The event officials decided that the race would be started under safety car conditions to provide an opportunity for drivers to assess the most suitable racing line when the action got underway. After 2 laps of Safety car conditions, the lights were out and the Ginetta Electric G50 Safety car pulled off to allow the competitive action to begin. Murray, keen to ensure he brought as many championships away from the weekend as possible got a good start to stay with race leader Charlie Robertson. With significant spray from the race leader Robertson, Niall in his Douglas Motorsport Ginetta G40 was driving very well to stay with race leader Robertson. As the race progressed, Niall had managed to find a good rhythm and was lapping very consistently but up in front race leader Robertson was showing small signs that he was struggling in the conditions. Niall put in a valiant effort towards the end of the race to try and reel in the leader but in these ultra slippy conditions it proved a challenging task and as the chequered flag dropped Niall crossed the line a superb 2nd and with it, a fantastic haul of championship points to close the gap to new championship leader Charlie Robertson.

Speaking after the race, Niall commented on a challenging weekend, “Race 1 proved difficult as I got a poor start off the line, but quickly I managed to work my way back up to 2nd which was brilliant as the tyres were pretty much ruined by the half way point of the race. Race 2 must have been very boring for the fans to watch on TV but for the first few laps I could see nothing with the spray. As the race progressed I got into a good rhythm to ensure I stayed on the track and retained a healthy championship points finish. Coming into the weekend I was over 20 points off the championship lead so its fantastic to come away with the gap closed right up.”

Niall’s next event in the Ginetta Junior Championship will be at Oulton Park on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th of June.

Gary Thompson will continue his rise through the motor racing ranks next week when he tests a Formula Nippon car for the first time at Fuji International Speedway.

The 19-year-old Dubliner, who has spent the past two seasons contesting the competitive Japanese Formula 3 Championship, will sample his first taste of the powerful single-seater next Monday and Tuesday (November 28/29) at the series’ end of season group test. Gary will again represent the SGC by KCMG team, for whom he took his maiden F3 victory and five additional podiums this season, including a pair of rostrum finishes at the Fuji circuit.

Acknowledged as Asia’s premier racing series, Formula Nippon has seen star names such as Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine pass through its ranks on their way to the peak of grand prix racing and continues to act as a key proving ground for Formula One. The current field is as formidable as ever with a host of world class competitors, including former F1 racers and Le Mans 24 Hours winners, amongst them.

The category’s Swift FN09 chassis is powered by a 3.4-litre Toyota V8 powerplant and is comparable in performance with modern day Formula One equipment, capable of lapping Japanese Grand Prix venue Suzuka at similar pace.

Gary already has experience of powerful racing machinery having performed several runs in a Formula One two-seater. Most recently the Irishman shook down the Yas F1x2 in Abu Dhabi before handing over the controls to grand prix stars Felipe Massa, Karun Chandhok and Martin Brundle.

Gary Thompson: “I’m delighted to be getting my first run in a Formula Nippon car. It’s the pinnacle of Japanese motorsport and certainly where I see myself racing in the next few years.

“I’d particularly like to thank Toyota, KCMG and SG Changi for giving me the opportunity to test at Fuji. Their continuing support has been invaluable and I hope to repay them by doing a solid, professional job.

“Whilst we’re not looking to move up to Nippon as early as next year this will nevertheless be a fantastic learning experience and an important step in my development. The aim is to race in the series in 2013 and to make that transition as seamless as possible we’ll need to get the maximum mileage in the car that we can. I’m sure beginning that preparation now will pay dividends in the long run.”

Testing the top-end Nippon car will represent another significant progression in Thompson’s climb towards motorsport’s higher echelons. Having taken his breakthrough Japanese F3 win in 2011 the test reaffirms his status as Ireland’s most promising international racing talent.

