JONNY Lang's one-off appearance in this year's British GT Championship ended in the pits instead of an expected appearance on the podium.

The Blackburn-born driver was invited to drive for the Trackspeed team by owner David Ashburn in the two-hour race at Silverstone.

The start was taken by Ashburn, who after an initial strong pace began to fall back into the clutches of the pursuing Astons, Ferraris and Ascaris as his tyres began to fade.

By the pitstop window', the number 14 Porsche came in for fuel and a change of rear tyres and Lang took the wheel well before the first hour was up.

Half an hour into his stint, he had overtaken six cars and was up into 12th position and starting his charge through the field.

However, that charge came to nothing, as Lang explained: "Thanks to a major engine blow-up' by one of the other competing cars, there was a lot of oil deposited at Luffield corner and I got the car round safely. But the car behind me did not and it went into a spin across the kerbs at the apex.

"He then catapulted straight into the back of me and my car immediately began to overheat."

As he was close to the pitlane entry, Lang brought the car in for what he thought might be a routine check only for the mechanics to discover that the impact had broken the water pump belt, forcing his immediate retirement.

The Nelson businessman is back on the trail of the European FIA GT3 Championship on 22-23 September at Brno, in the Czech Republic.