ECURIE ECOSSE CONFIRMS 2014 PLANS

ECURIE ECOSSE GUNNING FOR BRITISH GT AND BLANCPAIN ENDURANCE SERIES CROWNS IN 2014

 

• Alexander Sims joins British GT line-up

• Black Bull Whisky extend long-term commercial agreement

 

 

Ecurie Ecosse powered by Black Bull will continue to fight on two fronts this season after confirming plans to run a 2014-spec BMW Z4 GT3 in both the Blancpain Endurance Series and Avon Tyres British GT Championship.

 

The legendary Scottish squad are looking to pick up where they left off in 2013 when Marco Attard and Olly Bryant finished third in the British GT standings, just four points shy of the title. With the latter moving over to the team’s Blancpain line-up, Ecurie Ecosse are delighted to welcome BMW Motorsport factory driver Alexander Sims into its fold. 

 

A former McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award winner, the 25-year-old will be making his British GT debut alongside Attard, who enjoyed an incredibly strong season in the category last year.

 

Meanwhile, after also finishing third in last season’s European Le Mans Series GTC class, the outfit switches its continental attention to the Blancpain Endurance Series’ fiercely competitive Pro-Am category.

 

The core of last season’s driver roster remains however, with Alasdair McCaig and Andrew Smith accompanied by the incoming Bryant for all five rounds, while Ecurie Ecosse stalwart Joe Twyman joins the line-up for the blue riband 24 Hours of Spa.  

 

Once again Ecurie Ecosse can call on the support of numerous long-term partners in their respective title bids. For a fourth season Barwell Motorsport will oversee its on-track programmes, while this will be the third campaign featuring BMW Motorsport’s involvement. And after their first year together in 2013, the team is delighted to announce an extended long-term commercial partnership with Black Bull Whisky that will see it run under the Ecurie Ecosse powered by Black Bull banner.

 

In addition, Ecurie Ecosse can also count on continued backing from John Clark Motor Group, Cotton Tree, Ragus, and The Calais Wine Superstore.

 

Hugh McCaig, Ecurie Ecosse Team Principal: “I am delighted that Ecurie Ecosse will be returning to British GT this year for another crack at the title, as well as taking on a fresh challenge in the form of the Blancpain Endurance Series. Both championships are extremely competitive, but I’m confident that we’ll be capable of delivering at the highest level thanks to the hard work of every team member, driver, supplier and loyal sponsor.”  

 

Andrew Smith (Blancpain Endurance Series): “This is a very exciting programme for Ecurie Ecosse. We looked at a number of options for this year after a highly successful 2013 and believe, with the combination of BMW’s Z4 GT3, the team at Barwell and a first-class driver line-up, that we absolutely have the right ingredients in place to achieve success in these two championships. It has been a tireless effort to put the deal together in an extremely challenging economic environment and we have to thank all of our sponsors for their continued support. Ultimately we want to be back at Le Mans and this is a fantastic step in the right direction.”

 

Marco Attard (British GT): “It’s great to be back with Ecurie Ecosse and the guys at Barwell. I can hit the ground running now that I’m continuing with the same car and team, and have a full season already under my belt. This, combined with having a driver of Alexander’s calibre alongside me, means I have put myself in the best possible position to challenge for the title again.”

 

Alexander Sims (British GT): “I’m over the moon, as getting a full-time drive in a championship as prestigious as British GT is just fantastic. It’s a great opportunity to embed myself within BMW’s network of teams, and to work alongside a gentleman driver as talented as Marco. Ecurie Ecosse and Barwell enjoy a very impressive track record together, with last year especially strong thanks to Marco and Olly. I simply cannot wait for us to begin working together.”

 

Mark Lemmer, Barwell Motorsport Team Principal: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have such a fantastic driver line-up across both championships, and it’s great to be able to welcome Alexander to our fold; he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting young British talents in the world of GT racing. I fully expect Ecurie Ecosse and Barwell to be pushing for both titles!”

 

The opening round of this year’s Blancpain Endurance Series comes from Monza, Italy, on April 12/13, while British GT’s Oulton Park curtain raiser takes place one week later (19-21).

 

ENDS

 

 OB

 

  

Email: as@ecurieecosse.com

Web:  www.ecurieecosse.com

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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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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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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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British GT Round 3 Rockingham Gallery

Here are some photos from Rockingham courtesy of Gary Parravani at www.xynamic.com

OB

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British GT Championship Round 3. Rockingham Monday 6th May.

