Emotional win for Ecurie Ecosseposted in GT09 | 04 | 2012
SCOTLAND'S MOST FAMOUS motorsport team, Ecurie Ecosse, started its bid to lift the British GT Championship with an historic win in the opening round at Oulton Park.
The Edinburgh team's drivers, Alasdair McCaig and Oliver Bryant, powered their BMW Z4 GT3 to a dramatic 7.096secs victory ahead of the Ferrari 458 of Hector Lester and Allan Simonsen.
It was the first win for Ecurie Ecosse, which famously won the Le Mans 24-Hours in 1956 and '57, since the late David Leslie won a British Touring Car Championship race for the team in 1993.
In torrential rain, McCaig started today's opening race from third on the 25-car grid before easing into second place on lap four of the scheduled 32.
After handing over to Bryant at the mid-point of the 60-minute race, the Ecurie Ecosse car hounded the Audi R8 LMS of leaders, Charles Bateman and Matt Bell.
But as the cars entered the final lap, the Audi slowed dramatically after appearing to run out of fuel. That opened the door for emotional celebrations in the Ecurie Ecosse garage.
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"It's a fantastic way to start the season," team owner Hugh McCaig admitted after watching the John Clark Motor Group-backed car take the chequered flag at the Cheshire circuit.
"Ok, I admit we were perhaps lucky to take the win, but Oli and Alasdair were very competitive right through the race.
"Considering that's the first race for the team and our new car, I think perhaps we deserved that little bit of luck.
"It's a fantastic way to start he season, and a brilliant boost for everyone associated with Ecurie Ecosse."
In the day's second race, the team had to content themselves with 10th.
"We had a handling issue right through the race," McCaig continued. "I think it was something to do with the new set of 'wet' tyres we fitted to the front of the car.
"Both drivers struggled with a lack of grip for the whole race, but at the end of the day we'll happily leave with a win and a bucket load of championship points."
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Jim McGill