Dunes Double at Zandvoort

09/09/2013   Strong Zandvoort weekend sets up thrilling British GT title decider for Ecurie Ecosse   Strong performances from drivers Oliver Bryant and Marco Attard helped legendary Scottish motor racing outfit Ecurie Ecosse powered by Black Bull notch up 18 crucial points at Dutch circuit Zandvoort (September 7-8) to set up a thrilling British GT title decider at Donington Park next month. Top-six finishes in both races mean the team will travel to the season finale a mere 0.5 points shy of the championship lead – just as they did 12 months ago. Bryant and Attard’s previous outing aboard the Barwell Motorsport-run BMW Z4 GT3 saw the pair take a hard-fought podium at Brands Hatch, their third of the season following a superb victory at Silverstone and a season-opening third place at Oulton Park. The Zandvoort weekend began in earnest with two tricky qualifying sessions held in changeable conditions. Attard's first flying lap before rain hit was good enough for fourth on the grid, which became third when the 888Optimum BMW was handed a grid penalty for not completing the mandatory three laps. In the Pro driver session Bryant took time to adjust to the drying track and posted his quickest lap on the final tour, with a 1m40.75s securing sixth on the grid. At the start of race one Attard immediately passed David Ashburn's Trackspeed Porsche into Tarzan corner and set off after poleman Ahmad Al Harthy. He then quickly gapped the chasing pack by five seconds, the margin required to negate the pitstop penalty due to be served by the Ecosse squad as a result of their Brands Hatch podium. Unfortunately an accident for the GT4 championship-leading Ginetta resulted in a lengthy safety car period which wiped out this advanatge. When racing resumed Attard remained on track for an extra lap to avoid a congested pit lane, and after a swift stop by the Barwell Motorsport crew handed over to Bryant. Frustratingly, the Z4 had to be held for a further three seconds to allow two cars in the fast lane of the pits to pass before it was finally released. Falling in behind this pair, Bryant joined a pack which soon caught the leaders and formed a five-way battle for top spot. Keeping his cool, Bryant fought off the challenge of Phil Keen's Trackspeed Porsche behind to bring the Ecosse machine home in fifth, scoring a valuable 10 championship points in the process. In a remarkably close finish, the top-five cars were separated by just 1.7 seconds at the flag. In race two a cautious start by Bryant saw him lose ground before settling into a good rhythm with the United Autosports Audi of Matt Bell and the 888Optimum BMW of Dan Brown. He then lost time in traffic, narrowly avoiding contact after an optimistic lunge from the Mercedes of Benji Hetherington. A lap later the 888Optimum BMW made contact with a back-marker, sending both cars into the barriers, and while Bryant guided the Ecosse machine through the carnage unscathed it cost him further time. Another perfect pitstop by the Barwell crew allowed Attard to resume on the tail of championship rival Andrew Howard and a frantic battle soon erupted, with