Ex-military servicemen, Team BRIT (British Racing Injured Troops), continue to go from strength-to-strength behind the wheel of their Newbridge Motorsport-run Volkswagen Golf after finishing first in class and second overall in the 360 Motor Racing Club (360 MRC) 6 Hours of Snetterton (4 July).
Opening its account with a class victory in the newly-inaugurated Endurance Racing Series (ERS) at Rockingham Motor Speedway in April, Team BRIT was back behind the wheel of its modified VW Golf, which features various steering wheel-mounted hand controls.
Looking to carry that dominant form into the six-hour endurance race at Snetterton, the team of ex-military service personnel was able to position itself in seventh place during qualifying, before being relegated to the rear of the field.
Determined to climb back up the leaderboard, Team BRIT scythed its way through the field, taking the fight to its able-bodied rivals to re-claim its original starting position after just a handful of laps, battling it out for the class lead.
As the race of attrition reached the halfway point, Team BRIT was comfortably in the lead of its class and quickly gapped its rivals behind while setting after the overall race leaders.
Swapping the heat of the war zone for the adrenaline of the race track, there was a great sense of belief and amazement up-and-down the paddock at what Team BRIT – with the backing and support of Newbridge Motorsport – was achieving, not only out on the circuit, but off it as well, because, with 15 minutes to go, the team had moved up to third overall thanks to a clever pit strategy.
In the dying embers of the race, Team BRIT snuck into second place to cross the line as the overall runner-up and comfortably in the lead of its class to taste the victory champagne for the second time in as many races.
Newbridge Motorsport Team Principal, Richard Tovey, said: “These guys (Team BRIT) are really focused on what they want to do and they take instructions really well. You can see from where they were in the simulator, to the driving that they are doing out on the circuit, that they have come a long way.”
Newbridge Motorsport will return to action this weekend (11-12 July) for the second instalment of the Endurance Racing Series (ERS) with Frenchman Guillaume Gruchet contesting the event single-handily behind the wheel of a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup.