The Grantham-based team stormed to the teams’ championship in the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup thanks to a campaign that featured no fewer than 18 race victories, while the team also wrapped up the drivers’ title in the G50 category after a flawless season where it’s championship-winning car was the class of the field.

In only its second season in the series, having stepped up from the Ginetta Challenge, the team also broke numerous lap records and finished the season as the team to beat with victory in three of the final five races of the year.

Three of the team’s four drivers during 2012 – Mark Davies, Andy Richardson and Louise Richardson – tasted victory champagne over the course of the season, while Giles Dawson made the most of the team’s extensive knowledge and expertise to run strongly at Silverstone in what was his first outing in a race car for some two years.

“Having been team manager and race engineer for the most successful Aston Martin GT4 campaign since the cars inception, I look for the same level of commitment and quality in a team when on the other side of the fence as a driver,” Giles said. “What Richardson Racing has proven to me over the past two seasons, both in my support of them and as a customer, is that they have these same qualities and their results reflect that fact. Racing with them is a pleasure and I look forward to continuing my support of the team through 2013.”

On the back of such an impressive campaign, hopes are now high of further success when the new season gets underway at the end of March, with the team working on putting together a new-look line-up for the 2013 campaign.

Discussions with drivers seeking to compete in the both the G55 and G50 classes of the British Touring Car Championship-support series are ongoing, with a number of racers having declared their interest in competing for the team that led the way throughout 2012.

“Last season was a fantastic one for the whole team and we were obviously delighted to win two championship titles,” team boss Gwyn Richardson says. “We were strong in both the G55 and G50 classes and are confident that we will be able to build on the success we enjoyed in 2012 during the season ahead.

“We are in discussions with several drivers who have shown an interest in racing with us this season and we are looking to run cars in both classes again this year. In the past few years, we have built a strong team both on and off track and have shown that we are more than capable of providing drivers with a car that will allow them to run right at the front of the field.

“As things stand, after two seasons in the Supercup, Andy is considering other options on offer in the TOCA paddock but, even if he elects to compete in another series, he will still be involved with the team and will work alongside our drivers to share the knowledge and experience he has gained behind the wheel of both the G50 and G55 in recent seasons.

“Everyone involved is excited about what the season ahead holds, and having finished 2012 as the team to beat, we are aiming to hit the ground running when 2013 gets underway and maintain our position at the front.”

While discussions are ongoing with prospective drivers, Richardson Racing are happy to speak to anyone looking to compete in the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup during the season ahead.

Drives are available in both classes in the championship, with further information available by contacting the team on info@richardsonracing.co.uk

Running two cars in the premier G55 class for the first time, the team went into the final meeting of the year looking to celebrate the championship titles it wrapped up in the penultimate meeting of the year, and did so with a dominant showing that left its rivals trailing behind.

On a weekend when he cemented a top four championship finish, Andrew Richardson produced one of the drives of the season to take second place in race two – despite starting from the back of the field and stalling at the start – while Huddersfield-based racer Mark Davies celebrated his first outing alongside Andrew in the G55 class with victory in both race one and race two.

Andrew went into the weekend with confidence on a high on the back of his maiden victory in the series in the previous event at Silverstone.

A challenging qualifying session saw him secure tenth on the grid for the opening race but he was soon on a move when the lights went out to climb to fourth place by just the third lap. However, power-steering pump failure would force him to retire to the pits and meant he was left at the back of the field for race two, which was held in wet conditions on Sunday morning.

A stall at the start left Andrew trailing behind at the rear of the pack before he launched into an inspired charge back through the field. Working his way up to fifth place, Andrew then made one of the moves of the season on the penultimate lap as he went round the outside of Jake Hill at Paddock Hill Bend and then repeated the move around the outside of title contenders Tom Sharp and Carl Breeze at Druids – making up three places in just two corners. Pulling away from the chasing pack, he crossed the line second behind Mark to give the team a 1-2 finish.

Running on old wet tyres for the third race, unlike many of his rivals who had switched to new rubber, Andrew then produced a solid drive to end his season with a fourth place finish that helped secure fourth spot in the championship standings.

“I’m really happy with how the weekend went, especially as I was feeling under the weather,” he said. “It’s a shame that I had to retire from race one as the car was really strong and I’d got myself onto the battle for the lead before the power steering went but that isn’t something we could control. However, race two was just phenomenal.

“When I stalled at the start, I could see them all just heading off to Paddock Hill ahead of me and didn’t expect to come back to second. The car was absolutely brilliant and me and Mark were similar on the lap times throughout. The move to get second is one I want to see again on TV as I can’t remember a lot about it, but to get a 1-2 for the team is fantastic.

