CLUTCH CALAMITIES END BRITISH GT PODIUM CHALLENGE

Matty was left to lament a clutch failure in the second British GT race at Snetteton, as the Macmillan Racing Aston Martin was forced into early retirement whilst challenging hard for a podium position.

Fresh from sealing a solid third place in the morning, Matty was steadily working his way through the field when the problem struck less than half way through the one hour event, robbing the team of a second strong result on a weekend where they had been right on the pace.

Following a frantic start, Matty had to content himself with preserving his seventh place in GT4, as all the leading runners plunged into turn one in a huge pack more akin to something seen in NASCAR.

That pack remained bunched up for the opening laps, with the number 42 car’s driver maintaining a watching brief as positions were separated by less than a second, running well on the pace of class leaders Ross Gunn and Matthew George.

An early retirement for the GT4 Mclaren which had won the day’s earlier race, promoted Matty to sixth and allowed him to begin closing and challenging the Ginetta cars that ran third fourth and fifth at that point.

By lap six, the first of these had been successfully dispatched and running in clear air, Matty was soon able to reel in the battle for third, closing a two second gap in four laps while setting personal best times.

Battling with only half a second separating the trio, Matty was all over the back Bradley Ellis before the car ground to a halt heading through the Wilson hairpin.

It was a frustrating way to finish what had been a solid weekend for both drivers and team, but one that will only add to the determination to take a maiden victory at Donington Park and finish the season in style in September.