LE MANS 24 HOUR RACE LM P2 CHAMPION TINCKNELL NOW FOCUSES ON ACHIEVING MORE ELMS SUCCESS
Sidmouth's Harry Tincknell heads for the third round of the European Le Mans Series at the Red Bull Ring in Austria this weekend (19-20th July) on a crest of a wave and full of confidence.
Since winning the last ELMS race at Imola two months ago (18 May), the Exeter-born driver scored a brilliant LM P2 class victory an amazing fifth overall in the Le Mans 24 Hours last month (14-15 June).
Tincknell is joined by Simon Dolan and Filipe Albuquerque for the four-hour Austrian race in JOTA Sport Zytek.
The Kent-based JOTA team has started both 2014 ELMS races from 'pole', Tincknell and Albuquerque securing the fastest times at Silverstone and Imola respectively.
Tincknell/Dolan/Albuquerque and JOTA Sport start the Austrian race second in the Driver's and Teams standings eight points off the lead. A grid of 36-cars, including 10 LM P2 sportscars, is expected to contest the four-hour race on Sunday that starts at 1pm (BST).
Harry Tincknell (GB). Age: 22. Born: Exeter, Devon. Lives: Sidmouth, Devon (GB):
"The Red Bull Ring is a high speed track requiring high down force that will suit our Zytek very well. It should be another strong track for us and so we need to take advantage of this fact.
"I have only raced there once before, in Formula Three, last season. I was really fast but had a problem in qualifying and was only 10th but came through to fourth in the race with some nice overtaking moves.
"It's a great track for racing on as there are some really good overtaking places and should be easier to manage the traffic than the tight confines like Imola.
"I'm certainly on a big high from Le Mans and these four hour races that I thought were so long coming from F3 are now going to feel very short after a 24 hour race!
"It's vital we refocus for the task. Despite our non-score at Silverstone, we are only eight points behind the leaders with 78 still available so there is everything to play for.
"After Silverstone, our title aspirations took a dent as there are only five rounds so we lost 20% of our points straight away. We went to Imola knowing we had to get pole and we had to win to have any chance. We did that and with the results elsewhere going in our favour puts us right back in the hunt.
"We will attack the Red Bull Ring race in the same way as Imola. We'll be gunning for the extra point for pole to keep our 100% record going and hunting down another race win a podium is our minimum target. The way the team and driver squad is performing, we should be able to produce another strong performance."