07/05/2013 Ecurie Ecosse taking the positives from trying Rockingham race Ecurie Ecosse left yesterday’s British GT Championship event at Rockingham (6 May) encouraged by strong performances from drivers Marco Attard and Olly Bryant despite being denied a points-paying finish aboard their Barwell Motorsport-run BMW Z4 GT3. After posting the fastest time in morning warm-up Attard took the start full of confidence and produced a spirited opening stint aboard the #79 machine. Unfortunately contact with the championship-leading Porsche of David Ashburn resulted in problems removing the right-front wheel during the routine pit-stop, costing the team significant time. Now a lap down on the leaders in 18th place, Bryant set about making up the lost ground and was soon among the fastest cars on track. Coping well with the bent steering, he enjoyed a race-long duel with the BMW of Joe Osborne that saw the pair carve their way through the field and towards the top-10. When the chequered flag fell on the two-hour event Bryant had made up seven places to finish just outside the points in 11th spot. Unfortunately, the team were subsequently excluded from the results for the on-track incident with the Porsche. Despite missing out on points the Ecosse squad can take several positives from the Rockingham weekend. Bryant secured a top-10 in the hotly contested qualifying session while the car that eventually claimed second spot was behind Attard on the road prior to the pit-stops. What's more, Bryant's race pace was good enough for an overall podium. Olly Bryant: "The result didn't reflect the massive step forward we made with both the car and Marco this weekend. We found a consistent race balance on the tricky infield circuit and Marco has improved massively and demonstrated he can lap as quickly as the other top Am drivers. It was a great shame not to get the result we'd hoped for but we showed we had the pace. I can't wait for Silverstone." Marco Attard: "Rockingham was a very strong race weekend and we have taken huge steps forward. It's a shame about the contact with the Porsche, which set us back in the pit-stop, but I will take the experience forward in a positive way." Mark Lemmer, Barwell Motorsport Team Principal: "We worked hard this weekend and were really dialled in. Our result didn't match our performance but that can happen in motor racing. We're now looking strong for Silverstone." Before returning to British GT action, Ecurie Ecosse will head to Imola for the second round of the European Le Mans Series (18 May) where Andrew Smith, Joe Twyman and Ollie Millroy are looking to build on the team's debut ELMS win at Silverstone. ENDS Issued on behalf of Ecurie Ecosse Photo credit: Gary Parravani, Xynamic Motorsport Photography - www. xynamic.com 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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Oulton Park British GT Championship Photos

Oulton Park was a fantastic Easter weekend for Ecurie Ecosse, with a podium finish and strong points haul following on from our debut British GT Championship win exactly 12 months ago with myself and Alasdair McCaig. Marco Attard has joined Ecurie Ecosse for 2013 and shown great promise from the off. We scored 6th and 3rd place finishes and leave the Cheshire circuit 3rd in the championship standings. Here are some photos of the action at a very cold Oulton Park taken by Gary at Xynamic Motosport Photography http://www.xynamic.com/

 Focused before qualifying around the tight and twisty Oulton Park circuit at over 101mph average.

Glowing tail pipes! The silencers on the Z4 glow red hot!

Mobil 1 "driver of the meeting" for Marco Attard

Marco holding off Lester and Palmer

Crossing the finish line!

A much deserved podium for everyone at Ecurie Ecosse!

Pushing on through Lodge Corner

Awesome machine!

Wintery conditions

I found some space in qualifying!

Joe and I discussing tactics pre-race 2

Pushing hard into the pitlane

Fantastic 2013 British GT Grid, great to be a part of it, and running at the front!

OB

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British GT Championship Round 1 Oulton Park

02/04/2013 Strong points haul at Oulton Park Ecurie Ecosse began their 2013 British GT Championship campaign with a pair of strong finishes at Oulton Park yesterday (1 April). The Ecosse duo of Oliver Bryant and Marco Attard quickly got to grips with the Barwell Motorsport-run BMW Z4 GT3 to take a fine sixth place in the first race of the day. Attard maintained his qualifying pace and after a solid and consistent stint handed over to Bryant in eighth position. Bryant then engaged in a thrilling battle which saw five cars fighting for third place. Following an off-track excursion caused by contact from Alan Simonsen in the Rosso Verde Ferrari 458 Bryant set about making up for lost time, consistently lapping quicker than those in front on his way to a strong sixth place overall finish. Race two was equally competitive. Bryant started and lost touch with the lead pack while battling with Rob Barff (Ferrari 458) and Joe Osborne (BMW Z4 GT3), but made up a huge amount of time with a very impressive 'in lap' and speedy pit work from the Barwell crew. As things settled down Attard emerged in sixth spot. After making more progress the race was neutralised for a car on fire, bunching the field up. With two laps to go the safety car came in and Attard drove fantastically. After a superb pass on the Jay Palmer Ferrari he took third overall, a performance that netted him the coveted 'Mobil 1 Driver of the Weekend' award. Ecurie Ecosse now lie third in the championship following the first two rounds and were consistently the fastest BMW throughout the weekend. The sister BMW Z4 GT3 driven by Piers and Ron Johnson under the 'Ecurie Ecosse with Barwell Motorsport' banner finished 16th and 17th in the two races, maintaining Ecosse's 100% finishing record in all the events in which the team has entered since it was reformed in 2011. Mark Lemmer, Barwell Motorsport Team Principal: "We've been working hard and have made the solid championship start that we deserve. Marco, Olly and the team did a fantastic job and we're now looking forward to the longer races." Oliver Bryant, Ecurie Ecosse driver: "Hats off to Marco and the team for an excellent job this weekend. We know the key is to be quick and consistent and to stay out of trouble. A huge amount of work has gone in from everyone at Ecurie Ecosse and Barwell Motorsport in the off-season to pull this deal together so a podium is very rewarding!" Marco Attard, Ecurie Ecosse driver: "What a great result at Oulton Park following two eventful races! Thanks to the Barwell crew who did a great job, our engineers Andy and Adam and the whole Ecurie Ecosse team, not forgetting Olly Bryant who drove two great races and was a huge support to me." The next rounds of the British GT Championship take place at Rockingham on 6 May. Before that the team turns it's attentions to the opening round of the European Le Mans Series at Silverstone (13 April) where the car will compete for honours in the GTC class driven by Ollie Millroy, Andrew Smith and Alasdair McCaig. ENDS Photo 1 credit: Gary Parravani / www.xynamic.com Photo 2 credit: Matt Sayle / www.xynamic.com 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 OB

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