For Newbridge Motorsport, the 2014 season was an opportunity to prepare itself and its drivers for a full 2015 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) campaign and the ambitious Milton Keynes-based outfit surpassed all targets, finishing third in the Britcar Endurance Championship with Guillaume Gruchet.
Newbridge began by taking its newly acquired Porsche 997 GT3 Cup to its home circuit, Silverstone, for the first of seven race meetings on the Britcar Endurance Championship calendar, which encompassed many of the UK’s premier motorsport venues, as well as a fly-away trip at Belgium’s iconic Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps near Liege.
The team opened its 2014 account in style, as Gruchet demonstrated a great deal of stamina and resolve, overcoming nerves to secure a brace of top three finishes on Silverstone’s 1.86mile International circuit, following an intense battle with a pair of high-powered Ferrari 458 Italias.
Riding a wave of confidence, Gruchet and Newbridge Motorsport continued to ascend the ladder of success at Donington Park in the East Midlands, before climbing the winners’ rostrum once again during Britcar’s European halt at Spa-Francorchamps.
Despite having never raced on the highly demanding Belgian circuit, Gruchet headed over the English Channel brimming with enthusiasm and hoping to continue his upward trend during an extended programme that included a pair of two-hour endurance races, as opposed to the customary sole 90-minute encounter.
Dogged drives and clever pit strategies resulted in a brace of top five finishes for the gentleman driver, who subsequently consolidated his fourth position in the Drivers’ championship and received the ‘Driver of the Weekend’ award.
The success story continued when the championship returned to British shores and Newbridge Motorsport added more silverware to its ever-expanding trophy cabinet and climbed to third in the Drivers’ standings before returning to Silverstone.
Running on the more challenging Grand Prix configuration, Gruchet placed the cherry on the cake by storming to a remarkable third place finish in the weekend’s final race.
After 1648miles of fierce racing, the 2014 Britcar Endurance Championship drew to a close for Newbridge Motorsport.
The customer racing team has an array of awards to show for the a remarkable effort, demonstrating its diverse capabilities to provide the discerning driver with a complete package of services necessary to compete within the most prestigious GT series, both in the UK and Europe.
For more information and to discuss Newbridge Motorsport’s services and its arrive-and-drive packages, please contact Team Principal, Richard Tovey.