“In race three, we were on used wets and could really have done with new tyres so fourth was a good result to end the season.”

Making the step up to the G55 class after wrapping up the G50 class crown at Silverstone, Mark was on the pace from the outset – despite the fact that the team had only taken delivery of his car from Ginetta on Thursday evening.

Mark’s first qualifying session with the car saw him stun the title contenders to take pole position and he then led from the front to secure a lights-to-flag victory in the opening ten lap race.

Starting on pole again for race two, Mark lost position on the opening lap to title contender Carl Breeze but reclaimed top spot with a fine move at Paddock Hill Bend on lap six. Once out front, Mark pulled away from the chasing pack to take a second victory of the weekend.

From sixth on the grid for race three, Mark’s hopes of another podium finish ended on lap one when he was forced onto the grass at Surtees and dropped well off the back of the field before a solid recovery saw him work his back up to tenth at the finish.

“It’s been a really good weekend,” he said. “I said before that it would be good to get into the top five, so to have two victories is fantastic. The team got the set-up on the car just right and we had no problems – apart from when I was put on the grass in race three.

“Taking pole and winning race one was great and then the battle with Carl in race two was also good. He seemed to be struggling for traction and I could carry more speed in the corner so when I had the chance to cut back inside him through Paddock, I made sure I took it.

“This season was a chance for me to deal with some unfinished business in the G50 class and it was good to win the title. From the moment I got in the car it was clear that the team knew what they were doing in terms of set-up and we had a great season. Winning in the G55 this weekend is a great way to bring it to an end and I’ve shown that we can be strong next year if we can put a deal together. I’d say this year has been one of the best I’ve had and this weekend has topped it off.”

The result in the second race made Richardson Racing the first team to take a 1-2 finish in the G55 class, ensuring it heads into the off-season on a high.

“The team has really proved a point this weekend to end the year strongly as we only took delivery of Mark’s car on Thursday and put a lot of work in to it to get the set-up right,” Andrew reflected. “Mark drove it brilliantly and to be the first team to get a 1-2 finish in the G55s has shown what we can do.

“As a team, we can now look forward to next year and building on the potential we’ve shown in 2012.”

The penultimate meeting of the year at Silverstone saw the team successfully wrap up two of the three championship titles on offer in the British Touring Car Championship support series, with the teams’ championship and G50 class crown both now secured.

On the back of his maiden victory last time out, Andrew Richardson heads into the season finale seeking to challenge for top honours once again in the premier G55 class.

After a difficult start to the season – when a series of issues out of the control of him or the team knocked him out of title contention – Andrew has firmly established himself as one of the true stars of the Ginetta series, with multiple podium finishes over the second half of the year.

With three races this weekend, Andrew will aim to maintain his impressive form to cement fourth spot in the championship standings and to ensure he heads into the off-season on a high.

“I’m really confident about the weekend ahead,” he said. “The Brands Hatch GP circuit is one I enjoy and where I have gone well in the past, and I’m confident we have a good set-up on the car that will allow me to fight at the front of the field.

“After a difficult start to the season, I think I was being a bit too cautious on track without realising it, but the podium I gained in the second race at Rockingham – where I came through the field from seventh to second – really helped me get my mojo back.

“The victory last time out at Silverstone has only increased my confidence and it’s been reflected in our pace, so hopefully I can end the season with another trip to the top of the podium.”

Having successfully wrapped up the G50 class crown with a 14th victory of the year at Silverstone, Hudderfield racer Mark Davies will now join Andrew in the G55 class for the final meeting of the year.

Thanks to the continued support of Cardowan Creameries of Glasgow, Mark will be at the wheel of a brand new car that will be delivered from the Ginetta factory in Leeds in time for the start of on-track action on Friday.

It means Mark’s first opportunity to sample the G55 will only come in pre-event testing, although he is confident of being able to run towards the front on his first weekend with the car.

“It was fantastic to wrap up the G50 title at Silverstone and I’m pleased to have the chance to race the G55 this weekend,” he said. “There are only two short sessions of testing on Friday so I have to try and get as much mileage as I can to learn as much as possible about the car and see how different it is to the G50. However, I have absolutely no doubt that the team will get the car set-up right as they have proven already with Andrew what they can do with the G55.

“It’s difficult to know what to expect from the weekend, but realistically I’d like to think that I can get into the top five. There are three races this weekend and hopefully by Sunday I’ll have got plenty of miles under my belt, be comfortable in the car and be able to really push.”

With Mark graduating into the G55, the team will not run its G50 class machines this weekend.

