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BLACK BULL ECURIE ECOSSE drivers Sandy Mitchell and Ciaran Haggerty stormed to their second GT4 win in the British GT Championship. But the win at Donington was only achieved after a Herculean, near one-handed effort by Haggerty.
Having started the two-hour race from second on the
grid in in their McLaren 570S GT4, sponsored by John Clark Motor Group, Mitchell immediately took the lead into the
first right-hander and set about establishing a lead, but the appearance of the
safety car bunched the field up again.
On the restart, the 16-year-old from Forfar quickly
re-established an advantage, and in the process set the fastest GT4 lap of the
race with a 1min 37.410secs.
After his 60-minute stint, Mitchell — who became
the youngest-ever winner in the British GT Championship last time out at
Snetterton — handed the car over to Haggerty with a five-second lead.
The 20-year-old from Johnstone, who earlier in the
week damaged his right hand in a work-related accident, arrived at Donington
with his right hand and forearm bandaged.
Overcoming the pain, Haggerty then increased the
advantage to 10s and the young duo took their second win of the season, in the
process clinching third place in the British GT4 Championship and second in the
Silver Cup.
The flying Scot though had to be helped from his
McLaren at the end of the race before being taken to the circuit’s medical
centre because he couldn’t move his left shoulder and arm.
“The problem was caused by the extra load I had to
put on my left shoulder, basically because I wasn’t able to use the right hand
as much as I usually would during the race,” Haggerty, clearly in severe pain,
explained.
“The muscles in my shoulders cramped up and I
couldn’t hold my arm up. I had to have a massage and antibiotics, then go to
the medical centre, get some treatment and a sling to support it.
“Strangely, my other hand, which I cut on
Wednesday, is ok, but I basically drove most of the race almost one-handed. I’m
really happy to get the win.
“I’m just so pleased I was able to hold on and
bring the car home for our second win in the British GT Championship. Nothing
was going to stop me climbing on to the top step of the podium with Sandy.”
Team-mate Mitchell was quick to praise the courage
of Haggerty.
“I’m not sure I could have gone through the pain
barrier the way Ciaran did, but I’m so pleased he did because it guaranteed our
second win of the season,” Mitchell said.
“I’m really happy with the victory. Having wins at
the last two circuits, Snetterton and Donington, has been incredible. And to
snatch third overall in the championship by nine-and-a-half points, and second
in the Silver Cup after all the bad luck we had early on, is fantastic.”
The young guns' achievements were praised by Black
Bull Ecurie Ecosse team principal Hugh McCaig, who also saw his McLaren 650S
GT3 car win the main race.
“These lads have been so laid back all season it’s
unbelievable, but that shouldn’t disguise the raw talent they have and the hard
work they’ve put in throughout the season,” he said.
“The performances they delivered both here and at
Snetterton last time out merely confirm what we’ve always know, that they are
two of the most talented young drivers in Britain.”
QUOTES:
Sandy Mitchell — Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse McLaren 570S GT4 driver:
“It’s been a terrific weekend. I got a great start from second on the grid and led into the first corner. I managed to build a good gap, but then the safety car came out and I had to start all over again.
“I managed to establish another healthy gap, and in the process set the fastest GT4 lap of the race, which I was really pleased with.
“After that it was a case of keeping my cool and managing the heat in the tyres and the brakes. I knew the brakes had to be good too for Ciaran, because Donington’s a tough place for stopping.
“I managed that and kept the gap to the car behind me to about eight seconds. Then at the change-over we probably dropped a few seconds because we had to deal with Ciaran’s injured hand.
“When Ciaran took to the track, he had something like a five-second gap and he managed to open that up to around 10s. It was quite comfortable in the end, but it was nervous watching it in the garage.
“I’m really happy with that. Having wins at the last two circuits, Snetterton and Donington, has been incredible, and to snatch third overall in the championship by nine-and-a-half points, and second in the Silver Cup after all the bad luck we had early on, is fantastic.
“Because of his injured right thumb, Ciaran had to work his other hand and arm much more. He was in a lot of pain when he got out of the car.
“I’m not sure I could have gone through the pain barrier the way Ciaran did, but I’m so pleased he did, because it guaranteed our second win of the season.”
Ciaran Haggerty — Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse McLaren 570S GT4 driver:
“It was getting really tough towards the end, but when the adrenalin was pumping throughout the race it didn’t feel too bad. But as soon as the race stopped, the pain started: it was excruciating.
“I was really struggling towards the end and I’m just so pleased I was able to hold on and bring the car home for our second win in the British GT Championship. Nothing was going to stop me climbing on to the top step of the podium with Sandy.
“Considering everything, it’s a great way to finish the year. The car was great all through the race. We were just trying to manage the gap, and not put too much stress on the tyres or wearing the brake pads.
“The muscles in my shoulders cramped up and basically collapsed. I couldn’t hold my arm up. I had to go to the medical centre and get a sling to support it. Strangely, my other hand, which I cut on Wednesday, is ok.
“The problem was caused by the extra load I had to put on my left shoulder, basically because I wasn’t able to use the right hand much. I basically drove much of the race almost one-handed. I’m just happy to get the win.”
Hugh McCaig — Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse team principal:
“These lads have been so laid back all season it’s unbelievable, but that shouldn’t disguise the raw talent they have and the hard work they’ve put in throughout the season.
“The performances they delivered both here and at Snetterton last time out merely confirm what we’ve always known, that they are two of the most talented young drivers in Britain.
“It’s been a very difficult season, but when you get a day like today it makes it all look very easy. But I can guarantee, that’s not the case. There’s been a huge amount of hard work gone on behind the scenes to get to where we are today, and today’s results merely prove the work has paid off.”
Euan Shand, CEO of sponsors, Huntly-based Black Bull Scotch Whisky:
“We’re extremely proud of the team today and what they have achieved. We knew another win was always a strong possibility for Sandy and Ciaran, and to achieve it in the manner they did is testament to their strength and commitment. We’ll be raising a glass of Black Bull Scotch Whisky tonight in celebration.”