SUPPORT RACES

Just as at Donington Park, it was Ginetta Junior that provided the pick of the British Touring Car support action at Brands Hatch with three thrilling contests.

Winter Series champion Josh Rowledge looked like he had done enough to win the hard-fought opener but was penalised for clashing with Joe Warhurst up Hail woods Hill and into Druids.

That meant Kanato Le inherited his maiden series victory after Rowledge’s R Racing team-mates

Luke Watts and Sonny Smith needlessly collided at Druids.

Will Macintyre was another first-time winner in race two after legally passing Warhurst, this time at Graham Hill

Bend and then resisting Rowledge and points leader Harri Reynolds.

It was Assetto driver Reynolds who triumphed in the wet finale, just keeping the squabbling pack at bay.

Will Martin and Kiern Jewiss made it four different winners from the opening four Porsche Carrera Cup GB contests as wet weather created plenty of excitement. Martin controlled the opener until rain arrived and cars began spinning everywhere – including Adam Smalley from third.

The race was red-flagged to allow drivers to change to wet-weather rubber but this did not faze Martin as he defied a charging Jewiss, who could only qualify eighth.

Jewiss then rocketed off the line in race two from fifth on the partially reversed-grid to move into second and grabbed the lead when Theo Edgerton skated straight on at Surtees. Behind, Smalley was determined to make up for his race-one disappointment and rose to second before running wide at Paddock Hill Bend and letting Martin through.

In contrast, there was no disputing who was the star of the Ginetta GT4 Supercup as the new G56 era began. James Kellett took a hat-trick, two dominant pole-to-flag wins followed by a storming drive in the finale – during which he had a near-miss after officials blundered over a safety-car restart.

Jack Mitchell also had a strong weekend in the Mini Challenge taking two wins, while Max Coates won a disrupted finale.

Elsewhere, in-form Alex Dunne claimed the British Formula 4 opener before hitting strife, with Michael

Shin and Ugo Ugochukwu picking up the other spoils.