FOURTH PLACE FINISH AT FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE IN SPA!
Ben Tuck again showed his ability at the very top level of motorsport in Round 3 of FIA World Endurance Championship at Spa-Francorchamps last week. After qualifying his #77 Ford Mustang third on the grid in the intense Hyperpole shootout he then took the car from 15th place to the lead of the race during his stint before celebrating a fourth-place finish with his co-drivers. Ben was also awarded the Goodyear Wingfoot award for Driver of the Day. The race result shows an ever-improving trend for Tuck and his co-drivers, Bernado Sousa and Ben Barker in their Ford Performance Proton Competition Ford Mustang LMGT3.
Just a week after finishing ninth in the dramatic and rain hit Round 2 of the European Le Mans Series at Le Castellet in France, Ben Tuck arrived at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps with his Proton Competition co-drivers holding high hopes after gaining their first World Championship points at Round 2 in Imola in April.
In an unusual period of warm sunny weather in the Ardennes, the team at Proton Competition got to work preparing the #77 Ford Mustang. It was Bernado Sousa’s task on the Friday to take on qualifying, with the target of getting the car through to Hyperpole for the first time, where the starting order of the top ten cars would be decided. In a thrilling 15-minute session where the all the cars were separated by just half a second, Sousa snatched tenth place and opened the door for Ben Tuck to shoot for Pole Position in the following session. With ultimate focus, Tuck logged the third fastest time to take a second row start position in the race.
With proven pace in the car, the signs were good for the race the following day. Bernado Sousa took the opening stints of the race. From lights out he was able to move immediately up to second place, showing the pace of their Ford Mustang, holding on to the place for 15 laps before pitting during a Full Course Yellow flag period from third place. By the end of a bruising second stint, including a Safety Car period, the Portuguese driver pitted for a driver change from eighth position.
Ben took the middle two stints of the race and, after returning to the track in 16th position set about making up places. Across the next 17 laps, he reeled in the leading pack and recovered to fourth place before his next scheduled stop for fuel and tyres. Retaking the track in 15th place, Ben doubled down on his efforts, quickly making overtakes. When a Safety Car 10 laps later helped to close the gaps, Ben had the opportunity to zero in on the top positions and by Lap 75 he led the race. As his tyres began to fade, Tuck dropped to second position just before pitting to hand the car over to Ford Factory driver Ben Barker, having done enough to be awarded the Goodyear Wingfoot Driver of the Day award.
Barker re-emerged from the pitstop in 15th position and with new tyres quickly set about a similar charge. Another Safety Car period quickened his progress, at one point making up three positions in as many laps. After the next scheduled stop, Barker resumed his fight from eighth place and strategy became key. The car would need to stop for a splash of fuel before the end of the race along with some of the other top runners and the team had to make the critical calculations on how much time they could gain by minimising the amount they refuelled.
The crucial fuel stops began around 10 laps from the end of the race and with just 25 minutes to go, and Barker soon stopped for his vital top-up. As the seconds ticked, a podium spot slipped by as he rejoined the track in fourth place and began to charge down those ahead, closing in by almost half a second a lap. But it was not enough to regain the podium, and he crossed the line in fourth position behind the #88 sister Ford Mustang.
Even though narrowly missing a podium position, Ben was happy with the pace of the car and overall, it was a strong showing from the crew of the #77 Ford Mustang:
“P4 at the line and Ben [Barker] was closing down P3. Again, we had the pace for the podium, but we know how to improve and take better advantage of what we know the car is capable of. But mega driving from Bernado and Ben, and a brilliant quali from Bernado too! Also, big congratulations to the #88 crew for their P2 finish!”, Ben commented.
Ben next races in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup at Monza on 1st June 2025 and is next in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Round 4 at the biggest race of the year, the Le Mans 24 Hours on 14th and 15th June 2025.