In the G55 class, Andrew Richardson produced one of the most impressive drives of the season to clinch his first overall win in the series, while a 14th G50 class success of the year helped Huddersfield racer Mark Davies to wrap up his championship title with three races to spare.

The combined results from the pair were also enough to give Richardson Racing an unassailable lead in the teams’ championship with the season finale at Brands Hatch still to come.

Andrew went into the weekend seeking to build on another solid performance on track at Rockingham a fortnight earlier, and things started well when he stormed to pole position in a tightly-fought qualifying session.

Holding the lead through the opening lap, Andrew was knocked back to second place by Jake Hill on lap two and then followed his rival through to lap eleven, when he made his move for the lead. Having already broken the lap record, Andrew then produced a series of storming laps to pull away at the front and had the luxury of being able to ease off towards the finish as he clinched his maiden Supercup victory.

From pole again in race two, Andrew was beaten into turn one by Carl Breeze but ran in a comfortable second place behind the championship hopeful before a forceful move from Tom Sharp at Brooklands damaged his car. With Hill also able to squeeze through, Andrew slipped back to fourth spot before he launched a charge back towards the top three. Once again setting the fastest lap of the race, Andrew closed back onto the tail of the top three but pressure from Tom Ingram behind meant he was unable to make a move for position and crossed the line fourth.

“It’s been a good weekend and I’m pleased to have got my first win,” he said. “I said before we got to Silverstone that we needed to get a victory to show our pace and it’s great that we were able to do it.

“Having taken pole, broken the lap record and set the fastest lap in both races, I think we proved a point this weekend although I am a bit disappointed that I wasn’t able to at least finish on the podium in race two as well. The car was quick but the tracking was knocked out when Tom hit me as he got ahead, and the splitter was also damaged, so we had to settle for fourth.

“However, as a team we have wrapped up the teams’ championship with a round to go, and that is a fantastic achievement. Hopefully we can celebrate in style at Brands Hatch.”

For Mark, the focus at Silverstone was very much on wrapping up the championship title which he did in fine style with another impressive performance in the G50 class.

Qualifying on class pole, the Fastsigns Huddersfield owner dominated proceedings in the opening race to clinch his 14th win of the season, coming home more than seven seconds clear of his closest challenger and breaking the G50 class lap record.

That victory took Mark even closer to the G50 title, which he knew he could secure in the second race of the weekend. From pole, Mark again led from start-to-finish, although a five second penalty handed out by race stewards for running wide at Copse meant he was demoted to second in the results.

Second was still more than enough to give Mark the championship crown and the Cardowan Creameries-backed driver will now hope to celebrate the title with a move into the G55 class at Brands Hatch for the final rounds of the year.

“I really wanted to try and wrap the championship up this weekend and hopefully I can now get into a G55 for the final round of the season and fight at the front,” he said. “We had a good run in the first race to take another win and that made things a lot easier for race two as I knew that I only really needed to finish to become champion.

“It was a bit frustrating to get the penalty in race two and I didn’t see it, but in the end it didn’t matter and I got the points that I needed to lift the title.

“Coming into the season, my aim was to win the championship and from the first practice session at Brands Hatch, I knew the car was up to the job. The team has worked well all season, and whenever they have suggested making a change to the car and have said what it will do, it’s done exactly what they said – and that hasn’t always been the case with other teams in the past. At this level, they are one of the best teams I’ve been with.”

For the Silverstone meeting, Mark was joined in the G50 class by Giles Dawson, the managing director of Aero Tec Laboratories (ATL) who was making his first appearance on a race track for two years.

Qualifying fourth in class and 15th overall, Giles finished fifth in the G50 class and 15th overall in both races around the National circuit layout and could now elect to extend his deal with the team to include the season finale at Brands Hatch.

“I knew coming into the weekend that it was going to take time to get my eye in again, but I got there in the end,” he said. “I hoped I might be able to get a podium finish and I think I just needed some more time in the car to really push and fight for a stronger result.

“At the moment, the deal was just for Silverstone but when it comes to Brands Hatch, who knows? Watch this space…”

Andrew Richardson will seek to maintain his fine form in the second half of the season in the G55 class, while in the G50 class, the team can also secure championship honours this weekend with Huddersfield racer Mark Davies.

Andrew makes the trip to Silverstone on the back of a fine weekend at Rockingham last time out, where he took to the podium in both races.

It allowed Andrew to continue his impressive run of results since the season resumed after its traditional summer break, with title-chasing Carl Breeze being the only driver to have scored more points than the 21-year-old over the last three meetings.

