Roll on 2012!
Another successful season may have only just passed but Rory is already starting preparations for 2012, where he aims to return to the Ginetta G40 Challenge for a full seasons assault on the Championship. Rory showed a lot of promise in the G40's this year and believes he can be a serious contender for the top spots in 2012, if he can secure the necessary funding to complete the whole season- "I enjoyed the Challenge of switching from Fiesta racing to the tricky rear wheel drive G40's this year and very much want to return to the series next year to prove what I am really capable of. Despite the fantastic support of my sponsors this season, we still ultimately struggled for budget, hence why I only completed 5 race meetings. I definitely feel that with a proper budget and test programme, I can be right at the sharp end next year and challenging for race wins. I am currently working hard to get the necessary funding in place, so we can hit the ground running in 2012." If you would like to discuss becoming a partner of Rory's next year, please email rory@rbrmedia.co.uk
11th September 2011
2011 Scottish Fiesta ST Champions!
Rory Secured his second Consecutive Scottish Fiesta Championship at a damp Knockhill on 10th September, with two rounds to spare! Rory took the Championship in style by winning both races in tricky conditions and setting fastest lap in each race. Rory commented "I'm delighted to have won both races and to have wrapped up the Scottish Championship for the second year running! It's been tough and it's not all run smoothly but I have to say a big thank you to my sponsors for their support and to ICR Motorsport for giving me a good car all year. Double Scottish Champion has a nice ring to it and I hope it helps me progress further up the career ladder over the next few years!"
5th September 2011
Ginetta Challenge Rockingham
The Ginetta Challenge visted Rockingham race circuit in the East Midlands for rounds 9 and 10 of the Championship. Rory had never raced at Rockingham before but got the weekend off to a good start, when he qualified 6th in Saturday's dry qualifying session. The conditions then drastically changed for Sundays races, as the heavens opened. Race 1 saw Rory make a great start to challenge for the lead at the first corner, only to be turfed onto the grass by another car on the exit! After this Rory ran in the top 4 for the opening few laps of the race before his windscreen began to fog up, to the extent that he could barely see to the end of his own bonnet! This eventually caused Rory to run wide on the exit of turn 1, damaging the front of the car and causing him to retire. Conditions did not improve much for the second race of the day but Rory was able to bring the car home in a solid 8th position, after struggling for rear end grip throughout the race. Rory commented "I'm a bit disapointed with the results from this weekend - our pace in the dry was strong, so it was a bit frustrating when it rained for the races! Having said that, I was quick in wet conditions in the early stages of race 1, whilst I could still see that is!" See race report in full here
15th August 2011
Scottish Championship - Knockhill
Rory entered rounds 9 and 10 of the Scottish Fiesta Championship with only a slender 2 points lead in the standings. The aim for the weekend was to increase this lead to a more comfortable margin! Rory got the day off to a good start, comfortably setting pole position with the fastest lap of the year so far. Rory was looking good to continue his good form as he led the field for the majority of the first race. However, Rory was being chased hard and made an uncharacteristic error in his defending on the final corner of the race, which allowed the 2nd placed driver to sneak past and take the win. This put Rory in a determined mood for race two though, where he put his small error behind him and led the race from start to finish to take his 5th win of the season. A 2nd place finish and a win, means Rory has extended his Championship lead to 35 points, which puts him in a strong position going into the final 2 meetings of the year.
25th July 2011
Scottish Fiesta Championship - Croft
Rounds 7 & 8 of the Scottish Fiesta Championship were held at Croft racing circuit on 23/24 July. Despite having never driven the track before, Rory managed to adapt quickly and get the weekend off to a great start, as he secured pole position in Saturdays qualifying session. The first race was going to plan and Rory had a comfortable lead with 2 laps to go, when unfortunately his car suffered a serious ABS braking issue causing him to drop back to 2nd place by the finish line. Rory's ICR team worked hard to fix the problem for the second race of the day but unfortunately the problem re-visited on the first lap of the 15 minute race. Rory drove his socks off to hold onto 2nd place for most of the race and actually lead tfor 2 laps (despite his huge braking disadvantage and the driver behind treating it like a dodgems race!) but eventually finished 3rd.
