The AmDTuning.com team enjoyed a winning end to its Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship campaign at Brands Hatch, taking a third Jack Sears Trophy success of the year on the final outing for its Volkswagen Golf.
With Super 2000-spec cars like the Golf set to disappear from the series next year, the West Thurrock-based team elected to bring the car out for one final appearance at its home circuit, with team boss Shaun Hollamby getting back behind the wheel for his first outing in the series since Croft 2011.
With backing from Scorpion Exhausts and APR Motorsport for the season finale, Shaun went into the weekend aiming to add to the silverware collected at both Brands Hatch and Donington Park earlier in the year.
The two free practice sessions saw mixed conditions on track, with a mechanical issue on the car preventing Shaun from setting a time. With limited running in the dry as a result, he then qualified 24th on the grid for the opening race.
Avoiding an incident at Paddock Hill Bend at the start of race one, held in wet conditions after heavy showers arrived at the circuit on Sunday morning, Shaun soon settled into his rhythm to run second in the Jack Sears Trophy behind champion Lea Wood, keeping pace with his rival until an error from Wood saw him suffer a spin at turn one.
Taking full advantage, Shaun swept through into the lead and having battled with the NGTC-spec Audi of Jake Hill, took the flag in 15th place. While that meant a trip to the top of the podium as Jack Sears Trophy winner, it also meant a first championship point for Shaun since making his series debut back in 2010.
Races two and three saw Shaun then finish second amongst the Jack Sears Trophy runners in 17th and 23rd overall, ensuring a fine end to the team’s four year adventure with the Golf as it now turns its focus to the future.
“It’s been the perfect day really,” he said. “We came into the weekend wanting to take a Jack Sears Trophy home with us and that is exactly what we got in the opening race. We lacked a bit of pace in race two but the car was improved in race three and we had another strong result.
“The car was reliable all weekend and I couldn’t have asked for much more. We got some good coverage on the TV for both Scorpion and APR, and to have a win for them both in the first race was fantastic.
“It’s been a real adventure for us with the Golf in the BTCC and there have been a number of highs and lows along the way. To send her off into ‘retirement’ with a trip to the podium was the perfect way to go into the off-season, and we now need to sit down and have a think about the options that there are for next year.”
