BGTC: Scuderia Ecosse Brands Hatch race notes

Brand Hatch, Kent -- 27 August 2006: The Scuderia Ecosse team leaves Brands Hatch tonight as double-winners and Championship-leaders after a fantastic weekend of racing at the famous Kent Circuit. Chris Niarchos and Tim Mullen took victory in both ...

Brand Hatch, Kent -- 27 August 2006: The Scuderia Ecosse team leaves Brands Hatch tonight as double-winners and Championship-leaders after a fantastic weekend of racing at the famous Kent Circuit. Chris Niarchos and Tim Mullen took victory in both races after a terrific scrap with the LNT Panoz, the team's main Championship challenger.

After winning the first race, Scuderia Ecosse started race two with a one-point lead in the Championship. Mullen took the start from third on the grid and set off in pursuit of the Panoz of Tom Kimber-Smith and the Mosler of Ian Flux. Kimber-Smith passed Flux and began to pull out a gap so it was vital for Mullen to get past too, and quickly. Once through he began to chase down the Panoz and was helped by the first Safety Car outing of the race. Just before the pit window opened Mullen passed the Panoz when Kimber-Smith ran wide at Westfield, allowing Mullen to pass him on the inside through Dingle Dell.

Mullen brought the Ferrari in from the lead to hand over to Niarchos and, after a perfect pit-stop, the Ferrari rejoined, puzzlingly behind the Panoz, so Niarchos had it all to do!

Niarchos did the job at Druids, squeezing through on the inside in a move tight enough to warrant a Steward's investigation but judged to be a classic racing move. With two more wins in the bag the team is looking forward to the next British GT round at Silverstone.

Chris Niarchos: "******* brilliant! What else is there to say? It's a great result for us and I thoroughly enjoyed the racing here at Brands Hatch, although I could have done without the steward's inquiries as they're not good for me! I'm delighted with the result!"

Tim Mullen: "It's fantastic that we leave Brands with two more wins, especially as I can dedicate them to my cousin*. I still think it's weird though that we've won nine out of 11 races but we're only two points ahead on the score sheet. The Championship is so tight that we can't afford any slip-ups, but then we don't intend to make any. Roll on Silverstone!"

Stewart Roden, Scuderia Ecosse Team Principal: "Tim did a great job today and I have to say that Chris was a star! His move on Luke Hines going into Druids was classic Brands Hatch racing and I was delighted to see him driving so well. We're all off to Chris' house in London now as he's throwing a party for us tonight!"

*Tim Mullen raced wearing a special rosette armband this weekend in memory of his cousin, Irish Three Day Event Champion, Sherelle Duke, who was killed whilst competing in an event in Southampton. He dedicated both wins to her.