22.09.2003 TMC STRENGTHEN THEIR CHAMPIONSHIP POSITION AS BOTH CARS MAKE THE PODIUM AT OSCHERSLEBEN
Like so many this year, this weekend marked the first visit of TMC to the modern Oschersleben circuit near Magdeburg, Germany. Therefore, to secure second and third in class is an excellent achievement for such a young team (the company was formed less than two years ago and 2003 marks the team’s first attempt at the FIA N/GT title).
Both cars ran reliably throughout the race and the team took advantage of a carefully planned fuel stop and driver change strategy. This enabled both cars to pit just once during the race as opposed to the majority of the team’s competitors.
Kelvin Burt: “I was a little worried about oversteer yesterday and so the team made a few changes this morning. It was a slight gamble that didn’t really pay off as the car was understeering a little too much in the race. It was very hot in the car as well and combined with the amount of traffic, the race itself was busy, to say the least.”
Jamie Davies: “This is a great result for the team as well as for my Championship hopes. The car ran really well with my biggest problem being a broken drinks bottle! I also lost car-to-pit radio towards the end of the race and not being able to talk or listen to my crew meant that I wasn’t aware of what was happening at the front with the safety car. Still, I had a great fight with one of the Porsches and won the battle to finish second so yes, I’m happy.”
Tim Mullen: “I had a really good stint to be honest. Kelvin did a great job in his session and then handed the car over to me in good shape. I just wanted to get my head down and go as quickly as possible. Traffic and dust and dirt on track were a bit of a problem but I managed to make up time towards the end.”
Darren Turner: “I’m reasonably pleased. I’d have liked Jamie and I to win of course, but a solid second and third here is great news for the team. All of the guys are upbeat and it’s a pleasure to see the elation whenever we stand on the podium like this.”
“We were expecting this race to work well for us,” said Rod Benoist, TMC’s Team Manager. “The team worked hard all weekend to address small points of detail that made all of the difference. Our performance here is a great testimony to the skill of our engineering team although as usual, every member played his part. Our race strategy was good, our pit stops were well timed and actioned without drama and the drivers did the rest. From tomorrow morning, the team will commence work on preparing for Estoril in two weeks time. Our Championship position has been strengthened, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
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