Sean Walkinshaw will make his first race appearance of the year on British soil next weekend, 9th/10th May, when the Blancpain Sprint Series visits Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit for the second event of the 2015 season.Along with MRS GT-Racing team-mate Craig Dolby, 21-year-old Sean cannot wait to be back behind the wheel of the No.73 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 and confidence is high of a strong performance at the 2.43-mile Kent track.
Making the move to sportscar racing this year from the world of Formula 3 single-seaters, the Chipping Norton driver has quickly adapted to the alternative style of action and the altogether different demands of closed-wheel competition.
“I’m really enjoying being part of Blancpain, it’s a fantastic series”, said Sean, “There’s obviously still a lot for me to learn but the guys at MRS GT-Racing have been great and my team-mate Craig has really helped me to make the transition from single-seaters. I’m looking forward to being back at Brands and I’m feeling pretty buoyant about our chances there.”
Sean’s last experience of the Grand Prix Circuit at Brands Hatch came in October 2012 when he raced in Formula Renault. On his return to the challenging and popular track, he is aiming to fully kick-start his Sprint Series campaign after a frustrating season opener at Nogaro in early April.
Going into the first event with justifiable high hopes after team-mate Dolby lapped sixth fastest in qualifying, contact on the very first lap of the Qualification Race set the tone for the remainder of the weekend in France.
So severe was the damage sustained when the Nissan was hit heavily from behind, an unsurprising retirement to the pits followed and the MRS GT-Racing mechanics were tasked with a very late night in order to ready the car for the following day’s action. In the weekend’s Main Race, the duo finished in the top 15 having been forced to start from the back of the grid.
“The opening weekend didn’t go as planned, but our Nissan GT-R was quick and we had very good pace – there wasn’t much anyone could do about how things turned out”, said the Oxfordshire driver, “What we did see, though, was amazing work from the team and we all know much, much more is possible at Brands. The circuit is mainly medium to high speed, so it should suit our car.”
After the first round of the Sprint Series, Sean debuted in the sister Blancpain Endurance Series – which forms part of the full Blancpain GT Series – at Monza in Italy where, along with Dolby and third driver Martin Plowman, a much more representative seventh place finish was achieved.
Following two 60-minute free practice sessions at Brands Hatch on Saturday, 9th May, qualifying for the Qualification Race will begin at 17.30. On Sunday, 10th May, the opening race will start at 11.10 with the Main Race scheduled to begin at 15.25 – both encounters will be screened live on ESPN in the UK with online streaming at http://www.blancpain-gt-series.com/sprint/live