Despite his impressive form and a number of podium finishes, Andrew has yet to secure his breakthrough victory but he heads to Silverstone confident of adding a first place finish to his resume.

“Last year I went well at Silverstone in the G50 class, and I tested the G50 there on the media day earlier in the year and broke the lap record, so I’m feeling confident,” he said. “Hopefully we can have a dry test on Friday to perfect the set-up on the car as some of our rivals have already been out testing, but I’m confident that we’ll be on the pace straight away.

“The fact that we have scored so well since the summer break shows how consistent we have been in the races, but it is important that we now take a victory to show how good we are as a team. I really want to get a win and it is certainly doable this weekend.”

In the G50 class, a 13th victory of the season at Rockingham has allowed Mark to move closer to the championship crown, which he can now secure if results go his way at Silverstone.

Mark has plenty of experience of competing at Silverstone and made his return to G50 competition in the corresponding event last year, leaving him confident about his chances.

“I’ve done plenty of laps around Silverstone and have also driven there in the G50 before quite a few times, which is going to help me this weekend,” the Fastsigns Huddersfield owner said. “I really want to try and get the title wrapped up this weekend but my approach isn’t going to change. Hopefully we can have some dry running in the test on Friday and make sure the car is set up perfectly for the weekend and then we can try and clinch the title with some wins.

“I do think it’s going to be close though, given that we are only racing on the short national circuit. We might even be able to mix it with the G55s a bit, so I think it will be an interesting weekend.”

Silverstone will also see the Richardson Racing crew back up to a three-car team, with Giles Dawson, managing director of Aero Tec Laboratories Ltd (ATL) taking to the track in the team’s second G50.

It will mark his first outing in a race-car since taking part in the corresponding event back in 2010, when he drove the Ginetta Guest car in what was then the Ginetta G50 Cup.

Giles will drive the car that has previously been raced by Louise Richardson, who has turned her focus towards the 2013 season after sponsorship issues curtailed her 2012 campaign.

“We’ve been supporting Andy throughout the year as he is clearly an under-funded talent who is capable of going on to bigger things, and the chance to get back in a car has come through that,” he said. “Sadly, Louise has been unable to take part in the last few races due to sponsorship issues and the opportunity was there to drive the car and take part in one of my rare race outings. The frustration of not being on track got the better of me!

“I’ve not been in a car since Silverstone 2010 and haven’t done a full season of racing since 2009, so I’m a bit rusty, but hopefully we can have a good test on Friday to shake off the cobwebs a bit. Looking at the times the team did on the media day earlier in the year, it would be nice if I could get onto the G50 podium but we have to see how it goes.”

Further information on sponsorship opportunities with the Richardson Racing team are available by e-mailing info@richardsonracing.co.uk

In what will be something of a home meeting for the team, Andrew will seek to build on an impressive run of form in recent events which has seen him vault up the championship standings to lie fourth in the G55 class.

Andrew heads to Rockingham, where he secured a double podium last season in the G50 class, on the back of top three finishes at both Snetterton and Knockhill since racing resumed after the summer break.

With confidence on a high, the 21-year-old will now hope to secure his breakthrough victory to once again showcase his talents in the highly-competitive battle at the head of the field.

“I’m looking forward to Rockingham a lot,” he said. “Knockhill last time out was different to any other circuit on the calendar and it took us a bit of time to dial the car in but Rockingham is a more standard track and we found a good set-up at Snetterton that should mean we are right up to speed as soon as we hit the track.

“We’ve been able to build some momentum with our performances since Croft before the summer break, and I want to add to the podium finishes from the last two meetings.

“The aim is to qualify strongly and get ourselves up near the front of the grid. If we can do that, then I think there is no reason why I can’t challenge for a victory.”

In the G50 class, Hudderfield-racer Mark Davies will hope to continue his charge towards the championship title as he looks to return to form after a difficult end to his weekend at Knockhill last month.

A heavy accident at the start of the final race, where he was unsighted when a car ahead failed to move when the lights went out, left his car nursing substantial damage, although Mark was able to escape from the incident without injury.

Hard work from the Richardson Racing team, and a new sponsorship deal with Cardowan Creameries for the final three rounds of the season, has ensured that he is able to take his place on the grid at Rockingham as he looks to add to an impressive tally of twelve victories, which has seen him build a 115 point lead in the standings.

“Rockingham is probably my favourite circuit on the calendar and I’m looking forward to the weekend,” he said. “I love the high-speed run round the oval as you head to turn two and then I enjoy the technical bits on the infield as well – there is a lot of time to be gained there if you can get it all right. I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel and I’ve already put the accident at Knockhill firmly behind me.