Attard applying firm pressure as the pair caught the scrap for fourth, fifth and sixth. The Beechdean Aston Martin driver defended robustly into Tarzan and Attard was forced to try the outside line on several occasions. Howard then passed Lee Mowle's Z4, with Attard following through a lap later. Howard next made his way past the AF Corse Ferrari of John Dhillon, but while Attard fought hard to do the same it was to no avail. Now under pressure again from Mowle, and despite a tap from the similar Z4 on the final lap resulting in a near spin, Attard managed to keep the Ecosse BMW firmly on the rear bumper of Dhillon's Ferrari. He would cross the line in sixth position, ensuring yet more championship points which put the Ecosse squad firmly in the title battle ahead of October’s season-closing Donington Park race. Oliver Bryant, Ecurie Ecosse: “With a new circuit and mixed conditions it was a difficult weekend, but the car was faultless, the team did a great job and Marco drove well as always. As such I'm very much looking forward to the season finale at Donington.” Marco Attard, Ecurie Ecosse: “We got a great start in the first race and I couldn’t believe our bad luck with the safety car! But overall this was a positive weekend with some good points, and I'm looking forward to the final push at Donington.” Mark Lemmer, Barwell Motorsport Team Principal : “We had a very solid weekend at Zandvoort which puts us just half a point off the championship lead going into the Donington finale. Without the safety car we would undoubtedly have finished on the podium in race one, which was frustrating but completely out of our control. Olly and Marco both enjoyed some incredibly close battles and, critically, stayed out of trouble. Now the gloves are off and it's a straight fight for the title at Donington!” Before focusing on their British GT title decider the team head to the Hungaroring for round four of the European Le Mans Series (September 14) where they will seek to extend their GTC class lead with drivers Ollie Millroy, Alasdair McCaig and Joe Twyman.   2013 British GT Championship – GT3 Drivers’ Standings (top three after nine rounds) 1.    Andrew Howard (Beechdean Aston Martin Vantage GT3) 107.5 points 2.    Oliver Bryant / Marco Attard  (Ecurie Ecosse BMW Z4 GT3) 107 points 3.    Jonny Adam (Beechdean Aston Martin Vantage GT3) 101.5 points   ENDS   Issued on behalf of Ecurie Ecosse   Photo credit: Gary Parravani, Xynamic Motorsport Photography Click on individual images to download   For more information on Ecurie Ecosse please visit www.ecurieecosse.com Follow our blog: ecurieecosse.blogspot.com Follow Ecurie Ecosse on Twitter: @ecurie_ecosse Follow Ecurie Ecosse on Facebook   Click here for the press release (PDF) Click here for the Ecurie Ecosse Association Membership Pack Click here for the Ecurie Ecosse 60th Anniversary Ltd Edition Bremont Chronometer Watch Presentation   Follow Ecurie Ecosse Drivers on Twitter: @alasdair_mccaig @oliverjbryant @andrewsmitht70 @joetwyman1986@olliemillroy   FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Andrew Smith Tel: +44 (0)7710 644 366 Email:  as@ecurieecosse.com

