Media Release: Homeland Race Return For Walkinshaw At Knockhill
Oxford, UK – Friday, August 17, 2012; Scottish young racing hopeful, Fergus Walkinshaw is set to return to his homeland of Scotland on August 25&26, as the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup and the British Touring Car Championship heads to its most Northerly event of 2012 at Knockhill circuit near Dunfermline, Fife.
After a two year study break, the son of the late motorsport and motoring industry icon Tom Walkinshaw made his Scottish racing return in style in September 2011 aboard his self-built Ginetta G55. In only his second race event of the year, Walkinshaw impressed on home ground with qualifying third and achieving one his best season results with fifth in round 19.
A year on and the Oxford Brookes Automotive Engineering student, who has an ambition to own, operate and race in his own sportscar team, heads to Knockhill with a proven pedigree. Already a Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup podium winner in round two at Brands Hatch, the 21 year-old has recorded five top six finishes so far this season despite quite a run of bad luck which has forced five non-finishes.
Working around his misfortune, Walkinshaw has still been able to prove his 2012 potential with such impressive drives as his climb from 10th on the grid to finish sixth in race two at Snetterton last time out, adding to his tally of 12 top 10 finishes.
Unfortunately, however, luck once again didn’t go all Walkinshaw’s way at the Norfolk circuit. The Century Motorsport driver’s round 15 hopes were compromised with a fuel surge issue in race in one, while his 3.7 litre V6, 370bhp Ginetta G55 was put out of the running from seventh place on the penultimate lap of race three with a right-rear puncture sustained as a result of avoiding a multiple-car opening lap incident.
Due to those recent challenges, Walkinshaw drops one place to lie eighth in the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup title fight on 201 points. But with 10 races remaining there’s everything still to fight for while the talented Scot is hopeful of getting a good result on his native homecoming.
Walkinshaw commented: “I’m really looking forward to returning to race in Scotland. Of course it would mean a lot to get a good run of results at my homeland event. I qualified third last year in only my second event of the series, so I hope we can equal that pace. A repeat of last year’s top five result would be fantastic, but I’m not going to put any added pressure on myself.
“This season has proved that anything can happen in racing, so I’m just going to head into this event the same way as any other, with the intent ofs doing the best I can. I haven’t tested the car in its current configuration around Knockhill, so I’m aiming to get a few testing laps done just before the event. It should be a good weekend.”
The Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup action at Knockhill kicks off with a 20-minute qualifying session at 11.35 on Saturday morning, followed by a 16 lap sprint race at 15.50. The first of two 24 lap races around the 1.2-mile Dunfermline track will take place at 09.30 with the third and final race shown live on ITV4 at 16.15. Race fans can also follow live timing via www.ginetta.com/live. All timings are provisional and subject to change.
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Media Contact
Emma Spearing, Hazel PR:
Mobile: 07736 341828 | Email: emma.spearing@hazelpr.com
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