3:44pm Friday 14th May 2010
By Andrew Simpson
CHRISTIAN Dick moved to the top of the drivers’ standings after a double victory in the latest round of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship.
The Northwich ace, along with Speedworks Motorsport teammate Jamie Stanley, were winners in both races as the sportscar series made its annual visit to Scotland’s Knockhill circuit.
They now lead the G4 class by 12 points.
“It’s mega for us in the championship,” said Stanley afterwards.
“Although we had a bit of luck along the way with other cars not finishing races, we’ve still pulled out a lead”
Stanley and Dick enjoyed a trouble-free, if lonely run to a G4 class victory in race one after qualifying front-runner Chris Bialan (Piranha Lotus 2-Eleven) suffered gearbox trouble on the opening lap and retired.
Another likely challenger, ABG Motorsport’s KTM X-Bow piloted by Benjamin Harvey and local favourite Rory Butcher, also failed to complete the race.
“It was quite a boring one but we’ll still take it as a win,” Dick told series press officer Nick Carter afterwards.
“It’s all good though. By the time I got into the car Jamie had done a sterling job to put us a good way out in front and then it was just a case of whether the KTM could get around more quickly.
“However that never had a chance to happen because they had a problem and pulled out.”
In the second race later on Sunday, Nathan Freke’s Century Motorsport Ginetta G50 led in G4 until the pit stops but it was class points leaders Stanley and Dick who took a third win in four races.
The KTM of Butcher and Harvey was next home.
Earlier Dick had snatched second in class after passing Harvey on the third lap.
However he then lost the place soon afterwards before becoming involved in a battle with his rival until the driver change.
Stanley emerged from the pit lane after Bialan, later taking his chance during a safety car period.
He said: “At the safety car restart I got right in behind him and he got stuck behind another car so I went for the pass.”
The Lotus made contact with one of the faster GT3 vehicles trying to lap both drivers and ended up in a gravel trap, leaving Stanley to cruise to victory.
The series’ third round is the sole stop of the season away from British soil, at Spa-Francorchamps.
Avon Tyres British GT Championship
Round Two: Race One
G4 class
1. Christian Dick & Jamie Stanley Ginetta G50 (Speedworks Motorsport) 64 laps
2. Joe Osborne & Osman Yusuf Ginetta G50 (Team Osborne) 64 laps
3. Vibe Smed & Nathan Freke Ginetta G50 (Century Motorsport) 63 laps
Round Two: Race Two
1. Dick & Stanley Ginetta G50 (Speedworks Motorsport) 63 laps
2. Rory Butcher & Benjamin Harvey KTM X-Bow (ABG Motorsport) 63 laps
3. Smed & Freke Ginetta G50 (Century Motorsport) 62 laps
G4 class (after four races)
1=. Dick & Stanley (Speedworks Motorsport) 38pts
3=. Butcher & Harvey (ABG Motorsport) 26
5=. Osborne & Yusuf (Team Osborne) 21
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