Mitchell cruelly denied Spa24H podium 31 | 07 | 2022

    SCOTS ENDURANCE RACER Sandy Mitchell stormed to a dazzling pole position in the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa Gold Cup on the demanding Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. But the 22-year-old from Forfar missed out on a fifth successive podium after a rare mechanical failure on his Lamborghini. (Related: Mitchell bags Spa24H Gold Cup pole position)

    Mitchell though — partnered by England’s Alex MacDowall and Sam De Haan, plus Oman racer Ahmad Al Harthy in the No77 Lamborghini Huracan Evo GT3, prepared by Barwell Motorsport — was far from downhearted after the retirement.

    “Everyone in the Barwell team, and all the drivers, put in a stellar performance this week both in the build-up to, and throughout the 24-hour race,” Mitchell, a Lamborghini factory driver and member of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, stated. (Related: Mitchell storms to Spa24H podium)

    “We showed again just what a fast package we have and it’s just unfortunate that for the first time in five years the car suffered an unknown mechanical failure. But we’ll be back again next year ready to fight for the win.”

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    The Scot, who won his class in 2019 and 2020, in addition to finishing second on his debut in 2018 and third in Pro-Am last year, started the 24H race from pole in Gold Cup and 29th overall on the 66-car grid, acknowledged as the biggest GT3 race in the world. (Related: Mitchell re-writes British GT record books at Spa)

    Thirty-two minutes into the race Mitchell, the 2020 British GT champ, had moved up to 24th overall, while extending his advantage over the other Gold Cup cars. But his progress was halted when he suffered the first of the car’s three punctures in the race.

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    “We don’t know specifically what caused them, but this year a lot of cars in the field suffered a number of punctures throughout the race,” Mitchell, personally backed by Huntly-based Black Bull Scotch Whisky, explained.

    The initial puncture dropped the car to last overall, but throughout Saturday evening and the darkness of Sunday morning, Mitchell and his three team-mates hauled themselves back up through the field with a series of scintillating stints.

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    “We all knew we could get ourselves back into Gold Cup contention, and ideally the top 20 overall, and we all just battered away clawing time back to the cars in front. It really was a massive commitment by everyone in the team,” he continued. (Related: Scot Sandy Mitchell wins 2020 British GT Championship)

    But with just over nine hours of the race remaining, and having battled back to fourth in class and closing in on the third-placed car, the team was unfortunately forced to retire the car.

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    “Of course it was hugely disappointing after all the effort everyone had put in, but sometimes motorsport just deals you a hand like that,” Mitchell reflected. “It was one of these situations which was completely out of our control and there was nothing we could do. But we’ll come back next year ready to win.”

    Mitchell is back in action for the penultimate round of the British GT Championship at Brands Hatch on September 10/11.

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    Related: Mitchell named Lamborghini factory driver

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    Jim McGill

    Photographs copyright of FotoSpeedy

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