OB

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British GT Championship podium success at Brands Hatch

12/08/2013 Ecurie Ecosse scores third British GT podium in thrilling Brands Hatch enduro Legendary Scottish motor racing outfit Ecurie Ecosse powered by Black Bull and drivers Oliver Bryant and Marco Attard picked up their third British GT Championship podium of the season at Kent’s Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit on Sunday (August 11) to move up to second in the championship. The squad’s Barwell Motorsport-run BMW Z4 GT3 enjoyed its last competitive outing at Austria’s Red Bull Ring for round three of the European Le Mans Series with drivers Ollie Millroy, Andrew Smith and Alasdair McCaig three weeks ago. With the team’s focus now switched back to its British GT programme, the UK event was an opportunity to score more valuable championship points. Attard converted a solid fifth place qualifying effort by Bryant into a excellent opening stint, holding his ground at the start before making his way up to third position early on. The Surrey-based driver tried in vain to pass the 888 BMW of Steve Tandy and briefly lost ground as the Ginetta of Colin White made its way to the front. But the Ecosse BMW was soon back into third following an off-track excursion for the Ginetta. Attard was then passed by hard charging Silver-graded driver Gregoire Demoustier in his McLaren and the Aston Martin of Mark Poole before pitting from P5 to hand over to Bryant. Thanks to a slick-as-ever pitstop by the Barwell Motorsport crew for tyres and fuel, Bryant rejoined chasing the Beechdean Aston Martin of Jonny Adam for what was to become the race lead. Bryant set about closing the gap to the Aston over the opening laps of his stint, but his charge was interrupted when the McLaren of Demoustier, now in the hands of Duncan Tappy, resumed in between the two. Bryant was keen to pass the McLaren straight away to continue his pursuit of Adam, but his efforts were thwarted again and again as Tappy defended impeccably. This enabled the Aston to make its escape up front while the Ecosse BMW's pace was severely hampered by being stuck behind the McLaren. Dan Brown in the 888 BMW soon closed in to make it a three-way battle for second place, managing to get ahead of Bryant before pushing hard to pass Tappy, but to no avail. With 15 minutes left on the clock Bryant capitalised on a mistake by Brown into Graham Hill Bend to reclaim third place. He then made a concerted effort to attack Tappy in the final laps, while also holding off the attentions of Brown. Bryant succeeded in his defence from the 888 BMW but was unable to pass Tappy, who held on to second by the narrowest of margins. Third place was nevertheless a fantastic result for the Ecurie Ecosse pairing and made up for the disappointment of Snetterton eight weeks ago. Attard's opening stint was the perfect start and Bryant absorbed huge pressure to deliver a podium and a vital 22.5 championship points. Oliver Bryant, Ecurie Ecosse driver: “This was a great weekend for us. We worked hard on the setup and found a good race balance. Unfortunately I couldn't pass the McLaren as I believe we had the pace to challenge for the win today, but I'm happy with third. Marco delivered the perfect opening stint and the Barwell crew gave us a brilliant strategy as always. I can't wait for Zandvoort.” Marco Attard, Ecurie Ecosse driver: “After a hectic but orderly start we managed to get up to third place. There were limited opportunities to pass the 888 BMW so I thought it best to play it safe and trust Olly to finish the job. This was a great result and as usual the team performed brilliantly - roll on Zandvoort!” Mark Lemmer, Barwell Motorsport Team Principal: “We have to capitalise on the circuits that suit the Z4 and so far this season we have done just that. We are in great shape to carry on and get the job done.” In addition to the activities on track, Ecurie Ecosse had numerous guests and sponsors joining the team over the weekend. Significantly, the team invited five current and former young cancer patients from the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Surrey. Ecosse European Le Mans Series driver and former patient Joe Twyman was on hand to show the patients the ins and outs of the BMW Z4 GT3. Ecurie Ecosse’s next competitive outing sees the team head to Zandvoort for rounds eight and nine of the British GT Championship (September 8). 2013 British GT Championship – GT3 Drivers’ Standings (top three after seven rounds) 1.    Jonny Adam / Andrew Howard (Beachdeen Aston Martin Vantage GT3) 95.5 points 2.    Oliver Bryant / Marco Attard  (Ecurie Ecosse BMW Z4 GT3) 89 points 3.    Matt Bell / Mark Patterson    United Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3 79.5 points ENDS Issued on behalf of Ecurie Ecosse Photo credit: Gary Parravani, Xynamic Motorsport Photography Click on individual images to download For more information on Ecurie Ecosse please visit www.ecurieecosse.com Follow our blog: ecurieecosse.blogspot.com Follow Ecurie Ecosse on Twitter: @ecurie_ecosse Follow Ecurie Ecosse on Facebook Click here for the press release (PDF) Click here for the Ecurie Ecosse Association Membership Pack Click here for the Ecurie Ecosse 60th Anniversary Ltd Edition Bremont Chronometer Watch Presentation Follow Ecurie Ecosse Drivers on Twitter: @alasdair_mccaig @oliverjbryant @andrewsmitht70 @joetwyman1986@olliemillroy FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Andrew Smith Tel: +44 (0)7710 644 366 Email:  as@ecurieecosse.com

