TINCKNELL GRABS RUNNER'S UP SPOT WITH HISTORY MAKING OVERTAKE AT THE LE MANS 24 HOURS
Stunning fight back for the #67 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Team after gearbox issue during the night. Harry passes Jordan Taylor on final lap, the latest overtake for position in modern Le Mans history!
Harry Tincknell and his Ford Chip Ganassi Racing crew claimed 2nd place in the GT Pro Class at the 2017 edition of the Le Mans 24 hours. A last lap puncture for the #63 Corvette allowed Tincknell to snatch the position away with just two corners remaining. Tincknell’s team mate Andy Priaulx started the race from 9th on the grid and completed the opening two hours of the race trouble free before handing over to Tincknell in the same position. The Devon man soon set to work at climbing the order, overtaking the whole field up to 2nd place before pitting nose to tail with the leading Aston Martin. The Ford GT was still fully in contention as darkness fell around the legendary 13.6km circuit but a gearbox gremlin started to halt the #67’s progress. A strategically timed pit stop during a safety car period allowed the Ford mechanics to quickly fix the issue alongside a routine brake change, only losing the around one minute. Despite dropping back to 10th by the 10 hour mark, third driver Pipo Derani set to work at bridging the gap before Priaulx returned for his third stint in the car. Tincknell jumped aboard with 8 hours to go in 7th position and reeled off a stunning double stint which included Ford’s fastest lap of the race to move up to 4th. The three drivers would cycle through the car one more time each. With two hours 20 minutes on the clock, Priaulx handed over to Harry for the final run to the flag in 4th place. Fast and consistent laps allowed the #67 to close in and pass the Porsche 911 during the final phase of pit stops with just 5 laps of the race remaining. It looked for all likelihood that he was set for 3rdplace until a final lap puncture for the Corvette created the ultimate drama. Tincknell had over a minute to make up to Jordan Taylor but amazingly passed his American rival just two corners from the chequered flag to secure a fantastic 2nd place for Ford.
Harry Tincknell (GB):
“I’m absolutely delighted to be on the podium again at Le Mans. As a team we have come so far from last year and it is fantastic to see their hard work rewarded with this result. The way the mechanics responded to our small issue in the night was a testament to their determination and that unrelenting attitude was reflected throughout every member of the team”. “Personally, I am very happy with my performance and it was very satisfying to score another 36 World Championship points and set Ford’s quickest lap of the race. To pass the Corvette with just two corners remaining was absolutely surreal, it was like a scene from a film! And to find out afterwards it was the latest overtake in modern Le Mans history was very special too! Andy and Pipo did their usual great job, we’ve grown even stronger together during this Le Mans week and the atmosphere we’ve created is very unique. We will recover, regroup and turn our focus to winning this World Championship for Ford over the coming months”.
Tincknell leads the FIA World Endurance Championship by 9 points. The next race is the 6 Hours of Nurburgring in Germany on the 16th July.
