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UNITED UNTIEDLatest news Latest news Latest news

Five-week BTCC break, historic racing and GT CupAt the end of April, we travelled to Donington Park for the first round of the GT Cup with Jim Geddie and the McLaren MP4-12C GT3. We had a great start to the championship, finishing in second place in all three races.

The weekend after, we went to Thruxton with the Toyotas and the Ginettas and Rockingham with the Audi for the third round of the BTCC and second round of the British GT Championship. We had to rebuild James’ Toyota virtually from scratch for the Thruxton round after his massive accident at Donington but we did it and both cars were at the third race meeting. After an impressive 14th from James in qualifying, his race day didn’t quite go to plan after making contact with other cars in two of the three races. Glynn’s weekend started on a positive note, being consistently in the top 10 during practice, but he could not translate that into qualifying or the races. An engine boost problem signalled the end of Glynn’s weekend during race three. Two podiums and a fifth place for Carl Breeze shot him up the championship standings to fifth, but an unlucky weekend for Luke meant he dropped down to sixth after three races at Thruxton.

The British GT team faced a more positive weekend after being consistently in the top three for both practice sessions and qualifying, hoping for a podium position if not an outright win. Unfortunately, Mark had contact with a GT4 Aston, ending their weekend after 45 minutes.

On 17-18 May, the GT Cup team went to Brands Hatch for the second round of the championship. Glynn joined Jim behind the wheel of the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 for Saturday’s two driver race with them bringing the car home in second place. In both Sunday’s sprint races, Jim finished second, leaving him at the top of the championship table.

May also involved a lot of historic racing for Zak, as he travelled to Monaco for the Historic Grand Prix and Italy for the Mille Miglia.

Glynn & Jim Geddie join United Autosports for Silverstone British GT roundJim and Glynn Geddie will be making their British GT return at Silverstone for the three-hour race. The 2011 champions will be entering their United Autosports’ run McLaren MP4-12C GT3 into the endurance race with the hope of a good result for the pair. Currently racing in the GT Cup, Jim is now leading the championship after two rounds.

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Thruxton BTCC & Ginetta GT4 SupercupJames had a promising start to the Thruxton weekend, given that the team only had eight days to virtually rebuild a new car for him. He posted a P14 qualifying time but unfortunately, got caught up in other people’s mistakes in two of the three races. Glynn also started the weekend on a positive note, posting top-10 times during practice, but he dropped to P19 in qualifying which ultimately affected his race day.

The Ginetta team faced a more positive weekend, with two runner-up placings plus a fifth moving Carl Breeze up two places to fifth in the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup – one place ahead of team-mate Luke Davenport who recorded two top-10 results. Tyre grip issues in the closing stages of the third race cost Carl, enjoying his best meeting of the season, another likely second place finish on Sunday losing us the lead in the Team’s Championship. Meanwhile Luke maintained his 100% point scoring record for the season with nine races run.

We have been out testing ahead of the next rounds of the BTCC and Ginetta series staged at Oulton Park, Cheshire, over 7-8 June.

Rockingham BGTOur Rockingham British GT weekend started oproducing top 3 placings. Unfortunately, that was w30 minutes into the two-hour race, dropping him on the re-start after a safety car period.

In the two-hour race around the 2.05-mile Rockistarted from third place on the 29-car grid – the victory.

After dropping down the order to seventh, Mark waimmediately pitted with a puncture incurred running otyres but critically one-lap down on the leaders.

Patterson, who had been up to two seconds faster a made an error of judgement in the confusion at the rcontacting a GT4 car resulting in a broken front left sinto the race.

Team Member Profile: Marcus Clutton

What is your age? 25

What is your day-to-day job? Self-employed truckie/tyre manager/driver coach

How long have you worked at United Autosports and what is your role?18 months. Truckie and tyre manager for British GT and selected historic events when possible. I try and make sure my truck is the cleanest and best presented in the paddock... and it always is

What do you do when you’re not working for United Autosports? Chase the dream. Prepare the cars I race – currently racing in GT Cup and Fun Cup and I’m an ARDS instructor too

How did you get into racing? My dad had me doing motocross at six then karting from seven so from there onwards Motorsport has been my passion.

What is your nickname and why?My original nickname is MC for obvious reasons but since working with the Yorkshire crew (I’m from Lancashire) there seems to be many others. Some slightly inappropriate but that’s life.

What is it that makes you passionate about motorsport?I love the excitement of racing. Anything can happen but there’s no better feeling than winning.

What has been your funniest racing experience so far?My funniest moment has to be at Spa 24 Hours last year. Watching the Aston Martin worker shunt his scooter straight under our truck. He was covered in dirt and got up like nothing had happened! Some boy!

Sneak PeekLe Mans Group C

Zak will be taking part in the Le Mans Group C in sixth in his 1986 Porsche 962. This year, he so make sure you find out how we got on in the

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rted off well with both practice sessions and qualifying was when our luck ran out after Mark sustained a puncture

g him down to 16th, followed by a collision with a GT4 car

Rockingham “International Long” circuit, Mark Patterson – the team confident of at least a top-three finish if not

rk was briefly back up to fourth after 25mins but almost ning over on-track debris – resuming 17th with four new

ter a lap compared to the leader after his pit-stop, then t the re-start of the race following a Safety Car period, left suspension upright and instant retirement 30mins

Brands Hatch GT CupWe added more points to our GT Cup championship total at Brands Hatch on 17/18 May.