“It’s great to have support from Cardowan Creameries again and it has played a big part in getting the car repaired after the accident in Scotland. I have to say thank you to them for coming onboard again and also to the team for getting the car fixed after the accident.

“They’ve given me a good car all season and I’m sure they will do again this weekend so we can continue the work we’ve been doing and fight for more victories.”

Further information on sponsorship opportunities with the Richardson Racing team are available by e-mailing info@richardsonracing.co.uk

Buoyed by an impressive showing at Snetterton earlier in the month – where he clinched two top three finishes and broke the lap record – Andrew continued his charge up the G55 standings with a fourth podium of the year, which came on the same day he turned 21. There was also further success for the team in the G50 class with a double victory for Mark Davies helping him maintain his points lead.

After a difficult start to the season – where a series of issues not of his or the team’s doing had knocked him out of championship contention – Andrew went into the weekend eager to maintain a strong run of recent form that had seen him rocket up the G55 standings in the previous two rounds.

Qualifying sixth, Andrew was then faced with an extra challenge for race one when rain arrived at the circuit prior to the start. Making light of the conditions, Andrew made up one place on the opening lap before battling ahead of Hunter Abbott on lap four. Having lost time behind Abbott, Andrew found himself nearly four seconds away from the podium places but set about closing the gap with a series of impressively quick lap times.

Heading into the final lap, Andrew had closed right up to third-placed Nathan Freke and as the pair went into the final corner, Andrew made his move – diving up the inside and then beating Freke in a race to the line to secure his place on the podium by just 0.040secs.

The second race on Sunday morning started with Andrew aiming to repeat his podium result, but his hopes of a top three finish were ended on the opening lap when contact from rival Jake Hill left him with a damaged right rear wheel and knocked the tracking on his car out of alignment.

Dropping to sixth when the contact took place, Andrew battled on with his ill-handling car and was rewarded with sixth place, still setting a best lap time just three-tenths of a second away from the fastest lap despite the damage sustained.

The final race saw Andrew start from sixth and he avoided being caught up in a start-line accident that caused the race to be red-flagged.

When the race was then restarted after a delay, Andrew made up places to fourth on the opening lap and then held his position all the way to the flag, matching the pace of the leaders and battling throughout with Hill to pick up his third top six result of the weekend.

Andrew has now moved up another position to sit fourth in the championship standings ahead of the next two rounds of the season at Rockingham next month.

“Knockhill is a unique circuit when it comes to getting the car set-up right and the team did a great job,” Andrew, who turned 21 on Saturday, said. “When the weekend started, we were probably about half a second off the pace as we hadn’t been here before, but by the end of it, we were right on the pace and one of the quickest cars out there.

“Although I hoped to qualify higher, we had a strong car in the wet for Saturday’s race and it was also strong in the dry on Sunday. We really got it dialled in and we seemed to get stronger as each race went on.

“Race one was really good and I proved how good the car was to catch up with the top three and I was pleased to make the move on Nathan stick to get on the podium. Race two was frustrating as the contact didn’t need to happen but we’ve come away from the weekend with three top six finishes and have moved up to fourth in the standings, which is another indication of our pace.”

In the G50 class, Huddersfield-racer Davies was left to fly the flag alone for the Richardson Racing squad after sponsorship issues again sidelined Louise Richardson for the weekend.

Qualifying on class pole in eleventh place overall, Mark continued his recent run of dominant wins to take the G50 victory for the eleventh time – leading from start-to-finish, posting the quickest lap and also finishing ahead of three of the more powerful G55 machines.

Another comfortable victory followed in race two to further strengthen his championship lead but the weekend would end in disappointing fashion when he was forced to retire from the final race of the weekend – marking his first DNF of the campaign.

Although he got away well when the lights went out, Mark was unsighted when the G55 of Tom Ingram failed to move at the start. Despite jumping on the brakes and trying to take avoiding action when the driver in front suddenly swerved to avoid Ingram’s stricken car, Mark was unable to stop himself slamming into the rear of the stationary machine, putting both out on the spot and leaving his G50 extensively damaged.

Despite that, he was able to climb from the car uninjured and will now aim to return to winning ways at Rockingham to increase his 115 point championship advantage.

“The car was really strong in the first two races despite the different conditions and we were comfortable out front,” he said. “I think it would have been the same in race three if it hadn’t been for the accident at the start and we could have taken all three wins again.

“At the start, I had no idea that Tom hadn’t moved and suddenly the car in front of me swerved and I had nowhere to go. I jumped on the brakes but it was too late and I couldn’t avoid him. It was a big hit but I’m feeling okay.”

