The GKR TradePriceCars.com team endured a challenging weekend on track as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship headed for Knockhill for the fourth round of the campaign. The award-winning, Essex-based motor dealership made the trip to Scotland looking to challenge for more championship points but it would prove to be a tough outing. Despite lapping within a second of pole position, the highly competitive nature of the field meant that James had to settle for 23rd on the grid, leaving him with work to do on race day on a circuit where overtaking can be notoriously difficult.

The opening race would end in disappointing fashion for James when he was caught out by cars ahead slowing when the action was about to restart after an early safety car period, with the damage sustained as he made contact with the Ford of Andy Neate forcing him to retire.

Straight line speed would prove to be an issue across race day. James would be forced to contend with an alternator issue that caused a loss of power steering, but he wrestled the Audi to the finish in 20th place.

He then avoided a multi-car accident that forced the final race to be red-flagged, and would end the restarted 20 lap encounter with James in 18th.

James Gornall, #180 GKR TradePriceCars.com Audi S3:
“It’s been a really difficult weekend. Through Saturday I felt we were making good progress and I did everything I felt we needed to do to get a good position in qualifying, but everyone else found more time than us which was disappointing. Circumstances went against me in race one as I came around the corner and the guys ahead had all slowed ahead of the restart, but it wasn’t ideal to retire in that way. Race two was then a huge battle as we lost the alternator belt and I had no power steering, but we pushed on as you never know if people will fall off and you can pick up places. I tried hard in race three and I pushed as hard as I could. I felt I’d done well to keep Boardley behind, and I had to push so hard to build a gap in sector one because I knew he was strong later in the lap. Sadly, he just managed to get ahead near the end but this is a weekend to put behind us and focus on the rounds to come.”

The GKR TradePriceCars.com team was able to celebrate a second successive win in the Jack Sears Trophy at the end of a tough weekend of racing as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship headed for Oulton Park for the third round of the year. The Audi team made the long trip to Cheshire keen to challenge inside the top ten, with James Gornall confident about impressing in their Audi S3s.

Saturday would prove to be a challenging day for the pair however, with both drivers left with work to do on race day after a difficult qualifying session. James would find himself 22nd on the grid for the opening race despite setting a time just 1.3s off pole position.

Race day dawned with rain in the air, and the heavens opened as the cars headed for the grid, with both drivers ultimately swapping to wet tyres before the start of race one – which was delayed after an incident for another driver on the green flag lap. Once the action finally kicked off in treacherous wet conditions, James climbed up into 19th and would run inside the top 20 throughout and crossed the line in 18th despite suffering visibility problems throughout the race.

Race two would be one of mixed emotions for the team, with James the unfortunate victim of contact from the Honda of Matt Neal whilst dicing for the points early on, leading to him retiring on the fourth lap. James had been keen to try and end his weekend with some points on the board, but his forward progress from the back of the field was halted when he was forced off track by the Volkswagen of Ollie Brown at Cascades – dropping him to the back of the field and leaving him with damage he would carry through to the finish.