Yorkshire’s Matt Greenwood had a debut to remember after beginning his senior motor racing career with first and third-place finishes in the Britcar Dunlop Endurance Championship, at Rockingham Motor Speedway.
Alongside his team-mate, Sarah Moore, Matt oozed class on his first start with Tockwith Motorsport (TMS), guiding his Ginetta G50 to spots on the podium.
After qualifying third in-class for race one, a 50-minute sprint, Sarah began the race strongly and pitted in second position before handing the wheel over to Matt. The 16-year-old then showed maturity beyond his years, using his raw pace and skill to take the lead and maintain it to take the chequered flag in his first senior race.
Speaking after race one, he said: “I was delighted with how the race unfolded – it was a dream come true with it being my first start in senior racing. A huge thank-you to my team-mate, TMS and the sponsors for the support.
“The car felt great; Sarah was able to put us in a strong position when she pitted, enabling me to get out there and challenge. I was able to overtake, which is always fun, before keeping it on the road and taking the win!”
In a last-minute change, TMS elected to enter Matt and Sarah into the two-hour endurance race – instead of a second sprint – and, once again, both drivers split their time in the driver’s seat.
Their reward for winning race one was pole position in their class; however, it was a tough one for the pair due to mechanical issues besetting the Ginetta G50. Despite the issues, Matt showed yet more wisdom, staying out of trouble but putting in quick lap times to ensure he and Sarah stayed in contention.
The tactic paid off; Matt crossed the line to take third-position in class, securing a second podium of the weekend for the debutant and his team-mate.
After collecting his well-earned trophy, he said: “After the euphoria of race one, this was a tough battle because of our mechanical issues, but both Sarah and I were able to keep the car on the track, out of trouble and bring it home – it’s been an amazing weekend.”
On the contrast of driving styles between sprint and endurance, he added: “The driving style is so different; both Sarah and I had to be consistent, focus and refrain from going flat-out into the first corner.
“It was about patience, which we both delivered, and we showed why we’re a good team.”