The team will be competing at the venue for the first time in the GT Supercup having missed the corresponding event last year, with Andrew Richardson therefore also competing at the venue in the series for the first time.

Andrew heads for Knockhill buoyed by a strong showing at Snetterton, where he broke the lap record in the premier G55 class and also secured two podium finishes – including a career best second in race three.

While he hasn’t competed at Knockhill in the GT Supercup before, he did race at the Scottish circuit back in 2009 in the Ginetta Challenge and will hope to build on his results at Snetterton to challenge for a first win.

“I’ve only been to Knockhill once and that was a few years ago,” Andrew, who will celebrate his 21st birthday during the race weekend, said, “but the fact that the lap is so short means I should be able to get plenty of laps in and quickly get back into the groove again. Hopefully we’ll get some dry running in testing as some of the other drivers managed to get out on track in the dry on Wednesday, although the forecast for the weekend is mixed.

“After a quick circuit like Snetterton, it’s nice to go to somewhere like Knockhill as it provides variation on the calendar. I’m going there in confident mood and I definitely feel that podiums and a win are possible this weekend. That is what I am aiming for and I have high hopes on the back of my results last time out.”

In the G50 class, Huddersfield racer Mark Davies will aim to take another step towards the championship title, having extended his title lead to more than 120 points with a triple win at Snetterton in the first meeting after the summer break.

Mark has tasted victory at Knockhill in the past having taken to the top step of the podium during his title-winning Ginetta Challenge campaign back in 2009, while he also has experience of the circuit in his current machine having raced there in the Ginetta G50 Cup in 2010.

“When I raced at Knockhill back in 2010 I showed good pace even if I didn’t get the results,” the Fastsigns Huddersfield and Overfinch-backed driver said. “However, I’ve learned a lot since then and we’ve shown strong speed all season so I’m confident of another strong weekend.

“Knockhill is a nice circuit that is also quite challenging, but with the pace we have shown this year, I think it should be good for us.”

Unfortunately for the team, Mark will run alone in the G50 class with Louise Richardson unable to make the trip to Scotland due to ongoing sponsorship issues that also forced her to miss two rounds prior to the summer break.

The team will continue to work hard to secure the budget to get Louise back on track for the following event at Rockingham next month.

The team secured no fewer than six podium finishes, with two coming in the G55 class and a further four in the G50 class – including a stunning triple win. There was also lap-record breaking pace in both classes as the team showed its speed throughout the weekend.

In the premier G55 class, Andrew Richardson qualified in a solid fourth place and finished the opening race of the weekend in fifth, having lost a place on the opening lap when his tracking was knocked out of alignment after hitting a kerb.

Maintaining his position at the start of race two, Andrew made up one position when Tom Ingram retired with engine failure and then battled ahead of points leader Tom Sharp to secure a place on the podium in third – only missing out on challenging for victory when he briefly went off the road having caught the top two on track. However, in a display of his pace, Andrew broke the lap record with a stunning lap two-tenths of a second quicker than any of his rivals could manage.

Third on the grid for the final race, Andrew got ahead of Carl Breeze on the opening lap but looked like being forced to settle for second place as Sharp built an advantage in the early laps.

However, Andrew stormed back into contention with a series of stunning qualifying-like laps that saw him close right onto the tail of the leader despite being almost three seconds behind at one stage.

Giving his all on the final lap, Andrew made one last attempt to take the lead at the hairpin before ultimately settling for second place, although that still marked his best result to date in the series.

Andrew now sits joint sixth in the championship but is just ten points away from fifth place.

“In hindsight I could probably have made the move on Tom stick in the final race but it would have taken a rough move and that isn’t how I’d want to take the place,” he said. “I was happy with second place as we’ve shown our pace already this season and haven’t got the results we deserved. However, this weekend, we’ve shown what we are capable of and have picked up three good finishes.

“We had a solid weekend at Croft before the summer break and at Snetterton, we have just got quicker and quicker all weekend. The fact we haven’t had any of the problems we had earlier in the year has meant we could focus on improving the car and now we need to keep the momentum going and try and fight for our first victory.

“Finally, I’ve got to thank the team for the work they have put in all season, and feel like I’ve rewarded them somewhat for the effort that has gone into the programme this year as they had to deal with a lot of problems that weren’t anything to do with them in the opening half of the year. I’ve also got to thank the sponsors who have stood by me during a difficult spell earlier in the year and hopefully these results will help attract new backers for the remainder of the season and beyond.”