Rory commented "I feel a bit robbed to be honest! We really should have won both races today had it not been for the issue with the brakes. The car is very difficult to drive when you get an ABS problem like this, so in a way I'm pleased to just finish both races and maintain my Championship lead."
Rory is next in action at Knockhill on 14th August, where hopefully he will have a problem free weekend!
18th July 2011
Ginetta Challenge Brands Hatch
The Ginetta Challenge returned to Brands Hatch, this time using the shorter Indy circuit, for rounds 7 & 8 of the series. Rory showed some impressive pace in Friday testing and was confident going into qualifying on Saturday. The weather took an about turn though and there were some severe downpours, meaning that it would be a wet qualifying session. Rory’s lack of running in the wet hurt him a little here and he had a poor qualifying session, ending up p15, although post qualifying analysis showed he really should have been further up the grid had it not been for traffic on his best lap. The weather did not improve for race 1 on Sunday but Rory’s pace did! He made a brilliant start only to be caught out in other people’s accidents, meaning he frustratingly lost ground, finishing the race an eventual 10th. It dried up for race 2 and the cars were back onto slicks. Rory made a belter of a start again elevating himself from 13th to 5th place before turn 1! Unfortunately though, bad luck struck again as Rory came down the first corner to find a car spun on front of him and had no option but to take to the gravel in avoidance. This sadly ended the race for Rory and left him wondering what he has to do to get a little bit of luck! All is not lost though and we are confident that fortunes will change for Rockingham in early September. Read Rory’ race report in full here.
4th July 2011
Knockhill – 2/3 July
Knockhill played host to rounds 5 & 6 of the Scottish Fiesta Championship, where Rory was looking to extend his 10 point lead in the Championship standings. The weekend did not get off to the best of starts when Rory’s power steering failed during qualifying, meaning he could only manage the 5th fastest time. In the first race, Rory made a great start and was up to 2nd position by the end of lap 2, when contact from a driver behind sent him spearing off the track. Rory managed to get going again but this incident lost him a lot of time and he could only recover to 5th place. Rory was determined to put these misfortunes right in the second race of the day! Starting from 5th on the grid, he managed to get into the lead after 4 laps and hold it to the chequered flag, to take a well deserved win. This fighting drive means that, despite some awful luck, Rory still leads the Scottish Championship going into the next rounds at Croft circuit, later in the month.
20th June 2011
Mixed fortunes at Brands Hatch
Rounds 5 and 6 of the Ginetta G40 challenge were held at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit on the 18th and 19th June. It was the first time Rory had driven the hugely demanding Grand Prix Circuit but he adapted to it well and was amongst the top 6 drivers in testing. Qualifying was again not without its drama’s, when it began to rain as the cars took to track for the 15 minute session. Unfortunately, Rory was caught out by the conditions whilst pushing hard on his first full lap and for the second race meeting in a row, would set no lap time in qualifying. However, Rory put this mistake behind him and put in two sterling drives, from the back of the 31 car grid, to finish 8th and 9th in Sunday’s races! Rory commented "I am obviously disappointed with myself for making a silly error in qualifying. Having said that, I know I made the best of the situation on Sunday to come through and finish both races in the top 10. Piranha Motorsport did a great job with the car again and I think we will be in really good shape when we return to Brands Hatch next month, where the aim will definitely be to finish on the podium." Read Rory’s race report in full here.
15th May 2011
Ginetta Challenge - Snetterton
Rounds 3 and 4 of the Ginetta Challenge were held at Snetterton race circuit, in Norfolk. It proved to be a difficult weekend for Rory and Piranha Motorsport but not one that was without positives. Rory was looking good for pole position in a damp qualifying session where, after a quick pit-stop, he was on the quickest lap of the session, only for it to be red flagged when he was in the last sector of the lap! Unfortunately, Rory’s luck did not improve for the first race, when he did not even make the start, due to a drive shaft failure on the warm up lap! The second race of the day proved to be better, with Rory making his way through to 11th place, from the back of the grid.
