Matt Harris put in a strong finish to the 2007 Avon Tyres British GT Championship season with second and fourth places in the two final races at the Rockingham circuit this weekend, September 29th and 30th. Sharing his Tech 9-run Porsche 997 with Tom Ferrier, the duo gave the car its first podium finish since the opening meeting of the season, and demonstrated the potential and pace the car has promised all season.
In Saturday's first 15-minute qualifying session Matt had the Porsche immediately on the pace, and was second quickest - giving the car a front row start for the first of the weekend's two one-hour races. A front runner the entire race, Matt was running second when he pitted to hand the car over to Tom for the run to the flag, and the duo stayed in that position to record a well-earned podium finish.
"I had a really good qualifying," said Matt, from Droxford, near Southampton, "we were only beaten by the Lamborghini, it was frustrating that I didn't really put my best lap together as that would have put us on pole. We thought the car would work well here and the big improvements we made in the last meeting have paid off here.
"I made the start from hell in the race...I was watching the Lamborghini rather than the lights! I was able to run with the leaders and was second when I pitted on the same lap as the lead car. The Safety Car came out at just the wrong time for us in the race, we could have taken the win with a little more luck and shown what we have been capable of all season, but it was great to be on the podium again.
"Tom started Sunday's race from tenth on the grid, and when we pitted I think we were running ninth. I was determined to be on the podium again and drove the Porsche harder than I have ever pushed a race car before. Towards the end of the race I had two wheels over the kerbs on the entry and exit of every corner and was closing on the Ferrari in third. The radio wasn't working well but I could still get the messages from the team in the pits telling me to keep pushing, and in the last couple of laps I closed right in on him and I can only have been an inch behind at the end.
"It was a good end to the season, and if we had been able to get the car working like this all year it would have been a very different season. There is a narrow window you have to find to make the car work, and we seem to have found it in recent races after the updates we put on the car. It was a good result for the team as they have worked so hard on the Porsche, we have just had some frustrating mechanical issues that hurt us during the season.
"I am off to America now, to race out there for the next year, which should be really exciting."
