Geddie switches to Ferrari for Daytonaposted in MSPOR21 | 01 | 2011
ABERDEEN SPORTSCAR ace Glynn Geddie jets out to Florida today to contest the biggest race of his career so far, America's Blue Riband endurance race, the Daytona 24-Hours.
The 20-year-old Scot, who has shone in his two seasons contesting the Porsche Carrera Cup in the UK, will swap his Apex Tubulars-backed Porsche 911 for a Ferrari F430 Grand Am run by Bennett Racing. Geddie has already impressed the team with a solid performance in testing and is now eager to climb back into the car to start preparations for next weekend's (Jan 29/30) race.
"It was an amazing experience driving on the track during my test trip, as it's the one destination most drivers always strive to reach," Geddie, who is hoping an impressive performance in the race could open doors in the States, explained today. "I was in awe of the place when I first arrived because of the history and tradition associated with the circuit.
"The banking is extremely steep but it doesn't seem so severe when you are whizzing round at real speed. I was originally meant to be testing in a Porsche, only to end up with Bennett Racing and it was a real thrill to get to grips with the Ferrari.
"I'm now feeling confident about returning to the track for the real thing and it's going to be on a par with when I raced at Monaco in the Porsche Supercup back in 2009.
"I benefitted a lot from the testing session earlier this month, especially as I don't have an awful lot of Ferrari experience. I've completed a qualifying session in a F430 before in the Dutch Supercar Challenge at Spa, but that wasn't in a Grand Am model with the added specifications.
"After a few laps at Daytona I felt quite comfortable behind the wheel and it is not only important I familiarised myself with the car and track but the different American racing rules.
"I just can't wait to get back over there where hopefully I'll get my 2011 season off to a really good start." And Geddie's ability to jump in a new car and immediately deliver race-like pace impressed team owner Skip Bennett.
"The entire team were impressed with how quickly Glynn got to grips with a car he's never even driven, and on a circuit he's never been to before," the Bennett Racing Team owner admitted.
"Daytona can be daunting at first for those that have never attempted it, especially with the level of competition as it is. But Glynn's times were still dropping significantly at the end of the testing, and I believe he's only just starting to show the racing community what he's truly capable of.
"We're looking forward to building a programme around Glynn and we're aiming to be right up there at the end of a gruelling 24 hours of intense competition."
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Jim McGill