Brabham Takes Chequered Flag On Racing Debut

Brabham Automotive enjoyed a successful debut on the racetrack with a pole position and a victory in Race 1 at the Britcar Endurance Championship season finale at Brands Hatch, in the United Kingdom. Drivers David Brabham and Will Powell set the pace early and stormed home to take a 20-second win on the Indy circuit at one of the UK’s most revered tracks.

The campaign got off on the right foot with David Brabham setting a fastest lap of 46.674 during qualifying, nearly two seconds ahead of the next placed competitor. Tyre selection proved critical during qualifying, with Will Powell setting a fastest lap on wet weather tyres before switching to slicks prior to David Brabham’s drive on the advice of Goodyear specialists on hand at the event. A new fastest lap was the result, securing pole position in the BT62’s first qualifying period.

That advantage eroded, however, with the race run in very difficult conditions on a cold night in late autumn with steady rain. Will Powell led the way early with a fastest lap on Lap 3, and held the lead until lap 18 of the hour-long race. The lead changed several times through the middle of the race as both the weather and mandatory pit stops influenced proceedings, with David Brabham starting his drive in fifth position. David went on to produce a masterclass in wet-weather consistency and speed, eventually taking the BT62 to the chequered flag after one hour of racing.

It was an auspicious debut for the BT62 Competition Spec, which was restricted to just 60% throttle in order to balance the car’s performance against the rest of the field.

Commenting after the race win, David Brabham said:

“To come here and get our first race win is phenomenal. My Dad won here in 1966, in a Brabham, so for me to come here and win in a Brabham is a very emotional moment for me. In terms of the journey that Brabham Automotive has been on to this point, it’s quite incredible.”

Co-driver, Will Powell:

“We had our fair share of things to deal with, in terms of the conditions. We all came together as a team, though, and I’m both super-appreciative for the opportunity and very grateful to the team, who worked so hard to make sure the car was ready. It was great to be a part of this moment in the company’s history, to drive the BT62 on its racing debut and bring it back in so that David could go out and do his thing – win races.”

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Race 2 of the program is on tomorrow night (Sunday 10 November) at 1625 GMT. It is a two-hour race that will further test the debutante BT62 and Brabham Motorsport’s fledgling race team.

Images

Qualifying

Race 1 ‘Into the Night’