Team RPM pairing Bradley Ellis and Alex Mortimer endured a difficult weekend at
Snetterton as the British GT field completed its first two-hour race of the season at the Norfolk venue.
Despite showing an impressive turn of pace in the Dodge Viper, the duo had to console themselves with a tenth place finish at the end of the event – a result that should have been much better in a race of attrition where only twelve cars were still running at the finish.
The pair had qualified in sixth place for the two hour race, but a differential and drive shaft failure in Sunday practice left the team on the back foot. Then, with the car repaired, Ellis suffered a puncture on his out lap to the grid and was forced to pit for a replacement. After starting from the pitlane, Ellis then suffered a severe loss of power on the first lap and was again forced back to the Team RPM garage, losing a lap as the team fixed the issue – the Viper returning to the track down in 21st place.
Having almost unlapped himself, an apparent electrical fault after 40 minutes on the Viper but Ellis had climbed up to tenth before being called in for his mandatory pitstop. However, on his in lap the electrical problem got worse and the car switched off on the entrance to the pitlane – leaving Ellis with no choice but to push the Viper down the entire length of the Snetterton pitlane, to deliver the car safely to the Team RPM garage.
The car refused to restart as Mortimer took the wheel and a faulty ECU was diagnosed, replaced with a spare, and Mortimer joined the race five laps down.
Although matching Ellis' blistering pace, he had little chance of finishing in a points paying position and he eventually finished the race in tenth place.
“It's been quite an unbelievable day! Alex and I were on top form this weekend but it just didn't happen for us,” Ellis said. “Snetterton doesn't seem to be our luckiest track, as the same happened last year when we were quick in practice and qualifying but it all went wrong in the race.