In the G50 class, Huddersfield racer Mark Davies continued his dominant campaign to further extend his already healthy championship lead to more than 120 points.

Having qualified on class pole by more than a second, Mark was on top form in the three races as he led each from start to finish – also picking up three overall top ten finishes in the process.

Winning races one and two by nearly ten seconds, Mark ended the final race of the weekend more than 15 seconds ahead of his closest rival and also picked up a hat-trick of fastest laps from the weekend – including his own lap record.

“I thought it would be a bit closer than it was this weekend but its been perfect with pole, three wins and three fastest laps,” he said. “I’ve not done anything differently behind the wheel but the car was really strong and we had more pace than the rest of the G50 field.

“We made some changes to the car for the final race and it was even better than in the first two races and we also made a good choice on how to manage the tyres like we did at Croft. It paid off brilliantly.”

Mark was partnered once again in the G50 class by Louise Richardson, who rejoined the grid after missing the rounds at Oulton Park and Croft following sponsorship issues.

Despite her lack of recent track time and that fact that she was forced to complete the entire race weekend on old tyres, Louise qualified third in class for the opening race of the weekend although she lost places on the opening lap to slip to fifth in class and 16th overall. From there, she fought her way back to finish 13th overall and fourth in class, just three-tenths of a second away from the podium places.

Going one better in race two, Louise secured her fifth podium finish of the season in third place and went into the final race hoping to at least repeat the feat, only to suffer a spin on lap one while avoiding an incident ahead.

Despite that dropping her to the rear of the field, impressive pace for the remainder of the race saw her climb back to fourth at the finish as she again finished just three-tenths of a second away from a place in the top three.

“It’s been a difficult weekend for me,” she said. “I was a bit rusty in the opening race, although I could have been on the podium without a mistake at Williams when I went off and lost places early on. Race two was much better and we got onto the podium but race three didn’t go to plan at all. On the opening lap I had Tom Ingram alongside me and I’m not sure if there was some contact or whether I just got onto the dirt from cars spinning ahead, but I suffered a spin myself and dropped right to the back.

“From there, I just had to try and get as high as possible and I did my best to get third on the final lap but Reece [Somerfield] was just fast enough in the right places to stop me getting onto the podium. Hopefully we can now get something sorted so I can be out at Knockhill.”

The resumption of racing after the summer break will give Andrew the opportunity to challenge for his first victory of the season at a venue where he took to the top step of the podium last year, with Andrew seeking to make further progress in a career that has seen him face battles both on and off the circuit.

As with most aspiring racers, Andrew’s career started in karting as he set out on a journey that he hopes will take him to the pinnacle of the sport.

“When I was little I wanted to be a racing driver after watching F1, and I started karting having watched my dad doing it,” he says. “I was only eleven and at the time, I just wanted to give it a go. I really enjoyed the experience and wanted to do more.

“I’d probably been karting for about two years and suddenly something just clicked into place. I started to get a lot quicker and became hopeful that I could turn something I enjoyed doing into more of a career.”

Throughout his time in karting, Andrew enjoyed success at various levels but even at an early stage in his career, the huge differences in budgets between different teams throughout the paddock was apparent.

“When I was karting, we would turn up with the van and we would have one engine for the kart and one set of tyres,” he said. “Others would arrive with multiple engines and multiple sets of tyres because they had much bigger budgets than us. That made it tough, but we just made the most of what we had.

“It’s always nice to get a victory but maybe it meant a bit more to me because we didn’t have the big budget of others and had worked hard to get our results. We were rewarded for our efforts and when I was able to win, I came away from the track delighted.”

Heading into the 2009 season, Andrew’s career took a new direction as he took the step into car competition for the first time with an entry into the Ginetta Challenge.

Running on the same package as British F3 and British GT, Andrew took on the challenge of competing against a bumper field of drivers in identical Ginetta G20s.

Again being run from the back of a van by father Gwyn, Andrew took seventh in the championship in his debut campaign before firmly establishing himself as a title contender in his second season – finishing second in the standings having taken twelve podiums, including three wins, from 15 starts.

“Initially I hadn’t been thinking about moving into cars as we thought it would be too expensive,” he said. “However, when we looked at the Ginetta Challenge, we realised that the costs weren’t actually as high as we thought they would be.

“At first, it wasn’t easy as we had some set-up issues that we had to deal with but then things started to come together. I was able to get more out of the car and the results started to come. Coming from karting, I had been used to winning races so it was difficult at first when I wasn’t fighting for victories but you have to be realistic with your expectations. As a racing driver, you aren’t happy unless you are winning, but I knew that car racing was different to karts and the results soon came.”

