Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup debutant Oli Basey-Fisher said he was satisfied and happy with the pace shown on his maiden outing in the G50 class at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit over the weekend, 12th/13th October, where mixed conditions made for a particularly challenging event.
Off the back of winning the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge title at Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit just a week prior, the 18-year-old from Great Finborough had the opportunity to return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship support paddock for the first time since 2012.
Relishing the chance, despite a series of technical issues and mechanical gremlins, the Century Logistics-backed racer qualified fourth in class for the first encounter on Saturday and put together a strong performance in race conditions.
Marking a major step-up in terms of power, and a big change in handling compared to the Ginetta G40 he has been used to racing this year, Oli performed well in his maiden race and after making a clean getaway he held position before reeling in Academy Motorsport team-mate Will Burns.
On lap two, a moment for G50 Class Champion Sean Huyton – now racing one of the quicker and more aerodynamically efficient Ginetta G55s – dropped him down the order in between Burns and Oli but by lap five the two Academy G50s were back together.
Running nose-to-tail, Oli applied pressure but couldn’t quite force the mistake he was looking for from Burns before the Safety Car had to be deployed on lap eight when new Ginetta GT Supercup Champion Tom Ingram crashed out.
Incredibly, while the race was still running under caution, the car of Fergus Walkinshaw then caught fire at the exit of Druids and so officials declared a result after nine laps with Oli fourth in his debut encounter in the category.
“The mixed weather wasn’t ideal and the car is a big, big change from what I’m used to”, said the Suffolk One College student, “We had car issues all weekend really, problems with the throttle, an issue with the fuel pump, a power problem – it wasn’t until the first race where I was able to have a proper go in the car.
“Luckily, the first race was dry and I had a good run. I was half a second faster than my team-mate Will [Burns], who has more experience than me in these cars, but our battle was cut short by the Safety Car unfortunately.”
In the first of Sunday’s rain-affected races, Oli wasn’t even able to complete the first lap when contact from the G55 of Carl Boardley resulted in a broken track-rod and a swift return to the pits to retire. Aiming to end the weekend on a high in race three, he handled the slippery conditions well to finish fourth in class after a strong drive.
“Sunday was crazy”, said Oli, “I was taken out of the first race by Carl Boardley, he was letting people past but as I went by he didn’t realise I was there and made contact which unfortunately broke the track-rod. In race three, the car worked well and I was really happy in terms of my pace – this weekend has definitely whetted my appetite for more of the same next year.”
