Young Hook racer Archie Hamilton tasted success in the desert by standing on the podium in the Middle East.
The 20-year-old competed in the NGK UAE GT Championship at the Dubai Autodrome on Friday, racing a Lamborghini Gallardo GT3.
Partnering Stuart Hall in the one-hour race, Hamilton’s final stint saw him lose a place forcing him to settle for third.
On the Thursday, the pair were quick in testing, but overnight changes to the car for the Friday morning qualifying round saw them lose pace and they settled for lining up third on the grid.
Hall started the race and a blistering start saw him move up to second and pull a 55-second lead over the third place car. After half an hour, Hamilton took the reigns, but an accident elsewhere on the track forced the safety car out bunching the entire field.
According to Hamilton, he was overtaken by the third place driver – a breach of the rules. But it was not picked up by the stewards. Unable to chase him down after the restart, Hamilton was forced to settle for third.
“I am happy with how things went, although morally I think we deserved second,” he said. “However, I am more than happy with how I adapted to the car after a season of single-seater racing. I was able to put in competitive lap times compared to my teammate, who has a lot more experience. All in all, I have had a very productive week.”
Hamilton will next test a Lotus GT4 in Norfolk on December 1 to prepare him for next season before he heads to Dubai for a 24-hour race on January 12.
He said: “This will be another good experience for me as I plan for my 2012 season. I am also looking forward to returning to Dubai in January for the 24 hour race.”
