- Best qualifying position of the season for Geddie who equals his and team’s best BTCC result of 2014
United Autosports equalled its best race result of the season but it was a case of “if onlys” again in the latest three rounds of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton in Norfolk yesterday (3 Aug).
While Glynn Geddie brought his Toyota Avensis home 12th in the third and final race, the Scotsman had earlier twice been the victim of other drivers’ over enthusiasm which resulted in Glynn being bumped into spins. In the final race of the day, it was team-mate James Cole’s turn to be assaulted from behind on the 12-corner, 2.97-mile Snetterton “300” course.
Geddie, having ran as high as 11th in the opening race, was unceremoniously turned around by the Audi of Rob Austin on the seventh lap, Glynn pirouetting and resuming 15th – gaining one place at the chequered flag after 12-laps – with Cole 22nd.
A four-lap Safety Car phase after a first corner accident extended the race distance to a 15-lap second race but Geddie’s race ended four laps from home when he was once again tagged from behind, this time the impact sending the hapless Scotsman in to the barriers causing rear end damage to the Toyota when placed 13th. Cole had steadily climbed to 18th but dropped two places on the final lap.
In the third race Geddie and Cole ran “soft” compound tyres – the pair having elected to run on “mediums” for the opening two races. Geddie, starting 25th after retiring his damaged Toyota in the previous race, enjoyed his first “clean” race of the weekend to finish a praiseworthy 12th. Cole had worked his way up to 17th by lap two but then lost five places on the third lap before being spun around by Rob Holland (Audi) on the seventh lap dropping the Toyota to the tail of the field.
#20 Drivecool – Toyota Avensis
James Cole (GB)
Age: 25. Born: Southport, England. Lives: Liverpool, England.
“Qualifying was so frustrating once again – putting on new tyres seemingly made no difference to our lap times – and in today’s races it’s gone from bad to worse. The meeting started off on a bright note when I recorded P6 in tricky conditions in Free Practice 1. Our poor qualifying due to lack of pace puts us in a position to get involved in other peoples accidents.”
#21 – Toyota Avensis
Glynn Geddie (GB)
Age: 24. Born & Lives: Aberdeen, Scotland.
“Having had a good test since the previous races, we found ourselves back to square one. We’re seven tenth’s of a second down from where we need to be in qualifying and a lot is due to the lack of new tyre testing. I was taken out of the first two races but managed to come from the back of the grid to 12th in the final race which was pleasing.”
Richard Dean, Team Owner and Managing Director, United Autosports:
“One word can sum up today’s races – frustrating. Glynn ran strongly in race one but was involved in an incident which then effected his Toyota’s handling in race two before he was taken out of the race. From 25th at the start to 12th at the finish was as much as we could hope for him in the third race – Glynn did as much as he could have.James’ races were unfortunately just full of incidents, right down to being pushed off the track in race two and filling the radiators full of grass, this in turn overheated the engine and damaged a head gasket which we couldn’t change in time for the final race!”
August 02-03 Snetterton
Rd 16 Qualifying: 15th #21, 1m 58.356s; 21st #20, 1m 59.318s. Weather: Bright/dry.
Race: 14th #21, +40.359s; 22nd #20, 48.245s. Weather: Sunny/dry.
Rd 17 Start Pos: 14th #21; 22nd #20.
Race: 20th #20, +57.483s; Not classified (accident damage) #21. Weather: Sunny/dry.
Rd 18 Start Pos: 19th #20; 25th #21.
Race: 12th #21, +15.289s; 25th #21, 57.709s. Weather: Cloudy/dry.
Championship standings:
Drivers' Championship: 19th #21, Geddie, 15pts; 24th #20 Cole, 5pts
HiQ Teams’ Championship: 13th, 22pts
Independents Team Trophy: 10th, 106pts