Barwell Motorsport successfully overcame a host of challenges during last weekend’s CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa to secure a top-10 finish in the world’s biggest GT race, taking home some valuable championship points in the process.
The #76 Wing Venture Capital/Collard Group/BAM Motorsport Management/Lady Luck Irish Whiskey-backed Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 was a constant in the top 10 across a full day’s racing, with Bijoy Garg, Adam Ali and Rob and Ricky Collard fighting hard to see the chequered flag in 10th place.
The 24 Hours of Spa represents the most gruelling event in global GT3 racing, with a 75-car field assembled for the 77th running of the twice-around-the-clock event. Add in the fact that Barwell’s crew would be competing in the race’s second-largest category – the Bronze class’s 18-car entry bettered only by the factory Pro division – and the challenge ahead was significant.
The Barwell crew set about preparing for the race weekend in typically determined fashion. After taking part in the traditional Parade on Wednesday – driving the race-prepared #76 across public roads and into the centre of Spa town for a mammoth public display that attracted tens of thousands of fans – track action began in earnest on Thursday with Practice, Pre-Qualifying and Qualifying.
After honing the Huracan to Spa’s fast sweeps, Pro driver Ricky Collard put on a show in Qualifying. On what was his first competitive appearance of the season, the reigning British GT champion lit up the timing screens in Q1, putting the #76 a stunning second overall in the times, which would stand as the highest finish for a Huracan across all the individual qualifying segments. Solid efforts from the other three drivers would mean the #76 started ninth on combined times, with a long day of competition ahead.
Rob Collard took the wheel for the start and immediately moved forward as the huge field charged up Eau Rouge, making for a stunning sight and sound. Across the course of a great opening double stint, Rob elevated the car to sixth before handing across to Ali. Swift pit work around a series of early full course yellow caution periods helped Ali rejoin fifth, a place he held deep into the third hour before boxing to give Garg his first taste of the race.
This is where the first misfortune struck, with a caution period being called right after Garg rejoined, handing many of Barwell’s rivals the chance to stop at reduced speed. Garg pressed on until handing to Ricky in the sixth hour, who immediately lit up the timing screens as darkness descended in the Ardennes. Clocking the car’s fastest lap in the cooler temperatures, Ricky scythed his way up the order, despite the flow of the race being disrupted several times by caution periods.
The #76 was running a superb fourth when the biggest setback occurred. Ricky was battling with a Pro class Mercedes-AMG and executed a textbook switchback to pass through Les Combes when the AMG clipped the Huracan’s left-rear, both causing a puncture and the impact compromising the car's setup. Ricky was forced to crawl the car back to the pits, falling off the lead lap in the process.
Repaired and running again, the drivers cycled their stints through the night, but progress was further impeded when yet another safety car was called during the night, giving all cars on the lead lap a wave-by for the restart. Due to the delay for the puncture, the #76 was ineligible to be let past and effectively dropped a second lap on the class leaders as a result.
With hopes of a podium all but gone, the focus shifted to securing a place inside the points, with all four drivers successfully staying out of trouble across what became a salvage mission on a track increasingly littered with dirt and debris as scores of other cars hit trouble. Problems for the Ziggo Sport Tempesta Ferrari and Ceccato Racing BMW brought back places, with Garg ticking of the final laps to take the flag in 10th place.
While silverware may have escaped them, simply finishing a race as tough as the 24 Hours of Spa takes a supreme team effort, emphasised by the fact 29 of the 75 cars failed to make the flag.
“I really enjoyed my first experience of Spa. Everything from the Parade to the race was such a huge experience and the team did a great job all weekend. The race itself was tough… I think we got the only Spa 24H where it didn’t rain! It was hard work but we came through it and got the finish, which I’m really happy about.”
“Considering I did Spa last year too, this one was a lot tougher. It was pretty physical in the heat and with no rain or long safety cars, plus I did a total of eight hours in the car. The car felt good for the vast majority of the race, which is testament to the team’s hard work. We got unlucky with a puncture and the timing of some full course yellows that cost us, but to get to the finish with the car in one piece is great.”
“That was definitely a tough race, but I love the Spa 24H, so it’s always special to be a part of it and it was great to be back sharing with Ricky again. He brings so much energy to the team and we had a great atmosphere throughout, even when things went south in the night the morale never dropped. Barwell again did an incredible job all week. We perhaps lacked a bit of performance in the car, and we definitely could have been higher without the troubles, but it’s all part of racing. The fact we didn’t have a single mechanical or reliability issue all week shows the level the team is operating at.”
“I’m really happy with my performance this weekend. To be second overall in my qualifying session and finish as the highest-placed Lamborghini in any of the sessions… I didn’t expect that performance after so long out of the car, to be honest. But I loved the race. We got unlucky with the hit from the Mercedes-AMG, which set us back and that started a bit of a chain of events with the full course yellows and safety cars not favouring us. Sure, things didn’t go our way, but to be part of such a great team, to race with my dad again… it’s been a special week. I hope we get to do it again.”
“Success at a race like Spa isn’t measured in trophies alone, and it takes a tremendous team effort to even finish a race like this. We were up against a record entry and competing in a new class with Rob and Ricky joining the line-up quite late. All of the guys did a great job. I was particularly pleased to see Ricky again showing his potential. To jump back in the car after so long out and hit the ground running is the mark of a top driver. Considering almost a third of the field hit trouble, to finish without major damage or any form of mechanical problem is a real achievement and on another day that could easily have brought us a podium. We’ve now got a quick turnaround before we’re back in action, so we’ll head back to base, reset, and be ready to come out fighting at Snetterton.”
