Superbike star takes a car racing podium
World Superbike champion Sylvain Guintoli collected a podium finish on his car racing debut, taking second overall with James Abbott in the Radical Challenge at Snetterton.
Having finished seventh in the first sprint race, he was a first-lap retirement in the second. “I have to learn as I made a good start 14th to sixth, but I was on cold tyres and I crashed on the first lap,” he said.
Abbott started the SR3 for the longer final race, and handed over to Guintoli in second place, which was successfully defended against enormous pressure and retained throughout the second half. “James set it up for me and I was careful but didn’t want to make a mistake. We had the pace and I just kept going and it worked for us to keep second,” added Guintoli, who won the 2014 World Superbike title aboard an Aprilia.
“I really enjoyed it, a totally new experience for me. I had done some trackdays in a Radical SR3, so it was logical I should race one.”
Although Guintoli’s ongoing bike commitments restrict his availability at present, he hasn’t discounted further outings.