Having established himself as a Challenge front-runner, it was only logical that Andrew’s next step would be onto the next rung of the Ginetta ladder as he switched to the BTCC-supporting Ginetta GT Supercup for 2011 – joining forces with younger sister Louise in a two-car family run team in the G50 class.

Showing his pace from the outset, Andrew was a contender from the start as he set a lap record at Brands Hatch during the opening meeting of the season and also picked up the first of four victories.

In total, Andrew stood on the podium no fewer than twelve times although a run of misfortune in the early stages of the year prevented him from fighting for the championship title.

“The step into the G50 wasn’t actually that big for me,” he said. “Going back to slick tyres rather than the road tyres we had used in the Challenge was good as I felt more at home with those, and I picked things up quite quickly – as I showed by winning at Brands Hatch and breaking the G50 lap record first time out.

“Unfortunately we had some bad luck through the first half of the year and picked up a few DNFs and that meant I wasn’t able to fight for the title but twelve podiums with four wins – and that lap record – showed what I could do. With a bit more luck, things could have been different in the standings.”

What the move into the Supercup did achieve in the first season however was a huge boost to Andrew’s profile, giving the increased attention on the British Touring Car Championship package both trackside and on television.

“My profile certainly went up from competing in the Supercup as the BTCC package has a lot more exposure,” he said. “The Ginetta Challenge gets noticed by people in the industry but the Supercup has more public following because it is with the touring cars and that means there is more exposure for me as a driver and also for my sponsors.

“The fact that there are bigger crowds and live TV in the Supercup is also more satisfying as a driver because you can make a good move on track or pick up a strong result and a lot of people have seen it. In the Challenge, you could make a fantastic overtaking move and no-one would see it – they’d only hear what you’d told them about it.”

Having moved up into the premier G55 class this season, Andrew’s aim was to challenge for the outright championship title although further early season misfortune means his focus for the remainder of the season is now on trying to win as many races as possible as opposed to fighting for the crown.

“We moved into the G55 this year as there was a sponsor who was prepared to help us make the step up,” he says. “However, it’s been a frustrating season so far as we’ve suffered a number of retirements that weren’t down to anything we have done. I certainly didn’t think I’d be going into the second half of the year where I am in the championship and I guess my season will really start at Snetterton.

“So far this year I’ve qualified on the front row of the grid in both the wet and the dry, I’ve set fastest laps and I’ve been on the podium so I’ve shown I am quick but our pace isn’t reflected by the amount of points we have scored. I’m not in a position to think about the championship now so my focus is on getting as many wins as I can in the remaining rounds and picking up some strong results for the team to earn them the respect that the deserve for the job they do.”

A strong end to the year would go a long way towards setting Andrew up for the 2013 season, with the Nottingham University student focused on trying to work his way right to the top of the sport.

“As with many young drivers, my ultimate dream would be to one day compete in Formula One,” he says. “However, I have to just see what happens in the future and where I end up. It isn’t easy or cheap to make it all the way to F1 but I enjoy racing regardless of where it is and my aim is to compete at the highest level possible in the future and gain respect for my achievements on track.”

Andrew’s rise up the motorsport ladder hasn’t been without its challenges away from the circuit however, with the 20-year-old having been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in late 2010.

Having been able to show he can control his diabetes, Andrew has been able to keep his career on track although it understandably creates additional challenges that his rivals don’t face.

“Before I was first diagnosed with diabetes I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me as I found myself drinking 15 litres of fluid every day and I was losing weight, so I thought I better go to the doctor to get checked out,” he says. “I’m able to control my diabetes through insulin injections but it does affect things like my training, as I have to make sure I plan ahead and ensure my sugar levels are up before I exercise.

“In terms of my actual race routine, things haven’t changed too much. I have to make sure that I do my bloods before a race but I try to make sure that I don’t eat too close to the start of a race because I don’t want it to affect my bloods when I am in the car.”

With diabetes playing a major part in his day-to-day life, Andrew now hopes to use his motorsport career to help other people who have to deal with the illness and show it shouldn’t be a barrier to success.

“As I work my way up the motorsport ladder and get to a higher level, hopefully I’ll gain more support from people who also suffer from diabetes,” he says. “If I can get their respect with my racing on track and keep moving forwards with my career, then hopefully I can show them that having diabetes shouldn’t hold you back and prevent you from doing anything.

“To be a real role model, you need to be in the public eye and hopefully I’ll achieve that in my career. As I’ve said, I hope to compete at the highest level possible in the future and who knows, one day I could be the first driver with Type 1 to compete in F1.”