Bon Grimes took an impressive pole position at Thruxton today—made all the more remarkable by the fact that it was his first time ever driving the circuit. In race one, Bon delivered a superb opening stint, building a commanding gap of nearly ten seconds to second place before handing over to Johnny Mowlem, who rejoined the race on fresh tyres.
Unfortunately, soon after the stop, the car suffered a complete tyre failure. The incident necessitated an unscheduled pit stop to replace the delaminated tyre which had caused damage to several components and systems. Despite the setback, Johnny managed to nurse the car to the finish, securing second in class and eleventh overall—a strong result under the circumstances.
Thanks to an incredible effort from the team, the car was repaired and ready for race two. However, after careful consideration, the decision was taken to withdraw from the race on safety grounds. The nature of the circuit and the extreme demands it placed on the tyres meant the risk of a repeat failure could not be sufficiently mitigated.
A disappointing outcome given our strong pace, but both the drivers and the team performed brilliantly. We now look ahead to the next round at Donington with confidence.
Photo credit to Chris Valentine, @hockeyshooter8
