A testing time for Gamble at Silverstone
In contrast to his Brother Tom in Spa, it was a challenging weekend for Epperstone’s Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship racer George Gamble at Silverstone National Circuit. writes Paul Horton.
The weekend's race day proved an enduring affair for both Gamble and his team, Car Gods with the Ciceley Motorsport team in the two BMW 330 e M Sports touring cars.
All was not lost as team-mate Adam Morgan celebrated another podium finish with a third in the opening race at the Northamptonshire circuit.
Car reliability issues have hampered race ace Gamble over the last few rounds of the series but not to say whilst on the track the racer has been rapid with some very fast laps and times.
Saturday's two Free Practice sessions were mixed for both drivers, In session one Gamble only managed to cross the line after the 30-minute session in the 15th spot.
It was a close and fast session, he was only 0.367 seconds off pole position, taking the fastest laps on track on laps three and eight.
Morgan finished sixth place.
Both Gamble and Morgan dominated the independent fastest places during the session throughout.
Session two saw a dramatic change and things were looking even better for both drivers, Morgan took the fastest honours whilst Gamble chalked up third fastest, topping around 136mph on the fastest part of the circuit, he was flying on laps four and five.
Saturday afternoon's qualifying session was again another story, Morgan’s reward was third in qualifying.
Gamble in contrast, struggled after his car mysteriously shut down mid-session with 16 minutes left on the clock causing a red flag stoppage and preventing him from the return to the track to improve his time.
He would start 17th, on the ninth row for Sunday’s first race.
It wasn’t the start that Gamble had banked on, George had to pit for repairs after an aggressive charge in the early stages.
With the front splitter dislodged, race officials ordered the car to be attended to on safety grounds and hence George fell to 24th place.
He competed in the race in 17th, again getting fastest on track on lap five whilst Morgan was on the podium in the third spot getting points for the team and best place Independent driver in the race as well.
Race two saw George 24th on the grid and battle his way to 20th place after an early lock-up flat-spotted a tyre and made it hard to get the car to turn in as he wanted.
At one stage he had made up seven places early on in the 24-lap race.
Morgan finished 6th place, his hybrid system failing during a safety car period that left him frustrated in the final laps as the extra power he had saved from his allocation couldn’t be used.
Adam did, however, take a second Independent’s win of the day.
Race three saw Gamble turn in another determined drive to finish 16th, just outside the points.
Morgan’s race was even more frustrating, he was third on the reverse grid, but after contact on the opening lap when in second place after a good start, he fell to third as he sorted out the drama.
Worse was to come, he was struggling with a gear-cut issue, and then on lap five, he was whacked in the back, turning him around to face the traffic.
He was collected by two other cars and the damage put him out of the race.
It wasn’t Ciceley Motorsports weekend, one of mixed emotions from both drivers and the team.
Gamble summed up his weekend up: “The car was fast, looked mega but 29 touring cars on a track with three corners was carnage!
"I’ve saved good tyres for the last round in Brands Hatch and I go there feeling positive, but it has been frustrating in terms of results.”
Ash Gallagher, Ciceley Motorsport’s Commercial Director said:
“It’s another weekend that shows the highs and lows of touring car racing. We have two fast cars but were at the mercy of external factors, both mechanical and human with other drivers affecting our results.
"Two Independent wins are great for the team, as is an outright podium so there is plenty to celebrate.
"The guys are so positive about the set-up of the cars that we are pumped for Brands Hatch and are determined to end the season on a high.”
George leaves Silverstone, 13th in the standings, fourth in the Independents’’ contest, and second in the Jack Sears Trophy for drivers who hadn’t scored a top three finish at the start of the season.
Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport are now eighth in the Teams’ Championship and second in the Independent Teams’ standings.
The last races of the season in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Brands Hatch on October 8 - 9, with qualifying shown live on itv.com on Saturday and the race action broadcast live on ITV4 on Sunday.
