Tag: Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship

All five TOCA support package championships returned to action at Snetterton this past weekend (July 28/29) and there were edge-of-the-seat thrills all the way.

Resuming battle following the annual mid-season break, the Norfolk venue provided a fitting backdrop to two full-throttle days of high-octane entertainment.

The Ginetta Junior Championship produced a host of thrills and spills, with Luke Browning and Adam Smalley sharing the spoils. Races one and two belonged to Richardson Racing’s Browning as he took back-to-back victories, both on Saturday as the Norfolk venue basked in the sunshine.

Championship leader Smalley, who had to look on as Browning cleaned up, ensured he claimed the final bragging rights of the event with a win of his own in race three. The Elite Motorsport driver was made to work for his sixth victory of the season though as he was hounded to the chequered flag by Browning, the pair seemingly in a league of their own.

Harry King and Charlie Ladell emerged as the stars of the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup with King bagging a pair of race wins too. The Elite Motorsport hotshot proved to be the man to beat early on in the weekend and he solidified that fact with two perfect drives in races one and two.

Ladell meanwhile added yet another victory to his 2018 record as he maintained his lead in the championship heading into the business end of the season.

There was an emotional first win in the Renault UK Clio Cup for Daniel Rowbottom during the weekend too. In treacherous conditions, Rowbottom scythed his way from ninth into second on the opening tour, and then was involved in an almighty scrap for the lead with James Dorlin. After several laps of going back and forth, Dorlin out-braked himself at Wilson, giving the Cattaclean driver a lead he ultimately never went on to lose.

Race two from the Clio Cup saw championship leader Max Coates bounce back from his race one woes to notch another win. Losing the lead at the start, the Team Pyro driver battled back to pass Dorlin and then pull away from his rivals, taking victory ahead of the aforementioned Dorlin and Lee Pattison.

Spoils were shared in the two Porsche Carrera Cup GB races with Dino Zamparelli and Tom Wrigley each toping the podium. In wet conditions, Zamparelli controlled proceedings in race one as he grabbed an early lead and was ultimately never headed.

The second race of the day saw the circuit substantially drier, giving Wrigley the opportunity to showcase his talents and stake his claim to the title with a measured performance, taking the chequered flag by a mere eight tenths of a second ahead of Lewis Plato.

Finally, the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost produced three exhilarating races to kickstart the second half of their season. With another bumper grid of single seater machines primed for battle, Snetterton provided the perfect backdrop for rounds 16, 17 & 18.

Dennis Hauger came out on top in a dramatic opening encounter, leading home an Arden 1-2 with Sebastian Priaulx hot on his heels. Race two saw a new driver come to the fore as Paavo Tonteri scored his maiden F4 victory, taking the lead at the start and then never being challenged from there.

The final race of the weekend from the F4 contingent saw Jack Doohan make it three different winners from three races, pipping fellow race winners Hauger and Tonteri.

For the full classification of results from all of the weekend’s session from each championship, click here.

The action continues for the TOCA support package on August 11/12 as the Renault UK Clio Cup, Ginetta Junior Championship, Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup and F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost head to Rockingham.

It is not just the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship that returns this weekend at Snetterton (July 28/29), with all five TOCA support categories also resuming battle following the customary mid-season break.

In what has already been an action-packed campaign for the variety of one-make championships, the annual trip to Norfolk will spark the second half of the season for all five – and the intensity is set to increase.

Grabbing a lot of the headlines so far this season has been the Renault UK Clio Cup, and that theme could continue across the weekend’s two races. Max Coates arrives at Snetterton as the series leader but the Team Pyro driver has stiff competition hot on his heels.

Multiple champion Paul Rivett has proved to be a continuous threat so far whilst James Dorlin will be keen to get back in the mix after a tough Croft. The Westbourne Motorsport driver won five races in-a-row earlier in the year but came unstuck at his home event.

The likes of Daniel Rowbottom, Dan Zelos, Jade Edwards, Ben Colburn, Mike Epps and last year’s Renault UK Clio Cup Junior champion Jack Young, who makes his debut this weekend, will also be ones to look out for.

There is always an abundance of entertainment in the Ginetta Junior Championship and this year’s crop of 14 to 17-year-olds have showcased that once again. Former scholarship winner Adam Smalley currently leads the way after a strong Croft event and he will be keen to extend his advantage in the weekend’s two nine-lap encounters.

