G50: Chris Dittmann Silverstone summary

Dittmann on Pole Position at Silverstone

Tewkesbury based racer Chris Dittmann was again competing in the Michelin Gineta G50 Cup championship at Silverstone last weekend for Chris Dittmann Racing. The championship is on the support package for the prestigious Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Having had to a miss a couple of rounds Dittmann had not raced in anger since his podium finish at Oulton Park in June, so was eager to prove he still had the pace to compete at the front.

The weekend schedule saw the Ginetta G50 cars qualify on Saturday morning with a race later that day with the second race on Sunday morning.

Dittmann had a fantastic qualifying session, and set his first ever pole position lap on his 4th flying laps and took a calculated gamble to wait in the pits for the last 12minutes of the session. He set the fastest time when the tyres were at the optimum performance then came in to save the tyres for the races.

After qualifying Dittmann was ecstatic "I was really pleased to set a quick time so early in the session which allowed me to sit out the last part."

Bitter disappointment followed ahead of the start of round 18 though when Dittmann was forced to pit at the end of his lap out of the assembly area with a problem. Identified as a broken driveshaft, the cruel blow prevented the pole-man from taking his deserved place at the front of the grid.

Afterwards Dittmann and his CDR team were keen to prove a point in the 2nd race even though they were going to start plumb last in 18th place on the grid.

On Sunday morning the team's spirit was upbeat and Dittmann wanted to finish at least 6th to show to the spectators that he deserved to be racing at the front.

After picking up early places he then charged through the field and was helped by a safety car which was sent out so the car of series leader Frank Wrathall could be removed from a gravel trap. This meant after the re-start he could make up further places but this got steadily harder, on a track which is difficult to overtake on, but having got into 6th place he could see the 3rd place only a small distance ahead. He tried all he could to find a way past 5th place man Denis and finally made it on the last lap and final corner to take 5th place at the flag, setting the fastest lap during the race

Dittmann would like to thank his team sponsors for all their support during the weekend and hopes to out again at a later round.

-source: Chris Roberts