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David Brabham and his Sumo Power GT team-mate Jamie Campbell-Walters have finished fourth and set the fastest lap in the main race of the GT1 World Championship event at Paul Ricard circuit in France.
Brabham and Campbell-Walters recovered after a frustrating result in the qualifying race, where they started fourth and finished 10th.
The result was hampered by a first lap, first corner accident that Brabham successfully avoided, but lost him several places, then Campbell-Walters was given a pit-lane drive through and a post-race 30 second penalty for crossing over the blue-striped run off area.
The main championship race was a lot better for Sumo Power GT.
Starting from 11th on the grid, both Brabham and Campbell-Walters drove strongly, the team completed the fastest pit stop by any team over the race, they set the fastest lap of the race and just missed out on a second successive podium, finishing fourth.
Brabham, while disappointed with the penalties handed out during and after the first race, was delighted with the team’s recovery.
“It was a mixed round, but after a challenging qualifying race the Sumo Power GT team made a great recovery to score valuable points and a fourth place finish in the championship race,” said Brabham.
“Because of the penalties we started 11th for the championship race when we should have been starting in the top six.
“Starting that far back, it was always going to be tough to get on the podium, but we gave it a good shot.
“Jamie (Campbell-Walters) did a great job to put us in a very strong position.
“We had a cracking pit stop, one of the best of the year and the fastest in the field. We had a really quick driver change and the Sumo Power GT guys changed the wheels in impressive time.
“After the disappointment of the qualifying race we were delighted to finish a strong fourth and take some vital championship points – I was also pretty pleased to take the fastest lap.
“It was a great result and a magnificent effort by the entire Sumo Power GT team.”
Brabham, who will drive for IRWIN Racing at Phillip Island and Bathurst, and Campbell-Walters have jumped up one spot to seventh place in the GT1 Drivers Championship, 50 points adrift of the series leaders Lucas Luhr and Michael Krumm. Sumo Power GT is fifth in the Teams championship.
The GT1 World Championship resumes at Ordos International Circuit in China on September 3 and 4.
