McKenzy Cresswell secured a solid points haul in the GB3 Championship in partnership with the BRDC at Snetterton this past weekend (June 25/25), with a best result of fifth.
Keen to bounce back from a frustrating outing at Donington Park last month where set-up issues prevailed, the Motorsport UK Academy driver and Chris Dittmann Racing worked tirelessly during Thursday and Friday’s practice sessions to find the sweet spot in his car.
Qualifying on Saturday morning proved to be typically close with the BRDC Rising Star finishing just seven tenths of a second off pole position, placing him 14th. Had it not been for a tyre failure towards the end of the session on low fuel, Cresswell could have been higher as conditions around the 2.99-mile circuit continued to improve.
Lining up on the seventh row of the grid for the opening contest, Cresswell - who is sponsored by Quenched Drinks and supported by Salt Recruitment - made a bold move down the inside on the run to Riches which put him into tenth by the end of the first lap.
A further move later in the race around the outside at Brundle moved the 16-year-old further up the order to take the chequered flag in ninth.
Cresswell’s start of the second race was not so good. He dropped down the order by turn one and, despite recovering a couple of places, 16th was the best the Surrey teenager could salvage.
The weekend’s third and final contest saw the Formula To Perform athlete back towards the front of the field as he scored an impressive fifth place finish off the back of another strong start from ninth on the grid.
McKenzy Cresswell:“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster weekend but one with positives. To come away with a top five finish is good, given the past couple of weekends.
"A big shout-out to the team as we are closer now to a more predictable setup. There is still work to do as we should be fighting for podiums and wins, but we made a positive step this weekend.
“We’re off to Spa Francorchamps next and I really can’t wait. To be able to drive a circuit as iconic as that is going to be off the scale and hopefully we can score some big results too!”
The 2022 campaign for the GB3 Championship in partnership with the BRDC continues on July 23/24 when the series makes its annual trip to Belgium for three blockbuster races around the iconic Spa Francorchamps circuit.
Image from Jakob Ebrey Photography.