“It’s been a ******* nightmare to be honest!”, laughed Team Principle Gary Blackham as this writer walked in to the GPRM garage for routine enquiries during Saturday Free Practice.
With the Toyota GT86 GT4 now showing consistent pace following a learning year in 2015 the outlook here at the Brands Hatch season opener had been positive. That was until second driver James Fletcher unfortunately arrived at the British GT paddock with the wrong license…
While Stefan Hodgetts continued to hone the car, which was running second quickest at one point in the second free practice session, the GPRM team were beginning to think the party might be over somewhat prematurely. Sensing a crisis your favourite racing website jumped in.
A couple of available drivers were ruled out on the grounds of Gold status as the DSC address book churned potential solutions. This was one situation though where having two big UK events covered simultaneously was actually a blessing: Alex Kapadia was at Silverstone, race kit in his car, and filling time as a spectator.
A hasty three way conversation suggested a good fit, Alex hitting the road bound for Brands Hatch. But it was not to be; the SRO organisation exercising caution over the ex ELMS and Le Mans driver’s potential to upset the BOP in the improving Toyota GT86. Kapadia turned around and headed back to Northamptonshire.
Meanwhile, back in Kent, Ollie Chadwick was having a good day. A win in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge was taken from pole, shortly after getting the nod from GPRM and SRO following some hectic negotiation. In the paddock and eligible, the twice GT5 vice-champion Xentec Motorsport driver was just through scrutiny in time to be almost literally thrown into the Toyota for three laps at the end of the second Free Practice session.
“It was a great day,” explained the 19-year old to DSC. I’ve known Stefan for a while anyway, but it was his Dad, Chris, who called me to say he couldn’t do it, but that I probably could.” Thus a father/son British GT pairing (Hodgetts Snr. the veteran endurance campaigner) was converted to another family news item: Ollie and Jamie Chadwick the first brother and sister to have shared a British GT grid.
“The Toyota is a really nice package. We’re carrying 120 kilos of ballast here, but it has all the characteristics and driveability of a road car with plenty of power. It’s well set up, you feel easily able to attack and the car likes to be driven hard.”
“This is a great opportunity for me and it would be great to be part of a well deserved result for this team.” Despite the loss of potential driver brokerage commission,
DSC’s coverage of the British GT4 coverage continues.
