Kibble scores maiden win as Smalley grabs points lead despite penalty
Ginetta Junior
A decision in race control is never the way any driver wants to mark their first win, but for Patrick Kibble in Ginetta Junior it was no problem.
The quick rookie was the surprise challenger to Adam Smalley in the latter stages of the first Thruxton race, when he muscled his way into third at Club on the penultimate lap, with Smalley cutting the last part of the chicane to keep it together.
Louis Foster had been leading, but a challenge from championship leader Luke Browning ended in tears when the exit of the first complex was the scene of a touch that pushed Foster off and Browning down to third.
Smalley crossed the line first ahead of Kibble and Browning, but the stewards had plenty to discuss afterwards – it emerged shortly after that a half-second penalty for straight-lining the chicane had been issued to Smalley, effectively handing Kibble the win.
But it was a display of magnanimity that has become a key part of Smalley’s arsenal that meant he took it on the chin.
“It was fair enough,” he admitted. “I could have come off a lot worse, but it was just about bouncing back.” Bounce back he did. Smalley had his work cut out in race two when Kibble on his left and Foster on his right squeezed him at the start, resulting in Foster spinning out into the pitlane exit.
Rookie James Hedley was staking his claim to make it two rookies from two claiming the top honours to cut Smalley’s 1.1s lead to just 0.3s.
But a defensive drive dubbed by Smalley as “the hardest race I have done in my life”, meant he held the win, and with it, regained the championship lead.
“I needed that – just to bounce back like that was absolutely amazing,” he said.
If Smalley was in contention for drive of the race, his team-mate Foster had his own bid – recovering from that opening spin to finish third.