Race Preview - Rounds 11 & 12 Silverstone
By Lindsay Morle
Aug 10, 2004, 18:30
The British GT Championship battle resumes at Silverstone this weekend and Scuderia Ecosse is raring to go. The team has had a good break since the last rounds at Oulton Park so will arrive at Silverstone firing on all cylinders. After notching up two second places last time out the Kirkaldy/Kinch No.35 Ferrari will be heavily ballasted and still suffering from being the only car running with the maximum Pro-Am time penalty but the team wants nothing less than victory for that car. The Mullen/Niarchos sister Ferrari is also expected to fare well at the Northamptonshire track so the team will be gunning for two cars in the top three this weekend.
Stewart Roden, Scuderia Ecosse Team Principal
“This is an incredibly important weekend for us but the track suits the 360s so I’m hopeful we can come away with some more silverware. This circuit is technically demanding and the fast corners put a heavy strain on the drivers but they can handle it. It’s going to be a strange weekend with practice and qualifying on Friday and Saturday then both races on the Sunday. This will be tough on the cars and the team, not least the drivers. Car 34 is looking good for this race and ran very well during our recent Silverstone test so I’d like to see Chris (Niarchos) and Tim (Mullen) up on the podium. Andrew (Kirkaldy) and Nathan (Kinch) need to win as they have a Championship to fight for…let battle commence!”
Car No.35 – Ferrari 360 GTC:
Andrew Kirkaldy
“In theory we should go well at Silverstone because it has a good combination of long straights and fast corners which is what suits the Ferrari. It’s a long lap though so making up the 20 second penalty is going to be a massive challenge for us. The last couple of races should have gone our way but didn’t for various reasons so let’s just say I’m quietly optimistic for a good result this time out.”
Nathan Kinch
“I’m really looking forward to this one. The track suits our car perfectly so we should be right on the money! Two races in one day is going to be exhausting but we are all prepared for it and can’t wait to get stuck in.”
Car No.34 – Ferrari 360 GT:
Tim Mullen
“This is a circuit I know very well and it’s one where I enjoy racing. It’s a good track with some stunning fast corners. I particularly enjoy the combination of Maggotts and Becketts which is a lot of fun at high speed. Overtaking is not too difficult at Silverstone as it is such a wide track but I’d rather start from the front this time out and save the overtaking for backmarkers! I’m looking forward to some good racing this weekend at what looks like being a busy weekend of motorsport.”
Chris Niarchos
“Our strong showing in the second race at Oulton Park has given us a huge feeling of anticipation for the Silverstone weekend. After not running in qualifying or the first race we were only able to try out the updates to the car in race two and believe me it felt fantastic. It’s going to be a busy weekend for us and a fun one too as I enjoy the Silverstone track.”