OB

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European Le Mans Series Podium at the Red Bull Ring in Austria

22/07/2013   Ecurie Ecosse maintains ELMS podium streak at Red Bull Ring   Legendary Scottish motor racing outfit Ecurie Ecosse, along with drivers Ollie Millroy, Andrew Smith and Alasdair McCaig, picked up their third consecutive European Le Mans Series podium of the season at Austria’s Red Bull Ring on Saturday (July 20) to maintain their lead in both the Teams’ and Drivers’ championships.    The squad’s Barwell Motorsport-run BMW Z4 GT3 enjoyed its last competitive outing at Snetterton for rounds five and six of the British GT Championship with drivers Oliver Bryant and Marco Attard two weeks ago. But with focus now switched back to its ELMS programme, the Austrian event was an opportunity to score more valuable GTC class points.   Having never driven at the Red Bull Ring before, Friday’s pair of one-hour official practice sessions were spent learning the circuit and evaluating car set-ups that would suit the technical nature of this famous track.   Championship regulations dictate that the 2013 specification BMW Z4 GT3 must carry 70kg of ballast on top of its standard minimum weight. That, as well as the car’s comparatively low torque and subsequent lack of straight-line speed relative to its rivals, meant the team would have to employ everything in its armoury to ensure a competitive run at the Series’ third round.   Having made some minor set-up changes following free practice on Friday, Millroy – the team’s ‘Pro’ driver – would remain aboard throughout Saturday morning’s 20-minute qualifying session. The BMW is extremely light on tyres compared to its Ferrari and Lamborghini class rivals, making them last longer over a race distance but difficult to bring up to optimum operating temperature during such a short qualifying run. Even so, Ollie’s fastest lap was still good enough for fourth on the grid and just a second shy of pole.   Smith was behind the wheel for the start of Saturday afternoon’s three-hour race and immediately made forward progress, passing some of the faster GTE cars while maintaining position in GTC. After 50 minutes it was the turn of McCaig who, after benefitting from a faultless fuel-only stop by his Barwell Motorsport crew, went on to complete a further 50-minute stint and retain fourth.   With 80 minutes left on the clock Millroy climbed aboard, with the BMW this time taking on fresh rubber as well as fuel. After an ultra-consistent run he pitted again for further fuel before heading back out with half an hour remaining. Incredibly, despite suffering from fading brakes, he was able to catch and pass the third placed Ferrari to help maintain Ecurie Ecosse’s 100% podium record this season.     More importantly than the string of rostrums however is that Ecurie Ecosse left Austria on Saturday evening delighted to still be leading both the Drivers’ and Team’s championships ahead of the next ELMS round at the Hungaroring in Hungary on September 14.   Ollie Millroy, Ecurie Ecosse: “We had to work extremely hard for this podium and the whole team did a fantastic job throughout the weekend to ensure we maintained our lead in the championship. I gave everything I had during my 80-minute stint which, combined with a great strategy call from the Ecurie Ecosse and Barwell team, meant I was able to move into the final podium spot.”   Andrew Smith, Ecurie Ecosse: “The Red Bull Ring is a great track and, as always, it was a privilege to race our BMW there at such a high level. The aim was to maintain our championship lead and we achieved that, but the GTC class is getting much more competitive now and with our power-to-weight disadvantage, as well as very few other teams running Bronze drivers, we are going to have to work extremely hard to maintain our lead.”   Alasdair McCaig, Ecurie Ecosse: “Third was a fantastic result for the team this weekend. We did not have the pace of the Ferraris given our weight penalty, so it was impossible to challenge the front-runners. We are hoping that this will be adjusted for the next round at the Hungaroring where we will look to safeguard our championship lead. Once again all three Ecosse drivers put in faultless, trouble-free stints and benefited from a perfect strategy from our Barwell race engineer Adam Hardy.”   Mark Lemmer, Barwell Motorsport Team Principal: “We are really suffering with the extra ballast we have to carry above the car's standard weight. It's really hurting our pace but despite this everyone remained focused and we’ve come away from Austria still just ahead in the points!”   Ecurie Ecosse’s next competitive outing sees the team head to Brands Hatch for round seven of the British GT Championship (August 11).   2013 European Le Mans Series - GTC Drivers’ Championship (top 3 after 3 of 5 races) 1.  Ollie Millroy/Andrew Smith, Ecurie Ecosse, BMW Z4 GT3, 55 points 2.  Lorenzo Case/Stefano Gai/Andrea Rizzolo, AF Corse, Ferrari 458 Italia, 54  3.  Fabio Babini/Kirill Ladygin/Viktor Shaitar, SMP Racing, Ferrari 458 Italia, 50   2013 European Le Mans Series - GTC Teams’ Championship (top 3 after 3 of 5 races) 1.  Ecurie Ecosse, BMW Z4 GT3, 55 points  2.  AF Corse, Ferrari 458 Italia, 54  3.  SMP Racing, Ferrari 458 Italia, 50   ENDS   Issued on behalf of Ecurie Ecosse   Photo credit: Peter May Click on individual images to download   For more information on Ecurie Ecosse please visit www.ecurieecosse.com Follow our blog: ecurieecosse.blogspot.com Follow Ecurie Ecosse on Twitter: @ecurie_ecosse Follow Ecurie Ecosse on Facebook   Click here for the press release (PDF) Click here for the Ecurie Ecosse Association Membership Pack Click here for the Ecurie Ecosse 60th Anniversary Ltd Edition Bremont Chronometer Watch Presentation   Follow Ecurie Ecosse Drivers on Twitter: @alasdair_mccaig @oliverjbryant @andrewsmitht70 @joetwyman1986@olliemillroy   FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Andrew Smith Tel: +44 (0)7710 644 366 Email:  as@ecurieecosse.com          OB

 

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Ecurie Ecosse salvage hard-fought points from tough Snetterton weekend

