Up for the Supercup
There are new cars and a new title for Ginetta’s flagship category, which bursts back into life this weekend at Brands Hatch.
Welcome to the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup, which boasts the all-new Ginetta G55 for 2011. The latest Ginetta has a 3.7-litre Ford V6 engine under the bonnet and will run in parallel to the earlier G50 model meaning that there will be double the action on-track. With the larger engine, expect the G55s to be at the pointy end of the field but a quick – well-developed – G50 will be able to mix it.
Carl Breeze, the 2010 runner-up, heads the entry and the King’s Lynn driver can be expected to be the man to beat this season. With his 2010 sparring partner having moved on to the BTCC, Breeze will be facing a fresh rival during this season’s campaign.
Heading the opposition is Ginetta veteran, even if he is only 19, Tom Sharp. Tom won at Croft last season and can be expected to be a winner in 2011 as well, as can Adam Morgan who also took a victory at the North Yorkshire circuit last season. Morgan, son of former Mercedes rally driver Russell, is another driver who developed well over the course of last season and should be a front-runner in his Ciceley Racing-run car.
A real dark horse is George Murrells who won last year’s Ginetta Challenge for the smaller-engined G20s. Murrells makes the step up to the G55 class for this year, again run by crack Ginetta team Optimum Motorsport and can be expected to be in the leading group.
Danish driver Joachim Ritter returns with TCR and will be another to drive the new G55. Ritter, currently the Fun Cup World Champion, improved during 2010 and should be another driver capable of fighting for the race lead, while the redoubtable Colin White is back for another season with the irrepressible CWS team. The multiple Hot Rod champion will be aiming for a maiden outright win this year.
The G50 class is set to be hugely competitive as well: Ginetta Junior Championship runner-up Jake Hill should be the man to beat, while fellow Junior graduate Jody Fannin should be quick in his Team Pyro-run car while former Lotus Elise racer Connaire Finn makes his Ginetta debut. Former Renault Clio racer Robert Gaffney will be in the mix as will Patrick McClughan in the Kelvin Jones Motorsport-run car.
With a number of drivers still working on their plans for 2011, expect some late additions and surprises to the Ginetta GT Supercup. It promises to be a superb season.
Qualifying for the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup takes place on Saturday April 2nd at 09:00 with race one (over 16 laps) at 14:15. Race two will be over 24 laps and starts at 17:05 while race three runs on Sunday April 3rd over 24 laps, with the race blasting into life at 15:25.
