The new Snetterton 300 will play host to the Ginetta Challenge this weekend with two cracking races expected on the new circuit.
Two storming races at Oulton Park on Easter Saturday were the perfect way to kick off the new-look Ginetta Challenge. There are now two classes of car, with a number of the older G20s racing for the own class title against the younger closed-top G40s, and that produced battles all through the field in Cheshire.
Wins were split between Mark Davies (Optimum Motorsport) and Academy Motorsport’s Sean Huyton, although it is the consistent Clive Richardson (Colards Motorsport), with two second places, who heads the title race. The tree surgeon is just a point clear of Huyton who drove a storming second race at Oulton to take a win, while former Renault Clio racer Mike Robinson (TCR) lies third after a brace of third places.
Race one winner Davies is the man who needs to make up ground at Snetterton. Two years ago when he won the G20 title, he had a pattern of winning one race and then having a drama, not always self-induced, in the second. History repeated itself at Oulton as he was part of a gaggle of cars too wide for the track at Island Bend and it was the Yorkshireman who was spat out of the pack and on to the grass. As a result, he is 23 points away from the leader.
Others to watch in the G40 contest include HHC Motorsport’s Richard Sykes and his team-mate Phil House who had a miserable second race which ended early when a fuse blew, plus impressive Junior graduate Ryan Ratcliffe (Piranha Motorsport) and team-mate Scottish racer Rory Bryant who showed impressive pace in race two.
The older G20s still provide excellent racing and Gary Simms (Optimum Motorsport) returned to the cars in style at Oulton Park by bagging two wins, despite a gearbox problem in the second race. Matt Flowers is his closest pursuer although Stuart Pearson will be in the mix as well after a race win in 2010.
On the new Snetterton 300, slipstreaming and overtaking will be a feature race-long. Get set for some tremendous action.
Practice runs from 09.00 to 09.15 on Saturday May 14th, with qualifying at 14.15 – 14.30. Both races, over 20 minutes take place on Sunday May 15th, with the cars leaving the grid at 09.25 and 15.30.