On his tail however are a host of youngsters that have been in the mix from the get-go. Louis Foster, Luke Browning, Fin Green, Ruben Del Sarte, and Gus Burton are just five drivers from a stacked entry list that can stop Smalley from further strengthening his position at the top of the points.

Further Ginetta action will be on display at Snetterton in the shape of the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup. A trio of races are set to be run around the challenging 300 circuit and the title race is set to hot up as Charlie Ladell looks to continue his run of being on the podium in every race so far.

Carl Boardley scored a hat-trick of wins at Croft last time out and closing the gap to series leader will be his main goal whilst Harry King, Tom Roche and Carl Shield will all also be eyeing that top step of the rostrum.

Racing for the first time since Oulton Park, the Porsche Carrera Cup GB will get back on track with two races during the weekend. In what has already been a tense battle at the top of the points, Tio Ellinas currently leads the way but Dino Zamparelli, Tom Wrigley, Lewis Plato, George Gamble and Dan Harper are all in the championship conversation.

Capping off the weekend’s blockbuster action is a trio of races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost. Kiern Jewiss is currently the drive to beat in the single seaters series but the likes of Ayrton Simmons, Dennis Hauger, Sebastian Priaulx and Jack Doohan lead the fight into Snetterton.

All five TOCA support championships were in action at Donington Park this past weekend (April 28/29) with some new faces topping the podium.

Competing under the flightpath of East Midlands airport alongside the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, the customary edge-of-the-seat thrills were on display for the thousands in attendance.

James Dorlin emerged as the man to beat in the Renault UK Clio Cup as he stormed to a pair of race victories, spring boarding himself up the points table. Clinching pole position on Saturday, the Westbourne Motorsport driver took a commanding victory in race one as he streaked clear of his rivals.

Further back Paul Rivett left WDE Motorsport with a mountain of work after he exited the circuit heading down the Crane Curves, hitting the wall hard – thankfully he walked away unhurt and made it out for race two.

If race one had been memorable, the second encounter for the one-make tin top category was a different spectacle altogether. In what turned out to be a dramatic three-way fight for victory, Dorlin went wheel-to-wheel with Jack McCarthy and Bradley Burns, pipping the pair as he bounced through the gravel to take the chequered flag and make it a dream double.

The Ginetta Junior Championship saw Luke Browning come to the fore as he scored two wins, narrowly missing out on completing a memorable hat-trick. Establishing himself towards the top of the times from the outset, the Richardson Racing driver powered his way to victory in races one and two.

Browning then played his part in a race three that will live long in the memory, as he chased kept himself permanently on the bumper of Louis Foster, who held his nerve to score a maiden victory in the series.

Spoils were shared in the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup as Charlie Ladell, Tom Roche and Harry King took a win apiece. Underlining the depth in quality the championship once again boasts this year, Ladell strengthened his position at the helm of the standings.

His third victory of the year came in a fast-paced opener before Roche repeated his heroics from the corresponding event last year in race two. Capping off the action was youngster King, who on just his second outing since graduating from Juniors, took a popular win for Elite Motorsport.

The Porsche Carrera Cup GB saw four different winners from four races as both Tio Ellinas and Lewis Plato joined the list of winners. Ellinas was measured in his race three win, holding his nerve off the start to take the chequered flag in a league of his own.

Plato meanwhile faced a stern test in the longer 33-lap encounter at the Leicestershire venue, fending off a trio of cars on the final tour to take his maiden victory.

Rounding off the support race action at Donington Park was the British F4 Championship, which once again took on a starring role. Johnathan Hoggard bagged a pair of wins whilst Kiern Jewiss also found his way to the to the top of the rostrum.

The TOCA support package rolls into Donington Park this weekend (April 28/29) with five championships set to do battle and continue their 2018 campaigns.

In what proved to be a dramatic opening event of the year at Brands Hatch, each category served up plenty of high-octane entertainment alongside the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Plenty of tin top thrills came from the Renault UK Clio Cup as Max Coates and Paul Rivett took a win apiece at the Kent venue. Establishing themselves as early title contenders both will have to be at their best to ensure they remain towards the summit of the standings following rounds three and four.

More than a dozen drivers are hot on the heels of Rivett and Coates with Lee Pattison and Mike Epps leading the charge. Daniel Rowbottom, Jack McCarthy, James Colburn, James Dorlin, Bradley Burns, Zak Fulk are all on the fringe of throwing themselves into contention too – making picking a winner for this weekend as difficult as ever.

