Wylie bags class win on returnposted in OTHER13 | 07 | 2020

    SCOTS RACER ROSS Wylie roared back to race action in stunning style after an enforced nine-month lay-off by claiming two overall podiums, which included a class win and class runners-up placing. (Related: Wylie to contest Porsche Carrera Cup GB)

    The 28-year-old from Thornhill near Dumfries is bidding for a second outright and third Dunlop Endurance Championship class title. The Scotsman now leads this year’s compacted series overall, delayed due to the Coronavirus epidemic, which finally got underway at Croft.

    Wylie is racing with Paul Bailey this season and had been due to compete with the latter’s new Brabham BT62, but reverted to Bailey’s 2019 title-winning SB Race Engineering Ferrari 488 at Croft. Bailey began both 50-minute, multi-class races with Wylie taking over driver duties by mid-distance, setting the fastest race lap in both around the 2.13-mile North Yorkshire circuit he had only raced at once before eight years ago.

    Ross-Wylie-Ferrari-1.jpg

    “It was fantastic to actually get racing again and Croft turned out to be a good weekend in getting my championship title assault underway with a good points haul,” Wylie said. “My last race was October last year, but my previous Dunlop Endurance race was 13 months ago! (Related: Wylie has a blast in McNish's Le Mans-winning Porsche)

    “Paul did a great job in both races to allow me to ultimately record good results for the team on my début with them. Croft is a fast, unforgiving track and one I’d only previously raced at once before, a Celtic Speed Mini Cooper Cup race in which I finished fifth, which was my first year of car racing coming out of karts.”

    Wylie next gets behind the wheel of his MacConnal-Mason Gallery-supported Porsche 911 GT3 (pictured below) for a test at Oulton Park later this week. He is contesting a full 16-race Porsche Carrera Cup GB season with In2Racing, the Warwickshire-based team in which Wylie scored four top-five placings in the final four races of last year’s series.

    Ross-Wylie-Porsche-1.jpg

    The 2014 British GT4 Champion finished third in the 2017 Porsche Carrera Cup GB “Rookie” title race, the same year Ross won the Britcar Endurance Championship outright after 10 overall podiums including four wins. Wylie tested the 170mph Porsche at Donington Park before recording 115-laps in the last test at Silverstone earlier this month.

    “We’re making good progress with the Porsche in testing too,” Wylie continued. “After Donington Park, I tested at Silverstone and had my driver-coach Ben Barker along. He finished second in the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup GB and is currently racing a Porsche in the FIA World Endurance Championship. He’s proving to be a big help to me.”

    Related: Wylie returns to Porsche action

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    Jim McGill

     

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