It’s make or break time for Dublin-based driver

IT’S make or break time for Irish racing driver Andrew Watson after his third place podium finish in the Ginetta GT SuperCup.

The nineteen-year-old Douglas Motorsport driver recently battled his way through three races at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk, to end the contest in third place in the table.

Watson, who is living at Grand Canal Dock, is a student of Sociology and Economics at Trinity College Dublin.

He qualified in second place, but was later handed a penalty for exceeding track limits, which left him in fourth place going into race one.

Watson, who was named a Rising Star by the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), was handed a drive through penalty in the early stages of race one for a false start, which left him down in 10th.

Unbeknown to spectators, Watson had suffered a broken clutch in the warm up lap prior to the race, which left him with little choice but to hold tight and complete the race.

But the young driver, whose sponsors include Woking Shopping Centre, Westland, Donnelly Group and Adoreboard, some how found a way to move up into ninth position, where he finished the race.

“We had the pace to fight for wins this weekend but it just didn’t work out that way,

? he said.

“We were unlucky with the clutch in race one and it was disappointing to finish the race that way.

?

Overnight repair work to replace the broken clutch on Watson’s car was needed in order to give him the best possible chance on day two at Snetterton.

Race one on Sunday saw Watson get off to an impressive start, gaining two places in the first lap alone. A hard fought battle ensued and Watson finished the race in sixth.

A reverse grid then left Watson in P7 where he began what was easily the driver’s strongest race of the weekend. Demonstrating an impressive level of tenacity, Watson moved through the grid up into fourth place.

Meanwhile, an ambitious overtake attempt saw championship leader Charlie Robertson, who had been up in second place, run off the track, losing his position.

This, in turn, allowed Watson to move up to third place, where he ended the race, providing him with a much-needed podium finish to safeguard his overall championship third position.

Reflecting on the weekend, Watson said:

“We fought hard for the podium in the last race. I really did enjoy that last race.

“It’s make or break time in the championship now, and we can still win it. There are no doubts there. We qualified on pole last year in Knockhill in our first year so we will be fighting for wins there in a couple of weeks.

?

Watson will be back in action at Knockhill circuit in Scotland on August 24 and 25.