Brands Hatch delivered a thrilling weekend of high-speed action, filled with both highs and lows for the Rosland Gold drivers, with twists and turns at every corner.
The rain-soaked qualifying session was a true test of skill, and James Kellett showed his mettle by clinching pole position with a blistering lap, edging out the competition by a razor-thin margin of just 1/1000th of a second. Meanwhile, Rosland Gold teammate Gus Burton faced some challenges during the session, but managed to secure a solid P4 on the grid.
Race day proved to be a rollercoaster of emotions, as fortunes rose and fell with each passing lap. James was P1 on the inside, with teammate Gus Burton P4 on the outside of the track. James made a sluggish start, losing ground to his rivals with Gus following the P3 car past James, who by now was at full throttle just as the corner turned and Paddock Hill dropped away. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse when, locking up, James skidded into Gus causing him to exit the track into the gravel and tyre wall on the first corner, forcing him to retire. Gus finished the race in disappointment, while James continued on and secured a respectable P4 finish. Despite early frustrations, the team rallied and got teammate Gus’s car back in shape for Race 2.
As the 4-ball had been drawn for reverse grid positions, James was back in pole position for Race 2, and this time he made the most of it with a strong start. Despite soon relinquishing the lead to the faster De Haan, he stayed in P2 until the finish. There was also a very early safety car due to a car breaking down on the track, so half a dozen laps saw the caravan of Porsche 992 GT3 Cup cars continue until the car was cleared. The safety car went in and the race was back on. James held his nerve and finished the race in P1 after a safety car penalty demoted De Haan to P3. Teammate Gus had a rough outing in this second race, starting behind the last pro – in 16th place. Things got worse for Gus – under the early safety car he got a puncture in his right front tyre and it proceeded to lose pressure for the rest of the race – finishing the race with just 0.4 bar pressure in that tyre. Battling a punctured tyre that made it difficult for him to navigate the track, he put in a valiant effort and managed to climb up the ranks to finish in P11. A truly excellent drive under the ciurcumstances for James’s teammate, Gus Burton.
James Kellett at Brands Hatch