GT5 CHALLENGE TO MAKE RETURN TO ZANDVOORT
Popular series won’ t visit spa and planned winter event is cancelled
The Ginetta GT5 Challenge will make a return to Zandvoort next July after deciding not to visit Spa.
The popular category joined British GT in having races in Belgium last year but organisers have opted to revert back to Zandvoort – where the series had an overseas round in 2017.
Ginetta motorsport manager Ash Gallagher explained: “We just thought we’d mix it up a bit. Spa is great and we will probably go back in the future but we can possibly offer a little bit more track time at Zandvoort and it’s [the race meeting] not as busy as Spa. When we spoke to teams and drivers, they were quite happy to go back [to Zandvoort].”
However, the manufacturer has shelved plans to run a winter GT5 competition at the Rockingham send-off meeting later this month after receiving a lack of entries.
The meeting has generally suffered from a lack of interest with MN reporting last week that it has been reduced from a two-day event to just the Saturday only.
Despite not having its own races, Gallagher says there will still be a number of Ginettas entered in the one-hour enduro and sports/saloon contests at Rockingham.
“When we initially approached customers, the feedback was really strong,” he said. “People said they would do it but when it comes down to people entering it’s not materialised and I can only put it down to the time of year.
“It’s a shame because I genuinely thought it would attract a big grid. But we are still supporting it [the event] and promoting it to customers.”
Ginetta has also decided to run completely separate grids for the GT5 series and the G40 Cup next year after the two categories competed together at two events this season. Gallagher says this means the G40 Cup “will always be the headline act” now and believes the move could boost entries to the series.