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Absolute
team boss drafted into
GT squad for Silverstone
for 24 hours
Local racing driver Chris Hodgen
was called up to the factory
Mosler GT team Eclipse Motorsport
last weekend for the 2nd running
of the Britcar 24 hour race
on the demanding and historic
Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone.
Chris got the call last Wednesday
and joined Celebrity Love Island
and ex Boyzone star, Shane Lynch
in the 4-man team.
Chris said "It was quite bizarre
as I got the call from team
boss John Griffith while on
a family holiday in France and
we were actually at Le Mans
having a look round when he
called to ask if I would test
for the team. I would have loved
to have but I couldn't get back
in time. I didn't think anything
of it after that until last
Wednesday when John called back
and said they would like me
in the car for the race. I called
my sponsor Gulf Oil and we did
a deal and within 12 hours of
the phone call I was sat in
the car at Silverstone for the
first day of the race.
Chris acclimatised well to the
200+ mph super car by setting
the fastest time in the team
as they worked towards the start
of the race at 5pm on Saturday.
Interest in the team was high
with a celebrity driver in the
line up but it didn't seem to
hinder the drivers as Eclipse
Motorsport lead by 4 laps after
the first 8 hours. Things changed
at 2am in the morning when driver
Phil Keen brought the car into
the pits with a sub axel failure
which took 40 minutes to fix
and in doing so lost the lead
to the works Red Bull BMW that
was being driven by a number
of ex F1 and Le Mans winners.
After the disappointment of
losing the lead all the Eclipse
drivers did double stints of
3 hours each to gain back some
lost time and with 23 hours
completed in the race the team
had got back to 5th place overall
and 1st in class having dropped
to 18th out 62 at one point,
but 24 hour races are a test
of endurance and luck and Eclipse
didn't seem to be having any
luck as the car was back in
the pits with just 40 minutes
to go with a gearbox problem.
This was traced to a faulty
sensor and was changed, but
the search cost the team 30
minutes. The crowd cheered as
the number 2 Mosler of Eclipse
Motorsport fired up with 10
minutes left to be able to finish
the race in 10th place overall
and 2nd in class.
There are many occasions when
people say "what if" but Eclipse
were genuine contenders at Silverstone
last weekend and both drivers
and team personal worked miracles
to get the car to the finish
in the most prestigious endurance
race in the UK.
Chris said after
the finish "After such a blinding
start we hoped for at least
a podium but it was not to be.
The team have been amazing as
most have not even gone to bed
since Friday so all credit to
them"
Eclipse have been very
impressed with Chris and have
offered him a drive in the car
for the last round of the British
GT Championship also at Silverstone
alongside Shane Lynch again.
"It all boils down to sponsorship,
if I can get a backer for the
event then I will drive but
unless a sponsor comes forward
then it will not be possible.
I am sure there are sponsors
out there that want to meet
Shane Lynch!!! The team also
has a great hospitality unit
and all races have loads of
TV coverage"
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