2016 SEAT Supercup – Quinn better prepared
On the eve of the highly anticipated start to the 2016 SEAT Supercup Ireland, former A1 Grand Prix test driver Niall Quinn believes he is ‘better prepared’ going into the second season of the high profile touring car championship. Getting behind the wheel of his Randridge backed Leon Supercopa this afternoon at Mondello Park for the first time in over 6-months, his 2015 season having ended prematurely, the 27-year-old summed up his test by saying ‘it’s great to be back out in the car. It was a long winter’.
While immediately making his mark on the new championship when he became the SEAT Supercup Ireland’s first race winner, with victory from pole position at Bishopscourt, Quinn said having acquired the car late they were not as well prepared as their rivals. Despite having won further races and led the championship for more than half the season, he is confident his family run Quinn Racing team are much stronger going into the extended 12 round 2016 championship. Having taken advantage of the winter break to give the car a full rebuild, shaking it down today for the first time the Dunboyne driver was very happy with their efforts describing the newly liveried car as feeling ‘really good’.
With TEC Industrial, Tool Dynamics amd Quinn Tanker Services also continuing to support the former Motorsport Young Racing Driver of the Year, Quinn is ‘excited by the prospects of a more competitive championship’ this year. He added, ‘Erik (Holstein) is a proven touring car champion and Rob (Butler) has won races so he is going to be quick too. It should be really good’. Quinn and Butler are no strangers to one another as in their early racing careers they were team-mates both being run in karting by Niall’s brother Graham. Graham is now a successful race engineer working with former F1 driver Scott Speed in the United States.
With 9 cars confirmed for this weekend’s opening two races, including a one off outing for reigning champion Niall Murray, 2015 race winner Rod McGovern is also expected to be among Quinn’s main title rivals this year.
Racing on the national track a Mondello Park, qualifying takes place tomorrow (Saturday) at 16:30 with Race 1 on Sunday at 12:00 followed by Race 2 at 16:10. Both races will be streamed live on Mondello TV.
