Avon Tyres British GT Championship leader Matt Griffin says he can't wait to get on track at Knockhill next weekend (8/9 May) for rounds three and four of the series - even though he and his MTECH Racing team-mate Duncan Cameron know only too well that the Scottish circuit is one which can bite.
Last year Griffin and Cameron were within four laps of tasting the victory champagne at Knockhill when their Ferrari snapped a driveshaft. Despite that setback, Griffin is looking forward to a great Scottish outing: "I love Knockhill. Last year was gutting, but prior to that it's always been kind to me. It's a cracking circuit, one of those places where you really need to push to get a good time. It might be a short lap, but it's very, very difficult, particularly through the chicane because the cars have to work hard through there, and so does the driver. It's excellent."
Griffin adds that a pair of wins for MTECH like that the team scored at Oulton Park on Easter Monday might be a bit optimistic: "I think we are quite confident but I don't know whether we dare hope for another weekend like Oulton; that would be incredible. We just want to remain right at the sharp end: I'd be happy with two podiums; anything better and I'd be over the moon."
It's going to be a tense weekend for the British GT crews as those who hit the ground running at Oulton Park bid to maintain their advantage, while others whose seasons did not get away to such a great start try to close the gap. Not least among them are last year's Knockhill race victors - Ascari men David and Godfrey Jones and Viper crew Craig Wilkins and Aaron Scott, all of whom failed to claim a single point at Oulton Park.
Ulsterman Hector Lester is the closest points challenger currently after finishing a close second to the MTECH Ferrari in both Oulton races. Lester will be partnered at Knockhill, as he was last year, by French driver Stephane Daoudi; their Rosso Verde Ferrari 430 Scuderia is prepared in Edinburgh and for the team this is very much a home race. Hector's regular co-driver, Allan Simonsen, has racing commitments elsewhere next weekend.
The Trackspeed-prepared 911 GT3R of David Ashburn was in mighty form on its British GT debut earlier this month and Knockhill ought to suit it; the team was waiting until after this weekend's FIA GT3 European Championship races at Silverstone before committing to the Scottish rounds, however.
Other GT3 challengers out for glory include the triple-Ferrari Chad Racing team comprising Paul Warren/Tom Ferrier, all-Argentine crew Juan Garriz and Jose Balbiani, and 18-year-old Dan Brown and his co-driver Chris Hyman, in the STP-liveried Scuderia. Brown was a three-time GT3 victor last year and Hyman made it on to the podium at Knockhill last year, partnered by Balbiani. The Phil Burton/Adam Wilcox CCTV Racing Ferrari will also be in action at Knockhill.
In the G4 class all eyes will be on local hero Rory Butcher and the KTM X-Bow piloted by him and Benjamin Harvey. They shared the class victory honours at Oulton Park with the impressive Speedworks Motorsport Ginetta G50 of Jamie Stanley and Christian Dick, each squad emerging with a win and a second place. Kirkaldy-based Butcher's unrivalled Knockhill knowledge is sure to give him an advantage.
The Lotus 2-Eleven of Piranha Motorsport pairing Chris Bialan and Simon Mason ought to be in its element at Knockhill and will surely be closing the gap on the class frontrunners, as will the Ginetta of reigning G50 Champion Nathan Freke and his young Danish co-driver Vibe Smed. Meanwhile, reigning European GT4 Champion Joe Osborne and his team-mate Osman Yusuf will make the Ginetta battle a three-cornered one.
Edinburgh-born John Gaw and his team-mate, fellow Scot Phil Dryburgh, enjoyed an unopposed run to GT Cup class honours at Oulton with their Porsche and return for a home outing at Knockhill, where they will bid once again to break into the top 10 and worry a few of the GT3 cars.
British GT is sponsored by UK tyre manufacturer Avon Tyres and is further supported by Sunoco Racing Fuels, Anglo American Oil Company and The Independent.
Provisional race weekend timetableSaturday 8 May: 1100-1200 & 1515-1615 free practiceSunday 9 May: 0850 Qualifying, 1145 Round 3 (60 mins), 1600 Round 4 (60 mins)