Follow Gary Thompson on:
Web: www.garythompsonracing.com
Twitter: @GThompsonRacing
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GaryThompsonRacing

This was the best qualifying of the season so far for Scuderia Ferrari, which means Fernando Alonso will start the Canadian Grand Prix from the front row with Felipe Massa in third place. So far, the two 150º Italias have been in the top four in every session of this Canadian weekend and the aim is to continue in that vein tomorrow.
Stefano Domenicali: “For the first time this year we managed to fight for the very top places on the grid, right down to the final second and, for once, the gap to pole position is reasonable. It’s our best qualifying of the season and it’s great to have both cars on the front two rows, one of them with a clear view of the track ahead: this result is encouraging, because it means that our efforts are taking us in the right direction. Definitely, at the moment, our car is better suited to the characteristics of the “Gilles Villeneuve” circuit than it is to the one at Montmelò, but it’s no coincidence that we have been competitive right from the start of the weekend. Now however, we must concentrate on preparing for a race that looks like being very unpredictable. Historically, Canada produces an action packed Grand Prix, with the Safety Car usually required on track and lots of overtaking opportunities: if you add to this scenario the unknown factor concerning the weather, then it’s clear why tomorrow’s 70 laps will seem very, very long for everyone.”
Fernando Alonso: “It’s been a long time – since Singapore 2010 in fact – that I was last on the front row and I am pleased that Felipe is also right up close to me on the starting grid. It means the whole team has worked well, at the track and back home on trying to improve our car performance. It was important to show we can be competitive and we managed it. In Q3, we had some doubts about strategy – whether it would be better to do just a single lap at the start and then three or split the runs equally – but it’s hard to say which would really have been the best choice. Clearly, on a track like this, where aerodynamic downforce is not as important as elsewhere, our deficiencies are a bit masked but it’s equally true that the updates we brought here worked as we had expected and that’s important for the rest of the championship, because we want to be fighting for the top places. It could rain tomorrow, which would make the race even more chaotic than usual: we must be ready to make the most of any opportunity. We will try to put the Red Bulls under pressure, right from the start, but we know McLaren will also be very strong, especially as their rear wing is possibly better adapted to the conditions in the case of a wet track.”
Felipe Massa: “It’s been a great weekend so far: we have always been competitive and finally we will be able to start from a good grid position. Tomorrow, the weather could be different and therefore we must be ready to tackle any eventuality. I have been happy with the way the car is handling right from yesterday and I am very confident for the race. The team is working well and we really hope we can put an end to this run of negative results. The fact the gap to the Red Bull is smaller here is encouraging, also for the future. We know that at this track, the race is very difficult, but also, from what we have seen so far, our car is more competitive in the race than in qualifying. I expect McLaren will be very strong tomorrow as will be the Red Bulls obviously. A podium would be a great result, fighting for the win would be even better. What will happen if it rains? That’s a good question, because this year we have never had a real opportunity to run in the wet. On top of that, at this track, the slightest slip up carries a very high price, therefore it’s important to be very careful.”
Pat Fry: “We are pleased with this result, the best since the championship began. The credit for that goes to everyone: the drivers who did not make any driving errors on an unforgiving track, the team that prepared the cars with great care and everyone at Maranello who worked with alacrity to make up the performance gap that separates us from the best. However, we have yet to bring home any points from this Grand Prix, so we must stay completely focussed on preparations for tomorrow’s race, which will be long and unpredictable. The rain could play a part and we will have to be ready to react in the right way to any eventuality. On behalf of the whole team, my thoughts go out to Marco Oliva, one of our mechanics who was injured during a pit stop today: these things can happen in our sport and we hope Marco gets better very soon.”

Sunday 10th April – Timetable – 2
Time Class Session
7:45am Formula Vee Scrutiny & Sign on
8:30am ITCC Scrutiny & Sign on
9:00am Strykers & Globals Scrutiny & Sign on
9:15am Fiats Scrutiny & Sign on
9:30am Formula Libre Scrutiny & Sign on
Time Class Session Duration
09:00 Formula Vee Qualifying 15 mins
09:20 ITCC (A) Qualifying 15 mins
09:40 ITCC (B) & Fiats Qualifying 15 mins
10:00 Strykers Qualifying 15 mins
10:20 Globals Qualifying 15 mins
10:40 Formula Libre Qualifying 15 mins
Time Class Session Duration
11:00 ITCC (B) & Fiats Race 1 12 mins
11:25 Strykers Race 1 12 mins
11:50 ITCC (A) Race 1 12 mins
12:15 Globals Race 1 12 mins
12:40 Formula Libre Race 1 12 mins
Lunch
2:15pm ITCC (B) & Fiats Race 2 15 mins
2:40pm Formula Vee Race 15 mins
3:05pm Strykers Race 2 15 mins
3:30pm ITCC (A) Race 2 15 mins
3:55pm Globals Race 2 15 mins
4:20pm Formula Libre Race 2 15 mins