17/06/2013   Ecurie Ecosse salvaged valuable British GT Championship points from a difficult doubleheader event at Snetterton (16 June) thanks to a battling race two performance from drivers Marco Attard and Olly Bryant aboard their Barwell Motorsport-run BMW Z4 GT3. The legendary Scottish outfit travelled to the Norfolk venue leading the highly competitive championship, and continued their fine form by topping free practice thanks to a stunning late-session effort. Unfortunately qualifying would prove a very different story. On course for a top-six grid position half way into his session, Attard was forced to pit with a brake problem caused by a hairline crack in one of the calliper hard lines, an unexpected issue for a car that has completed only five races. Though this was fixed ahead of the second session Bryant continued to struggle with the car’s brake bias and, despite sitting P4 with less than a minute to go, a flurry of late improvements as the circuit gained grip shuffled the BMW down to 10th place. With excellent weather conditions greeting competitors on race day the Ecosse squad were targeting a pair of points finishes. This would prove particularly challenging in race one, with Attard starting 20th and a 15-second time penalty to be applied at the pit stop thanks to their Silverstone success. However the Ecosse driver made a fantastic start and, by the end of the opening lap, had moved up eight places into P12. Unfortunately his charge would be short lived. Chasing down David Ashburn’s Porsche on lap two, Attard felt the brake pedal go long and was forced to return the car to the pits where it was retired so the issue could be resolved. Incredibly, the team discovered that the brand new calliper pipe fitted the previous day had also broken. The start of race two was poorly managed by the officials as the lights went out well before the majority of the field was through Corum, allowing the lead pack to gain a significant advantage by the first corner. Initially struggling with a handling imbalance, Bryant was nevertheless able to stay on the tail of the lead group only for contact between two cars ahead of him to force avoiding action, costing the BMW three places. Bryant then focussed on protecting the tyres and adjusting the brake balance so as to hand Attard the best possible car. After passing Rob Barff's Ferrari with a brave move around the outside at Corum he ducked into the pits where the Barwell crew produced a first-rate stop, fitting the set of tyres that had run just two laps in the opening race. Upon returning to the circuit Attard was immediately on the pace and had soon overhauled Phil Drybrugh's Aston Martin. Despite heavy pressure from former Porsche Carrera Cup racer Ahmad Al Harthy, Attard was able to catch and pass John Dhillon's Ferrari on the final tour. Closing on the Mercedes of Jason Minshaw at a staggering rate, the chequered flag dropped just one lap too soon for Attard, leaving the Ecosse team to settle for seventh place and a solid points haul. Oliver Bryant, #79 Ecurie Ecosse BMW: "It's difficult to put a positive spin on the weekend we’ve had but being quickest in free practice was a highlight, while Marco drove brilliantly once again. We were unlucky but so were some of our championship rivals, and while losing our points advantage is a real disappointment we are still in a strong position approaching the upcoming rounds. Now I can't wait for Brands Hatch!" Marco Attard, #79 Ecurie Ecosse BMW: "Brake issues in first qualifying and race one left us at a low ebb following our great result at Siverstone, but things improved in race two and we managed to recover some points. This was a great result considering all the problems we’d suffered and keeps us well within reach of the championship lead. Ultimately we’ve come away feeling very positive ahead of Brands Hatch in August." Mark Lemmer, Barwell Motorsport Team Principal : "Following our recent run of fantastic races we were bound to have a difficult patch at some stage. However, the team reacted really well and Marco had an exceptional weekend. As ever, we will come back fighting next time out at Brands Hatch."   ENDS   Issued on behalf of Ecurie Ecosse   Photo credit: Gary Parravani, Xynamic Motorsport Photography Click on individual images to download   For more information on Ecurie Ecosse please visit www.ecurieecosse.com Follow our blog: ecurieecosse.blogspot.com Follow Ecurie Ecosse on Twitter: @ecurie_ecosse Follow Ecurie Ecosse on Facebook   Click here for the press release (PDF) Click here for the Ecurie Ecosse Association Membership Pack Click here for the Ecurie Ecosse 60th Anniversary Ltd Edition Bremont Chronometer Watch Presentation   Follow Ecurie Ecosse Drivers on Twitter: @alasdair_mccaig @oliverjbryant @andrewsmitht70 @joetwyman1986@olliemillroy

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Ecurie Ecosse takes the bull by the horns