"It’s just been one of those weekends!" said Rory. "It’s been great, from the point of view that our pace has been strong but unfortunately, lady luck has just not been on our side. Piranha Motorsport have done a great job with the car again and I think we’re looking in good shape for the next rounds at Brands Hatch!
Read Rory’s race report in full here.
2nd May 2011
Double win for Rory at Knockhill!
Rory took a double victory in rounds 3 & 4 of the Scottish Fiesta ST Championship, at Knockhill, yesterday. This perfect result gives Rory a handy 10 point lead in the Scottish Championship, which he will look to extend, at the next rounds, in July. Rory is next in action on the 13th and 14th of May, at Snetterton, for rounds 3 and 4 of the Ginetta G40 Challenge. Last year, Rory won both races at Snetterton, in the UK Fiesta Championship and will be hoping the Norfolk circuit is, once again, a happy hunting ground for him.
24th April 2011
Top 5 finish for Rory on Ginetta Debut!
The picturesque Oulton Park race circuit, in Cheshire, played host to the opening rounds of the Ginetta G40 Challenge.With limited time in the car leading up to the weekend, it was steep learning curve for Rory. Despite this, Rory managed to qualify a credible 8th. Rory made a good start to the first race but unfortunately a small error, at the chicane, caused damage to the steering rack and forced Rory to retire from the first race of the day. Piranha Motorsport did a great job to get the car ready for race 2 and Rory this time rewarded them with a srong 5th place finish. Read Rory’s race report in full here.
11th April 2011
Rory starts 2011 with a win!
Rory’s first race of 2011 was at Knockhill, in the Scottish Fiesta ST Championship. Rory started the season as he hoped to continue with a win in the first race, despite a slightly ill handling car! It looked like he was going to make it a double victory as he led the second race comfortably, until there was a re-start with only 4 laps left of the run. Unfortunately a small error from Rory dropped him back to 3rd position but nevertheless, this was a positive way to start 2011 and a good warm up for the serious business, in 2 weeks time, at Oulton Park.
6th April 2011
Rory Signs for Piranha Motorsport!
Rory Bryant will contest the 2011 Ginetta G40 Championship with Piranha Motorsport (www.piranhamotorsport.com). This exciting new championship is part of the British GT and F3 support package, which will ensure excellent publicity for Rory and his sponsors. Rory commented "This is a new and exciting challenge for me and I really just can’t wait to get started! Switching from saloon cars to rear wheel drive sports cars is going to be tough but I know, in Piranha Motorsport, I have a great team behind me and I am confident that we will quickly be at the sharp end of the grid. I have to say a massive thank you to my main sponsor, Scott & Co, for providing me with the opportunity to race at this level in 2011."
Rory is also planning to contest the Scottish Ford Fiesta ST Championship in 2011, which he won last year. He will continue to receive the, much appreciated, support from local sponsors Craigie’s Farm, Adcentiv Media, and Rogerthat Productions.
20th October 2010
Scottish Champions!
After a hectic weekend on the 16th and 17th of October, where Rory competed at both Brands Hatch and Knockhill, Rory was crowned the 2010 Scottish Ford Fiesta ST Champion! Although Rory ended up finishing a disappointing 4th overall in the UK series, after leading the Championship earlier in the year, on reflection this was not a bad year’s work for the 22 year old and his team. “I’m so delighted to repay all the faith my sponsors and team have had in me over the past year with a Championship. Obviously I’m a little disappointed with the end result in the UK series but - when you consider we did not finish 5 of the races - 4th seems like not a bad effort!”
Rory has visited the winner’s step of the podium on, an impressive, 9 occasions in 2010 and is hoping to carry this over into 2011. “I’ve driven some of the toughest and best races of my life this year and believe I am a much stronger driver for it. I already can’t wait to get out next year! We are aiming to move up to the new Fiat Abarth Championship, which will bring me a step closer to achieving my goal of racing in the British Touring Car Championship. Obviously the big task over the winter is sorting out the budget for next year, as this game is not cheap! I am hoping that my success on track this year will help me to find the required levels of funding and hopefully we’ll be able to get out testing soon!”
If you are interested in getting involved with Rory’s 2011 race programme, you can get in touch with him on 07966802199 or email him at rory@rbrmedia.co.uk.
