Coming from a disappointing weekend at the home circuit of his team Douglas Motorsport, Andrew Watson was keen to make another visit to the Ginetta Junior podium as he approached Silverstone, the penultimate weekend in the 2012 Ginetta Junior Championship. Having already visited the podium this season on three previous occasions, there is no doubting that the young Northern Irish driver has the pace to run at the front.
Indeed Watson got off to a fine start in free practice going fastest in Friday afternoon’s second free practice session but more importantly he was consistently right on the pace of the field through out all the sessions.
Lining up fifth on the grid for Saturday afternoon’s race one, Watson got a superb start off the line and by lap two was now up to third just behind Harry Woodhead. Andrew, who had clearly gotten to grips with the Northamptonshire circuit was certainly not going to settle for third and quickly found a way past to move into second. Up ahead, race leader Charlie Robertson had now opened a comfortable margin but a determined Watson got his head down to chase him down. By lap twelve Andrew was now breathing down his neck and crossing the line on the penultimate lap Watson was now leading. Over the next lap Andrew controlled his lead in his Donnelly Group sponsored Ginetta G40 and crossed the line a very worthy and deserving race winner for the first time this season. To compliment his race win, Andrew had also set the fastest lap of the race and with it beating the previous lap record for the class around Silverstone’s National Circuit.
Now full of confidence having taken a race win in the weekend’s opening race, Andrew was hoping to repeat his performance in Sunday afternoon’s race two. Starting sixth on the grid, Watson got another fantastic start off the line making up two places to move into fourth at the end of lap one. Andrew was starting to prove that his win was no fluke and he was easily capable of a repeat performance as he set his sights on making his way further up the order. With Robertson and then Palmer making mistakes while in the lead up ahead, Watson was now running second with team mate and championship front runner Niall Murray breathing down his neck in third. However Andrew was more concerned about getting ahead of Spanish Rookie driver Pepe Massot to move into the lead. On lap six Murray found a way past to move into second but Watson remained close at all times and capitalised on a mistake from Murray at Maggotts to move back into second. With the action now really starting to heat up the final lap of the race was shaping up to be one of the most exciting so far this season. Leaving Maggotts
corner there was now a five way battle for the lead with Massot, Watson, Murray, Palmer and Fielding all packed together on the run down to Brooklands. Exiting the corner, Massot and Watson were now side by side with Murray in tow. On the run to the chequered flag however it was Massot who just managed to stretch out ahead to take the win with Andrew Watson taking his second podium finish of the weekend in second followed in dramatic style across the line by teammate Niall Murray as he and William Palmer came together crossing the finish line spinning off into the gravel after the flag.
Speaking about the weekend, a naturally delighted Andrew spoke about the buzz you get from winning your first race, “I’m absolutely delighted to have taken my first win in the championship here at Silverstone. I raced here last year so coming into the weekend I was pretty confidant that I could be on the lead pace. No matter how hard you try though there is no way of describing the buzz and feeling you get from winning especially in such a competitive championship as this one is! Today’s race was really enjoyable especially at the end! It was so close but luckily it ended up a reasonably clean finish for most of us after being in such a tight pack! I have to say a huge word of thanks to my sponsors Donnelly Group, my parents who have been a great support this year and of course my team Douglas Motorsport who have been fantastic all season. Lets hope it will be more of the same in Brands Hatch in two weeks!”
Andrew now moves into the top five in the championship with a real chance of taking fourth if he can emulate the success of his Silverstone showing going to the final weekend in Brands Hatch for rounds 19 & 20 of the 2012 Ginetta Junior Championship on Saturday 20th & Sunday
21st October.