A second place for Jim and Glynn in Saturday’s longer distance two driver race and two second places in Sunday’s sprint races for Jim means we now lie joint first in the championship.

Glynn joined Jim for the first race in the McLaren MP4-12C GT3. After Jim started the race in fourth, he moved up to third after the first lap, and brought the car in for the driver change in third when the pit window opened. After serving the mandatory pit stop time, plus a 10-second success penalty carried over from the previous rounds, Glynn made his way out on track and started hunting down the leaders. With five minutes to go, Glynn passed Balfe for second, just before the red flag was brought out, signalling the end of the race.

In Sunday’s first sprint race, Jim started fifth but worked his way through the field up to second by the end of the race. In race two he started on the front row, and took the lead after crossing the start line, only for the BMW of Ryan Ratcliffe to reclaim the lead the following lap after a great battle between the pair. Jim finished the weekend with a hard fought second place, after battling with a gear selection problem for the last lap, leaving the McLaren stuck in second gear. Jim hung on to take second at the flag, bringing the car home in a sixth consecutive podium position.

The next round of the GT Cup will be at Silverstone on 7-8 June.

Driver Profile: Matt Bell

Age: 25

What championship do you race in? British GT and the Tudor United Sports Car Championship (TUSCC)

How long have you been racing with United Autosports? Since they started. This is my fifth season with the team.

Why do you like driving for United Autosports? There’s always been a good atmosphere in the team and we’re all northern! They’re also good at the serious side of motorsport too; everyone is very focused on making UA a winning team.

What is your racing history? I started karting when I was 12 and became British Champion when I was 15, but I stopped racing at 16 to pursue a rugby career. After a back injury forced me to stop playing rugby, I came back to racing in 2010 with United and I’ve been in GTs ever since.

How did you get into racing? I got the racing bug following my brother Rob through his racing career. He started karting around the time I was born so I’ve always been around motorsport. I guess it was inevitable I was going to end up in a kart or car.

What do you do in your spare time? Mainly cycling to keep my fitness up, with a bit of Xbox in between.

What has been your funniest racing experience so far? There have been quite a few with UA. Probably the time Rob and I did a race together and did identical lap times in testing, funny and freaky.

Do you have a nickname – if so, what is it? Two Tin Bell, as I’m a bit of a lightweight when it comes to nights out.

up C race on 14-15 June. In 2012 he finished the historic car race ar, he will be taking the same car to the world famous French track in the June issue of United Untied.

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IN NEXT MONTHS EDITION: More gossip from the BTCC / BGT season

31st May – 1st June British GT Silverstone, Northamptonshire

7th – 8th June BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Oulton Park, Cheshire

7th – 8th June GT Cup Silverstone, Northamptonshire

14th – 15th June Le Mans Group C Le Mans, France

21st – 22nd June British GT Snetterton, Norfolk

28th – 29th June BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Croft, North Yorkshire

11th – 13th July British GT Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

19th – 20th July GT Cup Snetterton, Norfolk

26th – 27th July Spa 24 Hours Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

2nd – 3rd August BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Snetterton, Norfolk

16th – 17th August Monterey Historics USA

16th – 17th August GT Cup Silverstone, Northamptonshire

23rd – 24th August BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Knockhill, Scotland

30th – 31st August British GT Brands Hatch GP, Kent

6th – 7th September BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Rockingham, Northamptonshire

13th – 14th September British GT Donington Park, Leicestershire

20th – 21st September GT Cup Donington Park, Leicestershire

27th – 28th September BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Silverstone, Northamptonshire

11th – 12th October BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Brands Hatch GP, Kent

25th October GT Cup Oulton Park, Cheshire

15th – 16th November Macau GT Cup Asia

10th – 12th December Gulf 12 Hours Abu Dhabi

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If you have any personal or emotional problems you would like Uncle Flower to help with, then please send a private message to him on the team Facebook page.

Question:I have really missed seeing you guys in the BTCC and Ginetta championships during the five-week break. How do you suggest I cope during July when you have a similar break?

Answer:Well flower, we miss you too, but use the term ‘break’ loosely! We have been busy testing with the touring cars and Ginettas since you last saw us at Thruxton. We

have also had a GT Cup race and British GT race too. We will have a busy time in July when the BTCC / Ginetta season has a rest, with the Spa BGT race and the Spa 24 hours – why not come and watch us, then you’ll not miss us at all!

Please note: Flower’s monthly views on life expressed in this column are not necessarily the views of the company or its staff.

Dear Flower... United Autosports Historic Event

Monaco Historic Grand PrixAt the beginning of May, the historics team went to Monaco for the 9th running of the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. Held two weeks before the modern day Formula One cars take to the track, Zak took the 1977 James Hunt McLaren M26 to the famous street circuit to race amongst some of the greatest cars of the era. The weekend consisted of two qualifying sessions on Saturday and a race on Sunday. Zak lined up P17 and made a great start until he was hit by another car and was left with too much damage to continue.

Mille MigliaThe weekend after the Monaco Historic Grand Prix, Zak travelled to Italy for the Mille Miglia with his 1956 Austin Healey 100M. The world famous rally started at Brescia and took in sights around Italy, returning to Brescia after three days. Zak and his co-driver Richard Solomons made it through to Saturday until a broken camshaft ended their race in Siena.

Diary Dates 2014... Keep an eye out for us at the following events throughout the year