Media Release: Walkinshaw Racing To Swap Bear Miles For Air Ambulance Miles At Croft

Croft, North Yorkshire – Saturday 22 June 2013: Fergus Walkinshaw continued FW Motorsport’s maiden Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup campaign at Croft circuit today, adding a determined 11th place finish to his season tally amid changeable conditions at the North Yorkshire circuit.

The 22 year-old, however, has more than one driving ambition across the two-day British Touring Car Championship event. Walkinshaw is urging fans to buy a £10 ‘Bear Mile’ to help keep the Great North Air Ambulance flying and saving lives across the North East, North Yorkshire and Cumbria.

For every £10 raised the air ambulance, which has a base at the nearby Durham Tees Valley Airport, can fly another mile. With the help of Croft visitors, the FW Motorsport team owner/driver hopes to equate the average Ginetta GT Supercup race weekend distance with sales of the cuddly pilot bears this weekend.

It costs £4m a year to run the service, which flies over 1,000 missions annually without any government support. BTCC and Ginetta race fans can buy a teddy Bear Mile from the charity stand located outside of Clervaux Corner, or visit www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk/shop

His air ambulance mission well on-track for success, Walkinshaw turned his attentions to GT Supercup qualifying on Saturday morning. But with a right rear bottom ball-joint causing the car to be unstable, Walkinshaw did well to secure 11th on the timesheets before sensibly conserving his tyres ahead of the triple-header race weekend.

The son of the late multiple former BTCC race winner and F1 team Manager, Tom Walkinshaw, made a brilliant start from the sixth row for round 13. Taking two places off the line, he soon settled into ninth before joining the fight for sixth by lap two, while coming under attack from a squabbling Carl Boardley and Reece Somerfield.

As another thrilling race battle unfolded, Walkinshaw delivered a commendable defensive drive but a brush with a tyre bale on lap six put him out of the fierce mid-field fight. Losing valuable time when the engine cut out and wouldn’t re-start, Walkinshaw finally rejoined in 14th and, thanks to a determined recovery charge, took 11th place at the chequered flag.

Walkinshaw commented: “We’ve had a bit of a mixed day today. We really wanted to get a good run in qualifying but that wasn’t possible with the issue we had. The car felt unstable in places and with a long race weekend ahead it was just sensible for us to end the session early.

“I showed some good pace in the first race of the weekend and just brushed a tyre bale in the midst of a good mid-field battle. Although the damage was minimal I lost some time, but these things happen when you’re pushing hard. It’s where we need to be and we know we can go onwards and upwards from here.”

FW Motorsport will resume racing action with two further Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup rounds at 12.45 and 16.25 tomorrow. Live TV coverage is available on ITV4 and live timing via www.ginetta.com/live

-Ends-

FW Motorsport Press Office:

Emma Spearing +44(0)7736 341828 | emma@fwmotorsport.com

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