Wylie completes first Aston testposted in GT23 | 02 | 2014
SCOTS SPORTSCAR NEWCOMER Ross Wylie completed his maiden test in his brand new Aston Martin at Portimão in the Algarve (see more photographs of Ross Wylie in action in Portugal test).
The 22-year-old from Thornhill, near Dumfries — who will contest the GT4 class in this year's 10-race Avon Tyres British GT Championship — was delighted with his outing.
“The test went very well,” Wylie, who will be partnered by co-driver Jake Gittings throughout the season in their Beechdean Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT4, said.
“I’d had a few minutes driving the car for a systems check at Prodrive’s private test track near Warwick earlier this month, but this was the first serious test.
Related: Aston Martin reveals two special editions
“The Aston is a real pleasure to drive but completely different to the front-wheel-drive Sciroccos that I raced last year. The rear-wheel-drive Aston feels more natural to me, which I guess comes from my karting background.”
Further tests are planned early next month (Mar 5) before the opening two races at Oulton Park in Cheshire on Easter Monday (Apr 21).
Wylies preparations continue this weekend when he attends “Get Race Fit 2014”, an annual event at the Porsche Human Performance at Silverstone. He'll be in good company: former F1 winner, and now Porsche sportscar ace, Mark Webber, will be in attendance.
Activities will be made up of seminars, Q&A sessions, practical workshops and physical training.
Wylie also recently passed his Association of Racing Drivers Schools (ARDS) Instructors practical and theory examinations at Silverstone which now allows him to drive at “experience” days, corporate days and manufacturer days.
And in his hectic schedule, he was also guest of honour at the South of Scotland Car Club’s annual presentations staged at the Cairndale Hotel, Dumfries.
Related: Ross Wylie gets Aston Martin test dates
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Jim McGill
Photograph: Copyright Drew Gibson