10th May 2010
Rory makes electrifying start to season to lead both Scottish and British Championships
It’s been a successful three weeks for Rory and the ICR Motorsport team. Rory took Pole and two victories, at Snetterton on 24th/25th April, to claim his first two wins in the series and a 3 point lead in the Championship! Rory and ICR then repeated this success on 8th/9th May, in rounds 3 & 4 of the Scottish Championship at Knockhill, where Rory again won both races and extended his lead in the Championship to 28 points! It’s been a fantastic start to the season, with Rory winning 6 out of the 8 races entered so far but Rory knows it’s a tough road ahead – “It’s great to have had such a brilliant start to the season and it’s a brilliant confidence boost for the team and I. The main thing now is to make sure we carry the momentum into the next round and keep this strong run of form going. The seasons only just started and we have a long way to go, so we can’t afford to get complacent.”
Rory’s is next in action on 5th/6th June, at Cadwell Park, for rounds 5 & 6 of the British Championship.
24th November 2009
Rory Tests Clio with TCR
On Friday 20th November, Rory had his first run in a run Renault Clio Cup car, with team TCR. Rory took part in a full days testing with the multiple title winning team at Silverstone National circuit. The day started off wet but the track gradually dried out as the day went on and Rory was able to sample the car on both wet and Slick tyres. The team declared themselves impressed with Rory's performance in their official press release (see link below) with Team principal and former Touring Car driver, Lee Brookes, commenting: “Rory did ever so well, we were really impressed with his performance. He’d never driven a Clio Cup car before Friday’s test but he listened to everything we told him, he showed ability and his first impressions were as good as anyone. He needs more mileage in the car but from what we saw at Silverstone, he could be a front-runner in Clio’s.”
Commenting on the day Rory said "I really enjoyed the test today. TCR are a fantastic team and I really learned a lot from them. The car was brilliant to drive, although very different to the Fiesta. The brakes took a bit of getting used to as, at the start of the day, I kept locking up, but by the end of the day everything was coming to me a lot easier and I felt a lot more confident in the car. The test has certainly made me all the more hungry to get out on the grid for next year!”
1st November 2009
End to a Great Season
Rory would like to thank all his sponsors for a very successful 2009 season. Rory won 100% of races entered in the Scottish Championship and finished a creditable 5th in the British series, despite missing the last 2 rounds of the Championship. Rory is now looking towards securing a budget to race in the Elf Renault Clio Cup next year and comments: "This year was my first year racing out-with Scotland and my first in a front wheel drive car. It has been a very steep learning curve and therehave been highs and lows, but it has been an experience that I have enjoyed very much. We certainly started to find form towards the tail end of the season - we've only been off the podium once in the last 8 races - and that's given me a great confidence boost going into next year. I am certainly a completely different driver to what I was 6 months ago and now feel ready to take my career to the next level in the Renault Clio Cup. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all my sponsors and partners this year, who have made this season possible and I hope to be in a position to report more great success to you all next year."
| DATE | CHAMPIONSHIP | VENUE |
|---|---|---|
| 10 April | Scottish Ford Fiesta Championship | Knockhill |
| 23 - 23 April | Ginetta G40 Challenge | Oulton Park |
| 1 May | Scottish Ford Fiesta Championship | Knockhill |
| 14 - 15 May | Ginetta G40 Challenge | Snetterton 300 |
| 18 - 19 June | Ginetta G40 Challenge | Brands Hatch GP |
| 2 -3 July | Scottish Ford Fiesta Championship | Knockhill |
| 16 - 17 July | Ginetta G40 Challenge | Brands Hatch Indy |
| 23-24 July | Scottish Ford Fiesta Championship | Croft |
| 14 August | Scottish Ford Fiesta Championship | Knockhill |
| 03 - 04 September | Ginetta G40 Challenge | Rockingham |
| 10 September | Scottish Ford Fiesta Championship | Knockhill |
| 24 - 25 September | Ginetta G40 Challenge | Donington Park |
| 08 - 09 October | Ginetta G40 Challenge | Silverstone Arena |
| 16 October | Scottish Ford Fiesta Championship | Knockhill |
