GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup

Sandy battled through a tough outing in the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup three-hour race at the Nurburgring.

The 25-year-old from Forfar was again partnered by fellow Lamborghini factory drivers, Italian Marco Mapelli and Frenchman Franck Perera in the No163 Lamborghini Huracan EVO2 GT3 prepared by top Italian team Vincenzo Sospiri Racing. After demanding qualifying runs for each driver, punctured by rain, red flags and track limits lap deletions — during which Mitchell was the fastest Lamborghini driver in his session —  the #163 Lamborghini started from row 16 of the record 61-car grid.

Sandy looked on as team-mate Perera made-up eight places in the opening laps at the 3.16-mile GP layout at the German track which sits deep in the Eifel Mountains. The Frenchman brought the car into the pits after his opening 60-minute stint in 20th place to hand over to the Scot. During his stint Sandy, personally backed by Tunnocks and Dama Fortuna Tequila, quickly moved the car up to 16th, coming to within a second of the Krognes BMW in 15th.
Having handed the #163 Lambo to Mapelli, the race was neutralised by a second Full Course Yellow period. This allowed cars previously overtaken by Sandy to leap ahead of Mapelli as they pitted under FCY conditions taking advantage of the cars on-track running at a slower speed. Despite this, the Italian eventually brought the car home in 15th place overall, 13th in class.

“It wasn’t the outcome we’d been hoping or aiming for,” Sandy stated afterwards. “For various reasons qualifying didn’t work in our favour and we were left with a lot to do in the race. Fighting back from our starting position of 31st on the grid to finish 15th overall shows the true pace we have in the car. Our fastest lap times were quicker than many of the cars that ultimately finished ahead of us. But again things just didn’t fall in our favour, despite all the hard work the guys in the team, plus Marko and Franck, put into the weekend.”

Former British GT champ Sandy returns to action in Valencia on September 19/21 for the final round of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup.