British GT: Donington

Lamborghini Factory Driver Sandy, targeting Donington race win and British GT title boost with Black Bull and Barwell.

Sandy heads to Donington Park this weekend (May 25/26) bidding to repeat his 2023 British GT Championship success at the Leicestershire circuit. In the corresponding three-hour race last season, the 24-year-old from Forfar was the standout driver, topping qualifying and posting the fastest lap of the race on his way to a dominant victory. On the 38-car grid this weekend, Sandy will partner co-driver Alex Martin in their No 78 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2, prepared by Barwell Motorsport, and the duo are targeting their second race win of the season.

“It was great to win at the opening round at Oulton Park, but then frustrating to be taken out in the last round at Silverstone when we were on course for potentially another podium which would have increased our championship lead,” Sandy, personally-backed by Huntly-based Black Bull Scotch Whisky, Tunnocks, Alan Davie Transport, Upper Dysart and Results Gym, stated. “All season the #78 Lamborghini has been quick and having won the corresponding three-hour race last year, when the Barwell crew made some inspired strategic calls, we head to Donington knowing we’ll be fighting again at the front of the field.”

Despite the frustration of not scoring last time out, when the #78 was taken out by another car rejoining the circuit after an unscheduled off, Mitchell and Martin head to Donington lying third in the title race, just 13 points off second. One of the positives after the Silverstone disappointment is that while their title rivals will have to serve ‘success time penalties’ at the final pitstop this weekend, there are no such hurdles for Sandy’s’s car.

“That is one of the big benefits for this weekend,” the 2020 British GT champ continued. “We know if we can be fighting at the front of the field at the final pitstops, we’ll gain an additional time advantage over the cars that finished in the top three at Silverstone. For the championship, this final three-hour race of the season is important because again there’s 50% more championship points on offer: 37-and-a-half for the win against the normal 25. And with four rounds and five races remaining in the season after this weekend, the Donington result could well have a big impact on the championship. So we’re definitely targeting another win.”