13/06/2013 Ecurie Ecosse takes the bull by the horns Famous Scottish squad confirms 2013 title sponsorship deal with Black Bull Whisky Legendary Scottish motor racing outfit Ecurie Ecosse has signed a new key sponsorship agreement with Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky that will see the team promote the Black Bull Whisky brand through its European Le Mans Series and British GT Championship programmes. Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Ltd is a family owned, luxury whisky merchants. With origins dating back to 1864, the company selects and matures casks from distilleries across the length and breadth of Scotland and currently owns one of the world's largest private collections of vintage Scotch whisky. With a multi award-winning brand portfolio, Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Ltd harnesses generations of expertise to deliver the finest whisky without compromise. The Black Bull brand dates back to 1864 and was the first 100 proof blend to be sold in the US, where it came to prominence after the repeal of prohibition in 1933. Repackaged in 2008, Black Bull is now available in 12-year-old, 30-year-old, 40-year-old and Special Reserve expressions and has won numerous awards, including five gold medals in 2011 alone. “For Ecurie Ecosse to initiate a new alliance with a major brand like Black Bull is a terrific opportunity for European promotional activity. Indeed, we are already discussing a number of innovative activation strategies with Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky for implementation throughout the year,” said Ecurie Ecosse Director and driver Oliver Bryant. “This partnership is a great match: both are world-class Scottish brands with a rich heritage and pedigree who share the same goal of being at Le Mans in 2014.” Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Chairman, Euan Shand, added: “Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky are very pleased to be key sponsors of Ecurie Ecosse for the 2013 season, especially so in their pursuit of racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014, the world’s greatest motor race. The rich heritage shared by both companies and their pursuit of excellence in their respective fields is surely a recipe for achieving that goal. Ecurie Ecosse's current dominance in both championships is a wonderful opportunity to bring the Duncan Taylor's Black Bull 100 Proof blended whisky brand to the attention of a new audience.” Ecurie Ecosse currently leads the points’ standings in both the British GT Championship and European Le Mans Series (GTC Class). Black Bull branding will appear on the squad's BMW Z4 GT3 for the first time at this weekend’s British GT round at Snetterton in the UK (June 15/16), while the next European Le Mans Series event takes the team to the Red Bull Ring in Austria on July 19/20. ENDS Issued on behalf of Ecurie Ecosse Photo credit: Gary Parravani, Xynamic Motorsport Photography Click on individual images to download For more information on Ecurie Ecosse please visit www.ecurieecosse.com Follow our blog: ecurieecosse.blogspot.com Follow Ecurie Ecosse on Twitter: @ecurie_ecosse Follow Ecurie Ecosse on Facebook Click here for the press release (PDF) Click here for the Ecurie Ecosse Association Membership Pack Click here for the Ecurie Ecosse 60th Anniversary Ltd Edition Bremont Chronometer Watch Presentation Follow Ecurie Ecosse Drivers on Twitter: @alasdair_mccaig @oliverjbryant @andrewsmitht70 @joetwyman1986 @olliemillroy

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Ecosse Merchandise

Due to popular demand Ecurie Ecosse have launched a small merchandise range in association with Unlap.

Initially we are producing official team T-shirts but the intention is to develop a full line of Ecosse branded merchandise.

To see the full collection and to buy, please see: http://www.unlap.co.uk/collections/ecurie-ecosse

See the below for an idea of the collection.

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Silverstone 500 pole position and race win!

