April 4.

"It's fantastic finally to have a race car that's my own for the season and to be able to make it exactly right for me," said Simms. "The next week can't pass quickly enough. There'll be a lot to learn at Oulton both during the test day and on the race weekend but at least I know that I'm comfortable in the car!"

Team Principal Christian Dick emphasised the importance of the correct seating position. "If you're not comfortable and relaxed in the car it will be reflected in your driving," he said. "You can't be smooth if you're tense or holding your body strangely. The objective of today was to get Gary happy on that front, and we've achieved that."

RECORD GRID FOR SEASON OPENER

The opening round of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship at Oulton Park on April 9 will feature a record 38-car field, including eight cars entered by Speedworks Motorsport.

To accomodate the bumper entry, the slowest 18 cars in the 35-minute qualifying session on April 7 will compete in a qualifying race on the morning of April 9. The top ten in that race will be guaranteed places on the grid for each of the two championship rounds, with the remaining eight being placed into one race each.

"The spectacular entry for the 2007 season demonstrates exactly why Speedworks Motorsport opted to switch to Ginettas," said Team Principal Christian Dick. "It's a growth championship and we're very happy to be part of such a thriving series. The racing is going to be stunning at Oulton."

Dick will lead Speedworks Motorsport's attack, with Dave Jackson, Neil Merry, Tony Hughes, Jonny Hyde, Gary Simms, Phil Sykes and Edd Straw also competing for the team.

For ticket information for the meeting, which also features the British GT and British Formula 3 Championships, visit www.motorsportvision.co.uk