Fortec Motorsports began its 2024 GB3 Championship season with good signs of pace on a tricky weekend at Oulton Park which challenged both team and drivers with changeable weather conditions.
Lining up for the team this year were returnee Ed Pearson who was joined by GB4 graduate Colin Queen. In qualifying on Saturday morning, Ed put in a lap to run seventh in the first half of the 20-minute session, before finishing up 14th quickest, while Colin dug deep and put in a time good enough for the top ten.
The American had a great start to the first race of the season, climbing up to eighth in the first few corners, while Ed made his way up to 12th, before the Safety Car was called. When racing resumed with ten minutes remaining, overtaking was at a premium across the field, with both drivers crossing the line without any further gains.
Race two, on Monday morning, started behind the Safety Car due to the wet weather conditions settling around the circuit, going green on lap two. Colin and Ed drove sensibly with limited visibility before the Safety Car was called again as a car went off track.
Restarting with just under eight minutes to run, Colin was caught up in an incident coming to the line, causing his retirement, and on the penultimate lap, sadly Ed went off at the Hislops chicane, getting stuck on the wet grass and ending his contest.
The track was still wet with visibility at a premium for race three, where Colin had a tough opening lap, dropping to tenth, though Ed was up to 13th, both then gaining a place as a car ahead retired. The Safety Car was called to recover that machine, and on the restart, Colin put pressure on McKenzy Cresswell for eighth, while Ed similarly was challenging Noah Ping, though both would hold station at the flag.
With both drivers knowing where improvements can be made and driving sensible and mature contests in difficult weather conditions, there is plenty to look forwards to for the next races of the season, which take place at Silverstone over the weekend of April 27/28.
Colin Queen, #62
Race 1: Start – 10, Finish – 8
Race 2: Start – 11, Finish – DNF
Race 3: Start – 6, Finish – 9
Championship: 14 (20 points)
“It’s been a good start to the championship. Qualifying was a good effort – there was still a bit more time on the table, but I think with the cards I dealt myself I had a good race. I picked off two on the start and it’s not really a passing track, so I got my head down, did some good laps, and brought it home P8.
“Monday was about trying to keep the car on track, and it was the worst rain racing I’ve experienced in my life. I could barely see any corners aside from the chicanes, but it shows the grid is really good this year because everyone kept it on track and was quick. In race two, people went for the restart then braked, so I couldn’t do anything.
“I had a bad start to race three, but it’s my debut weekend and I have learned a lot, which I am now ready to apply for Silverstone. I know the pace was there and I am happy with myself, I just need a bit more seat time in the car.”
Ed Pearson, #41
Race 1: Start – 14, Finish – 12
Race 2: Start – 16, Finish – DNF
Race 3: Start – 14, Finish –12
Championship: 15 (15 points)
“I struggled in qualifying as I could have been top five, but I should have come in for left side tyres and didn’t, so that won’t happen again. Race one I did the best I could and got up to 12th and had better pace, but it was almost impossible to overtake. In race two I was sitting P10 and looking solid, but I had an incident where a driver came across me in the braking zone and hit me, so that put me out of the race.
“In race three we made progress, but the conditions were quite dangerous out there and it was about staying on track, but it shows how good the field is that people kept it clean. Looking ahead to Silverstone we can be a lot better than we were at Oulton and we have a lot of pace that people don’t know about yet.”