28/05/2013   Ecurie Ecosse savours strategic Silverstone 500 win   A perfect weekend for Ecurie Ecosse saw the famous Scottish squad score its first British GT Championship victory and pole position of the season at Silverstone, helping drivers Olly Bryant and Marco Attard vault to the top of the points standings in the process.   Bryant served notice of the team’s intentions during Saturday’s qualifying session by planting the Barwell Motorsport-run BMW Z4 GT3 firmly on pole position thanks to a stunning lap of 2m02.6s around the Silverstone Arena GP circuit, the first for both himself and Ecurie Ecosse.   Team-mate Attard was behind the wheel for the start of Sunday’s three-hour race, and although he initially lost out to David Ashburn's Porsche on the run to Copse, he re-took the position with a firm move under braking into Stowe later on the opening lap.    His lead had soon grown to three seconds as others squabbled for positions behind, but with some teams opting to start with their quicker Pro drivers it wasn’t long before the Mercedes SLS of Benji Hetherington reeled in and passed the BMW.   A clash between Mark Blundell’s McLaren and a Ginetta brought out the Safety Car, allowing the strategic nous of Barwell Motorsport engineer Adam Hardy to come into play. Attard pitted from second and handed over to Bryant who resumed still on the lead lap behind the Safety Car. He pushed hard at the re-start to slice his way through the traffic in pursuit of the lead pack, setting the fastest first sector time in the process, before losing several positions when boxed in by a slower GTC car.    Two laps later Phil Keen’s Porsche collided with the limping 911 of Gregor Fisken, taking both cars out of the race and hastening a second Safety Car period. Once again the Barwell crew called their Ecosse BMW into the pits for a driver change, tyres and fuel. Attard then embarked on a lengthy hour-long stint, avoiding the problems of others and coping well against Pro drivers as each team opted for different strategies.    At this stage it appeared as though Ecurie Ecosse were in for a subdued afternoon, running comfortably in the top-10 but not challenging the front-runners. In fact, with two of three mandatory pit-stops completed during caution periods, Bryant found himself in an excellent position when he took over for the final 60 minutes.   Frequently the fastest man on track, Bryant was taking 2-3 seconds per lap out of the leading AF Corse Ferrari ahead. That he would have caught the 458 was inevitable, but his task was made easier when Jay Palmer suffered the first of two punctures that ended his car’s podium chances.   Now leading, Bryant was able to manage the pressure from charging Aston Martin factory driver Jonny Adam. Traffic saw the gap fluctuate between the pair as the race moved towards its conclusion, but Bryant was never threatened and he took the chequered flag 17 seconds clear to claim the team’s second ever British GT victory as well as his and Attard’s second championship podium of the season.    With points-and-a-half being awarded for the blue riband three-hour race, victory sees the pair now lead the drivers’ standings after four of 10 races.    Oliver Bryant, #79 Ecurie Ecosse BMW: “That’s a really, really good result. Marco did a great job today, and all weekend really. The team gave us a perfect set-up and there were no issues at all with the car during the race. It was avoiding other people's mistakes that proved key. Early on I got boxed in behind a GTC entry that allowed four or five GT3 cars to come flying past me on the run into Maggots. I backed out of that and erred on the side of caution, and obviously it paid off. The strategy played out well in the end. Adam, our engineer, is a bit of a whizz with strategy, so he decided exactly what to do. He knew when we could pit, how far into a Safety Car period we should stop and how far we could stretch the fuel. He worked it out perfectly and got two of our stops out of the way pretty early on, while some of the cars in front of us still had to pit when I got in for the final time. It’s a really great result for us!”   Marco Attard, #79 Ecurie Ecosse BMW: “This is fantastic! It's all down to Olly and the team really. I've learnt so much from them, especially this weekend, and they've all done a great job. The BMW goes really well at certain parts of the circuit – through Becketts it’s absolutely fantastic – then there are other sections where it's a little hairy, but overall it was really good. I’m very happy!”   Mark Lemmer, Barwell Motorsport Team Principal: “This was probably one of the best and most well deserved victories that we have enjoyed recently, so I am very proud of the whole team. We have worked hard for this, had the pace and totally smashed it on strategy. I couldn't be happier!”   GT3 Drivers’ Championship (after four races):   1. Bryant/Attard 60.5 points 2. Hughes/Berg 45 3. Ashburn/Tandy 43 4. Bell/Patterson 42.5 5. Westbrook/Fisken 37.5 6. Howard/Adam 36 7. Hetherington 33 8. Al Harthy/Caine 29   ENDS   Issued on behalf of Ecurie Ecosse   Photo credit: Gary Parravani, Xynamic Motorsport Photography Click on individual images to download   For more information on Ecurie Ecosse please visit www.ecurieecosse.com Follow our blog: ecurieecosse.blogspot.com Follow Ecurie Ecosse on Twitter: @ecurie_ecosse Follow Ecurie Ecosse on Facebook   Click here for the press release (PDF) Click here for the Ecurie Ecosse Association Membership Pack Click here for the Ecurie Ecosse 60th Anniversary Ltd Edition Bremont Chronometer Watch Presentation   Follow Ecurie Ecosse Drivers on Twitter: @alasdair_mccaig @oliverjbryant@andrewsmitht70 @joetwyman1986 @olliemillroy   FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Andrew Smith Tel: +44 (0)7710 644 366 Email:  as@ecurieecosse.com

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A few photographs from the weekend at Imola by Peter May.

Joe Twyman getting in before Free Practice 1

Free Practice 1 was wet.

Ollie Millroy

The Ecosse Z4 exits Tamburello with the city of Imola behind

In amongst the GTE and Prototypes in FP2

The exit of Tosa

Andrew Smith qualified on Saturday morning

L-R Joe Twyman, Andrew Smith, Ollie Millroy (and friends)

