Dream come true for Jordan
PEPPER: ACHIEVES FIRST EVER BLANCPAIN GT SERIES PODIUM ON DEBUT FOR THE BENTLEY BOYS
The big one – Spa 24-hour – is up next and the goal is to go one better, he says,
Three weeks ago, Midrand race driver Jordan Pepper did not know he would be racing as one of the Bentley Boys in the factory team’s new Continental GT3 at the Blancpain GT Series Paul Ricard 1 000 endurance race.
On Saturday night, Pepper was standing on the French Riviera racetrack’s podium to collect the trophy after taking second overall in an epic debut performance.
“It is such an honour to be a factory driver and to do that with a podium for Bentley Team M-Sport in the Blancpain GT Series is a dream come true,” Jordan said after a storming drive. “It was a challenging weekend. The call to race only came three weeks ago.
“That meant everything was unknown – I did not know the new car, I was part of a completely new driver pairing and I had never been to Paul Ricard before.
“Friday was a challenge, and Saturday’s qualifying was tricky as we all made small mistakes on our hot laps.
“Still, 18th was respectable in such a tough series,” he added. “It was my job to start the race, and it was clear what I had to do – no contact and be as smooth as possible on the tyres, but once I was into a rhythm, we found great pace and I was picking off the cars ahead one by one.
“Then the team pulled off an incredible pit stop and I was able to work my way to P4 by the end of my two-hour double stint. From there, the race turned out well for us – we found ourselves in the lead with 30 minutes to go, but we unfortunately picked up a small issue when the bonnet came loose on the last lap, that cost us the win.
“I am over the moon with this result – my first ever Blancpain podium on my debut for the Factory Bentley M-Sport Team was a dream come true.
“The big one – the Spa 24-hour – is up next and the goal must be to go one better there.”