TWO WEEKS AFTER finishing on the podium for the first time this season, Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse duo Alasdair McCaig and Rob Bell head to Silverstone this weekend (June 11/12) gunning for victory in their McLaren 650S GT3.
And both drivers are aware of how pivotal the three-hour race, over the full grand prix circuit at the home of British motorsport, could be in their bid to win the British GT Championship.“There’s extra points up for grabs at Silverstone, because it’s a three-hour race,” Edinburgh’s McCaig explained, “so it’s imperative we do well.
“This is the big point-scoring race of the season, and offers us a chance to get back into contention for the championship after finishing seventh in the two opening races.
“We proved at Oulton last time out that whenever everything works the way it should, we have a fast car and we’re capable of top three finishes. Ideally we’ll be challenging for the win at Silverstone.”It’s a sentiment echoed by team-mate, McLaren works driver Bell.
“McLaren has done well there in the past, so we know the car is good round Silverstone,” the Newcastle driver said.“It’s also a circuit I enjoy, so I’m looking forward to it, especially after finishing second at Oulton Park a fortnight ago.“Keeping that momentum up will be important, and we’re definitely going there hunting for a win.”Team boss Hugh McCaig is confident Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse can build on the intensity and cohesiveness they demonstrated in the second race at Oulton Park.“We’ve had a couple of glitches in the pitlane this season, but in Race 2 at Oulton, everybody delivered exactly what was expected of them,” McCaig said.
“That’s the standard we now expect to see through the remainder of the season. If we can achieve that high level, then we should certainly see more podiums, and hopefully the wins which would boost our championship hopes.”
QUOTES:Alasdair McCaig — Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse McLaren 650S GT3 driver:“Silverstone is a track I enjoy. The last time I raced a GT car there I finished second. It’s a big boy’s track, and hopefully we’ll be able to demonstrate the McLaren to its full advantage.“The other advantage is the fact it’s a big, wide circuit, which will make it easier to overtake the GT4 cars. That will definitely help us.“The key for us is to build on the podium we got at Oulton. We proved last time out that whenever everything works the way it should, we have a fast car and we’re capable of top three finishes. Ideally we’ll be challenging for the win at Silverstone.“This is the big point-scoring race of the season, and offers us a chance to get back into contention for the championship after finishing seventh in the two opening races. It’s imperative we do well at Silverstone, because this race will have a major bearing on the outcome of the season.”
Rob Bell — Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse McLaren 650S GT3 driver:“Silverstone is a circuit where McLaren has traditionally done well. Obviously we’ve not been there with the Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse GT3, but it is a circuit we’ve done well at before. We’ve won there as McLaren, so we know the car’s good round there.“It’s also a circuit I enjoy, so I’m looking forward to it, especially after finishing second at Oulton Park. Keeping that momentum up will be important, and we’re definitely going there hunting for a win.“We’re quite happy with where the car is, in terms of performance, balance and set-up, so we’ve just got to do our job. If we get 100% out of everyone, like I feel we did in the second race at Oulton, then we can definitely challenge for the win at Silverstone.”
Euan Shand — CEO of sponsors, Huntly-based Black Bull Scotch Whisky:“We were delighted with the team’s performance at Oulton Park. The stage is now set for Silverstone and if the way they have been performing continues, it bodes well for a brilliant weekend of racing. We wish our team all the best.”
