SV Racing’s David Pittard opened his race wins account in a commanding and dominant fashion in Rounds 7 and 8 of the 2014 Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup on Hampshire’s ultra-high speed Thruxton circuit on Saturday (3 May).
The 20-minute Ginetta GT4 Supercup qualifying session on the 2.36mile Hampshire-based track was a close-run thing and the battle for pole position provided a great deal of excitement.
Pittard remained elusive during the first half of the session but immediately established himself as one to watch upon exiting the pits in close proximity with HHC Motorsport’s Charlie Robertson.
The pair engaged in an adrenaline-fuelled fight for pole position that saw them exchange fastest times and Pittard briefly held pole position with a time of 1m14.511s, only for Robertson to go three thousandths of a second quicker.
That tiny margin proved to be enough for Robertson to remain atop the timing screens. However, a superb launch for Pittard saw him snatch the lead on the initial run to the Campbell, Cobb, Segrave complex, albeit with a fast-starting Carl Breeze threatening to nip underneath him.
The Hertfordshire-based racer stood firm and proceeded to draw out an eight-tenths advantage on the first lap.
He looked to have control of the race, extending his advantage and then managing the gap to ensure former Ginetta Champion Breeze was never close enough to benefit from the tow.
Ultimately, the KX Akademy recruit drove impeccably to take a popular maiden Ginetta GT4 Supercup win in only his third outing in the ultra-competitive championship.
A jubilant Pittard said: “I can’t believe this has happened! I made sure I nailed my start and just didn’t look in my mirrors at all. I deserved that win and my lap times were strong, coming down as the race progressed. I never expected to achieve a win this early in my maiden Ginetta GT4 Supercup season and especially at Thruxton! I thought it would be a bogie circuit for me, given its fast nature and my lack of track time, but that proved to be completely wrong! Hopefully I’ve now stepped up another level and this continues.”
Tyre management on the highly abrasive Thruxton circuit was always going to be crucial in Round 8 on Saturday afternoon, although Pittard produced yet another masterful and controlled performance to secure a second consecutive victory.
A demon start and a fastest lap of 1m15.743s helped him build a comfortable lead over the chasing pack early on and, while the gap appeared to stabilise thereafter, Pittard was utterly in command and took the flag with 3.824s in hand over the brawling Breeze and Tom Oliphant.
“During the short interval between races one and two we found that the clutch wasn’t engaging properly, so there was a bit of drama as SV Racing tried to get the car turned around in time,” said Pittard. “Situations like that are crazy, but there was a huge effort by the guys who gave me a solid car, so I’m glad I could repay them with another win. Rob Boston, my engineer, has done a mega job and has been very patient with me. He has played a huge part in making sure we’re successful. It has been a huge team effort this is for them. Starting from fourth place tomorrow, we have a realistic shot of making this a perfect weekend.”
There was an air of cautious optimism in the SVR camp ahead of Courier Connections Renault UK Clio Cup qualifying on Saturday (3 May), after dominating proceedings at Donington Park and setting the pace in pre-event testing at Thruxton.
The starting order for Rounds 5 and 6 of the UK Clio Cup was determined by the drivers’ best and second-best times respectively and the 30-minute qualifying session was mired by uncertainty surrounding track limits.
Many had their best times disallowed and the frustration and confusion ultimately forced SVR’s four drivers – Alex Morgan, Josh Cook, Ant Whorton-Eales and Ash Hand – to take an overly tentative approach that prevented them from impacting on the sharp end of the timesheets.
There was a final flurry of hot laps, but the pace plateaued as the session reached its mid-point and Hand ended up being the best of the SVR contingent in sixth, with Bristol-based Cook seventh, Whorton-Eales ninth and Morgan tenth, having been hampered by a severed brake line.
SV Racing Director, Danny Buxton, said: “Dominant is the word to describe David’s (Pittard) driving today. He controlled it all the way and he deserves every bit of success. Not only is he one of the nicest guys you could meet, but he’s incredibly enthusiastic and hard-working and I’m really moved by what he’s achieved today. The SV Racing guys did an awesome job to repair his clutch between the races and to have two wins at Thruxton is a huge achievement for the team too. It shows those who might be looking to enter the championship that there’s another team out there. SVR can win in anything!”
The top four finishers will be reversed for the start of the final Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup encounter (Round 9) at Thruxton, which gets underway at 13.22 onSunday (4 May).
Meanwhile, Rounds 5 and 6 of the Courier Connections Renault UK Clio Cup are scheduled to take place at 10.40 and 15.50 respectively and all of the action will be broadcast live and in high definition on ITV4 and ITV4HD.
For more information on SV Racing, please visit the new www.svracing.co.ukwebsite, ‘like’ the team’s Facebook page or follow @SV_Racing on Twitter.