Formula Renault UK champion Duncan Tappy enjoyed a successful debut in the Le Mans Series after helping the Rollcentre Racing team to a top ten finish at Monza.
Tappy got the call to join team owner Martin Short and Vanina Ickx in the car after Joao Barbosa was forced to miss the event due to a clashing commitment in Grand Am.
Tappy was given the role of qualifying the car despite a lack of running in the car ahead of the session, but he put the Pescarolo in 13th place in the LMP1 class on the grid.
Team-mate Ickx was given the job of starting the race and Tappy then took over after her double stint at the one hour 45 minute stage. He also raced a completed a double stint, experiencing his first ever race pit- stop and his first race in a car lasting longer than 25 minutes.
The pair put in lap after lap of solid times and were rewarded by a creditable seventh place to earn two points for the Rollcentre team.
"That was awesome!" Tappy reflected. "It was different to anything I've done before but I felt very at home. I think I adapted to the car very well and while the racing was different to anything I've done before it was the same principle of driving as fast as possible. The traffic was a bigger element here and that's where part of the skill comes in and it was great learning the new aspects that sportscar racing brings.
"Finishing in the points at such a historic circuit amongst such prestigious drivers was a great way to end my first sportscar racing experience. To be racing with and alongside ex-
F1 drivers such as Allan McNish, Oliver Panis, Pedro Lamy and Marc Gene has been incredible and an inspiration for what I hope is a long term career in motorsport. I hope more opportunities come along like this and I appreciate how fortunate I've been having the support of Martin and the BRDC Superstars programme."
Team owner Short was happy with how Tappy had performed on his debut in the car and said it was a performance that had shown he can do a job for sportscar teams.