The Ginetta Junior Championship will no doubt do its best to steal the show with its latest crop of teenage racers. Former Scholarship winner Adam Smalley heads the field entering the weekend after scoring a win and a second place at the curtain-raiser. No doubt looking to either replicate or better those results from Brands Hatch, the Elite Motorsport driver arrives at the Leicestershire venue as the man to beat.

Both Luke Browning and Ruben Del Sarte scored rostrum finishers last time out and are the closest challengers to Smalley as it stands. Throw into the mix the likes of Fin Green and Louis Foster and you begin to see why the one-make championship is renowned for producing stars of the future.

The Juniors won’t be the only Ginetta championship competing under the flightpath of East Midlands airport this weekend however as the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup continues. Charlie Ladell grabbed two wins at Brands Hatch and he will be looking to continue his fine start to the season with further silverware.

Holding a slender three-point advantage at the summit, Ladell will need to be on top form across all three races, especially with the likes of Carl Boardley, Harry King and Jac Constable all breathing down his neck.

Spoils were shared between Dino Zamparelli and George Gamble in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB last time out and the battle for supremacy is set to further intensify at Donington Park. In what is shaping up to be a wide-open title fight this year, just four points separate the top three heading into the weekend with Zamparelli in control.

After narrowly missing out on the crown last year, the Redline Racing driver is gunning for glory and will be one to watch across both races this weekend, as will Tio Ellinas, Gamble and the ever-improving Lewis Plato.

Rounding out the track action at Donington Park will be three races from the F4 British Championship. Viewed as a crucial step on the motorsport ladder for those aspiring to make it to Formula 1, the single seater category has produced plenty of stars already.

Ayrton Simmons walked away with a brace of wins last time out and the youngster will be looking to go one better this weekend and make it a hat-trick, which in turn will see him scoop a prize of £10,000.

Sebastian Priaulx was the other race winner from the 2018 curtain-raiser and he will be keen to add further trophies to his collection in what is his maiden season in the category. Other drivers to keep a watch out for include the impressive Kiern Jewiss, Dennis Hauger and Jack Doohan.

Oulton Park played a host to a blockbuster two days of TOCA support race action this past weekend (June 9/10) as familiar stars prevailed and a variety of new faces came to the fore.

On what proved to be a scorcher both on and off the track, all five championships were in action around the Cheshire venue to write the latest chapter in their respective 2018 campaigns.

Spoils were shared in the Ginetta Junior Championship around the 2.23 mile circuit as Adam Smalley and Luke Browning took a win apiece. Browning had looked to be an unstoppable force in the series for 14 to 17-year-old’s, winning a fraught race one – however that was only the start of the story.

Due to the differential of his Richardson Racing machine having an insufficient amount of oil, Browning was excluded which therefore gifted Smalley the win ahead of Fin Green and Louis Foster. The team have since appealed the decision meaning the results remains provisional.

Having lost victory on Saturday, Browning and Richardson Racing struck back on Sunday with a flawless performance in race two as he romped into the distance to triumph by more than 11 seconds ahead of Foster and Greg Johnston.

The Renault UK Clio Cup had a familiar feel to it as James Dorlin continued his recent domination. Entering the weekend as the championship leader having won four races in-a-row, the Westbourne Motorsport driver stormed to pair of pole positions and dually backed it up in race one.

Launching off the line, Dorlin propelled himself into a lead that he ultimately never lost as he controlled the pace at the front to comfortably take his fifth victory on the bounce, extending his points advantage at the same time. Paul Rivett and Max Coates filled the remaining podium positions.

Dorlin’s win streak came to an end in the second race of the weekend however as Coates made a triumphant return to the top step of the podium. Getting the jump on Dorlin off the line, the Pyro racer withstood race-long pressure from Rivett, Dorlin and Bradley Burns to seal a second win of the year – closing the gap to Dorlin in the points too.

There was a brand new winner in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB over the weekend as Tom Wrigley took a breakthrough victory in race one. In a league of his own in qualifying, the JTR driver controlled proceedings to take a lights-to-flag win ahead of Lewis Plato and Tio Ellinas.

Race two of the popular tin top category saw another first-win take place, this time for Daniel Harper. In another frenetic bout, the JTR youngster kept his cool to storm to the chequered flag, with Plato and Ellinas once again occupying the remaining podium spots.

Fans were treated to two races from the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup and neither didn’t disappoint. Charlie Ladell further established himself as the man to beat in the series in the opener as he bagged victory in race. Withstanding early pressure from Harry King, the Rob Boston Racing driver stretched his legs out front and took victory by more than four seconds ahead of Carl Boardley and Adam Shephard.