On the grid before the start of the Imola 3 Hours

Lap 1 going into the first chicane

Z4 at speed

Podium for 3rd place in GTC

Joe Twyman, Ollie Millroy & Andrew Smith

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20/05/2013   Ecurie Ecosse claims hard-fought ELMS podium at Imola   Legendary Scottish motor racing outfit Ecurie Ecosse followed up their season-opening victory at Silverstone and maintained their position at the top of the European Le Mans Series standings with a gutsy third place finish at Imola on Saturday thanks to drivers Ollie Millroy, Andrew Smith and Joe Twyman.   The team’s Barwell Motorsport-run BMW Z4 GT3 enjoyed its last competitive outing at Rockingham as part of the British GT Championship with drivers Oliver Bryant and Marco Attard at the start of May, but with the squad’s focus now firmly back on the ELMS, the Imola event would represent their first dry race in the championship.   Saturday morning’s qualifying session was completed by Smith, who recorded a time of 1m45.8s to line up fourth in class for that afternoon’s three-hour race.    Smith remained aboard for the race’s opening stint where he was up against the other teams’ much more experienced “Pro” drivers. 50 minutes later Twyman took over and also settled into a solid rhythm before he was handed a 30-second stop/go penalty for a pit-lane speeding infringement, losing the car over a minute to the class leaders.    With 90 minutes remaining, and following another faultless turnaround from the Barwell pit crew, Millroy embarked on his double stint lying seventh. Although this would be Ollie’s first ever race among the much quicker sports-prototypes that share the ELMS grid, he expertly tempered outright speed with traffic management, and overcame a light rain shower, to haul the BMW up to fourth despite the extra Balance of Performance weight starting to take its toll on the brakes. P4 then became third on the final lap when the Lamborghini ahead was forced to pit in order to avoid a maximum “Pro” driver time infringement.   The team left the Italian circuit on Saturday evening delighted to have maintained leads in both the Drivers’ and Teams’ championships ahead of the next ELMS round at Austria’s Red Bull Ring on July 19/20.   Ollie Millroy, Ecurie Ecosse Driver: “We lacked pace in the dry at Imola so I think we did extremely well to come away with a podium, and it proves that our overall strategy is correct. Races like this are extremely important when trying to win a championship. We’ve got a lot to work on before Austria to ensure that we can maintain our points lead.”   Andrew Smith, Ecurie Ecosse Driver: “Imola is full of atmosphere and it was a privilege to race our BMW there at such a high level. The aim was to maintain our championship lead and we achieved that, but the GTC class is getting much more competitive now and with very few other cars running Bronze drivers we are going to have to work extremely hard to keep it up.”   Joe Twyman, Ecurie Ecosse Driver: “Every time I get in the car I am learning, so to come away with a podium from my first ELMS race was fantastic. The Barwell crew were superb as always and sharing the car with Andrew and Ollie is always a pleasure. I am not in the car again until the Hungaroring in September but I will continue to work hard on my fitness and in the simulator in order to pick up where I left off in Italy!”   Mark Lemmer, Barwell Motorsport Team Principal: “We struggled a bit for pace at Imola with the substantial extra Balance of Performance weight we had to carry, but I’m really satisfied that with some good strategy calls we managed a very strong points haul.”   Ecurie Ecosse’s next competitive outing sees the team head to Silverstone for round four of the British GT Championship on May 26 where they will field regular drivers Bryant and Attard.   2013 European Le Mans Series - Top three GTC Drivers’ points after two of five races: 1. Ollie Millroy/Andrew Smith / Ecurie Ecosse / BMW Z4 GT3 / 40 points 2. Lorenzo Case/Stefano Gai/Andrea Rizzolo / AF Corse / Ferrari 458 Italia / 36 3. Alasdair McCaig / Ecurie Ecosse / BMW Z4 GT3 / 25 = Fabio Babini/Viktor Shaitar/Kirill Ladygin / SMP Racing / Ferrari 458 Italia / 25   2013 European Le Mans Series - Top three GTC Teams’ points after two of five races: 1. Ecurie Ecosse / BMW Z4 GT3 / 40 points 2. AF Corse / Ferrari 458 Italia / 36 3. SMP Racing / Ferrari 458 Italia / 25   ENDS   Issued on behalf of Ecurie Ecosse   Photo credit: Peter May Click on individual images to download   For more information on Ecurie Ecosse please visit www.ecurieecosse.com Follow our blog: ecurieecosse.blogspot.com Follow Ecurie Ecosse on Twitter: @ecurie_ecosse Follow Ecurie Ecosse on Facebook   Click here for the press release (PDF) Click here for the Ecurie Ecosse Association Membership Pack Click here for the Ecurie Ecosse 60th Anniversary Ltd Edition Bremont Chronometer Watch Presentation   Follow Ecurie Ecosse Drivers on Twitter: @alasdair_mccaig @oliverjbryant @andrewsmitht70 @joetwyman1986@olliemillroy   FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Andrew Smith Tel: +44 (0)7710 644 366 Email:  as@ecurieecosse.com

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