After a mid-season break, motor racing’s fastest students are back in the classroom as the Ginetta Junior Championship kicks off its second half of the season at Snetterton this weekend.
Watch the racing typified by the Ginetta Junior Championship and you forget that the drivers are aged between 14 and 17. The racing is fast, frantic and provides a tremendous training ground for the stars of tomorrow, and with everyone in the same type of car, the onus is on the driver.
Seb Morris (Hillspeed) heads the title race after a superb start to the season, which began with four wins on the trot. He won again at Thruxton (having narrowly lost out to George Gamble in the first race) and then took two more wins at Oulton Park. At Croft, though, he suffered his worst weekend of the season with neither race heading his way. Instead, George Gamble (TJ Motorsport) won the opener and impressive 14-year-old Charlie Robertson made a piece of history by becoming the youngest winner of a race in the UK as he took the chequered flag in race two.
That leaves seven-times race-winner Morris ahead in the title race but he is under pressure as Gamble has narrowed the margin: 318 points plays 230. Gamble will be one to watch on the new Snetterton 300 as he has adapted well to new circuits in his maiden season of car racing and he will be a thorn in the side of second year racer Morris.
Robertson, driving for HHC Motorsport, impressed at Donington back in April and was in fine form at Croft. If he can maintain the speed, and keep out of trouble, he should take more wins before the end of the season, while William Foster (Tockwith Motorsport) is another to watch enjoying a solid season.
Other front-runners are Tom Howard (Tollbar Racing with WIRED), Max Coates and reigning Irish Champion Niall Murray (Beacon Racing), while former Rallycrosser Brad Bailey (TJ Motorsport) and the fast-improving Patrick McClughan (HHC Motorsport) should be in the mix as well.
For some of the closest action this weekend, look no further. Free practice for the Ginetta Junior Championship takes place on Saturday August 6th at 09:00 with qualifying at 13:55. Both races run on Sunday, over six laps, at 10:30 and 17:50. You can catch Sunday’s action live on ITV4.