Ladell further extended his ever-growing championship lead in race two in the GT4 Supercup as he once again put on a dazzling display at the front of the field, beating Boardley and Shepherd to the chequered flag for the second time in succession.

There was the traditional blend of high drama and entertainment in the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost over the course of the weekend too, with a trio of races keeping fans on the edge of their seats.

Dennis Hauger became the latest driver to enter the winners circle in race one, clinching his maiden win in the single seater category despite finishing behind Kiern Jewiss on the road. A three-second time penalty demoted Jewiss to second whilst Patrik Pasma rounded off the podium.

Ayrton Simmons underlined his title credentials in the second race of the weekend as he won a tense 20-minute battle ahead of Jack Doohan. Outright honours fell the way of Jewiss in the final race as he led home Pasma and Paavo Tonteri.

For the full classification of results from all sessions, click here.

The Ginetta Junior Championship, Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup, Renault UK Clio Cup and F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost heads to Croft on June 23/24 for the latest chapter of the season.

Advance tickets for the fifth meeting of the year are available until June 14, priced at just £11 for Saturday, £24 for Sunday and £33 for the full weekend. Head to the Croft Circuit website for more information.

Silverstone played host to a mesmerising two days of action from all five TOCA support championship’s this past weekend (September 15/16), with title battles further intensifying.

Louis Foster continued his march towards the summit of the Ginetta Junior Championship by adding to his impressive win tally. Having won four of the previous five races, Foster became the first driver this season to score a hat-trick of victories in a single weekend.

Following a red flag stoppage in race one for an accident which involved his title rival Adam Smalley, the Elite Motorsport driver maximised his opportunity to beat James Hedley and Luke Browning. Foster had to work even harder for his second win of the weekend as he withstood the challenge of Patrick Kibble and Browning – half a second covering the trio at the flag.

Foster underlined his recent dominance in the series with another stunning drive to beat Smalley and Kibble; and with it leave Northamptonshire as the new championship leader.

In the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup Charlie Ladell took a big step towards wrapping up the title with a trio of impressive performances. Having been the epitome of consistency throughout the year, the Rob Boston Racing driver made a return to winning ways in race one as he stormed to victory ahead of Harry King and Tom Roche.

Ladell doubled up in race two as he once again led King to the chequered flag whilst Carl Boardley snatched the final spot on the rostrum from Angus Fender on the final lap. Boardley bounced back in race three later in the day as he kept his championship aspirations alive with a controlled victory.

The Renault UK Clio Cup saw another twist in the title battle whilst it also welcomed a new name to the winners circle. As Max Coates spun out of the opening race, Bradley Burns came to the fore to write his name into the history books as the youngest ever race winner in the series – aged at just 17. Delivering a measured driver after muscling his way to the front, Burns kept his cool to take the chequered flag ahead of Paul Rivett and Daniel Rowbottom.

Burns put the exclamation point on his weekend at Silverstone with another storming drive to make it a dominant double. Following an early battle with James Dorlin, Burns hit the front and was subsequently never challenged as Dorlin fended off Rivett.

There were plenty of edge-of-the-seat thrills in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, however nobody could stop Dino Zamparelli in the first 28-lap race. Starting from pole position, the Redline Racing driver left his rivals in his wake as he charged to a fourth victory of the year whilst Tio Ellinas and Tom Wrigley rounded off the podium.

Wrigley would better his race one performance in the second Carrera Cup encounter later in the day as he jumped George Gamble off the line to power away and notch his latest victory. Dan Harper and Lewis Plato bagged silverware whilst Ellinas clawed back some points over Zamparelli in fourth.

Capping off a pulsating weekend of TOCA support championship action at Silverstone was a trio of races from the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost. Johnathan Hoggard continued his impressive run of form in a frenetic opening encounter to notch his six win of the season, fending off the advances of series leader Kiern Jewiss and Jack Doohan along the way.

Doohan stormed to victory in race two ahead of Patrik Pasma and Ayrton Simmons before Hoggard capped off the day by narrowly triumphing in the third and final encounter of the weekend, adding to his already impressive win tally.

For the full classification of results from all championships, click here.

The TOCA support package will bring the curtain down on the 2018 season with what will likely be a dramatic final event of the season at Brands Hatch on September 29/30 – where titles will across the board will be decided.