END OF AN ERA AS GINETTA DEPARTS BTCC BILL
Brands Hatch marked the end of an era for British motorsport. Ginettas have been a permanent fixture at British Touring Car meetings since 2008, with only the Porsche Carrera Cup GB enjoying a longer stint on the TOCA bill, but the Kent weekend marked the Yorkshire machines’ final hurrah on the UK’S biggest motorsport stage, with Ginetta Junior joining the British GT package next season and the GT4 Supercup being scrapped.
Hundreds of drivers have begun their car racing careers in Ginetta Junior over the past 15 seasons and there have been numerous unforgettable races. And the 10-car fight for third in race two, plus Will Macintyre and Liam Mcneilly’s thrilling lead battle in the finale added a couple more. Macintyre had the honour of winning the last Ginetta Junior race on the BTCC bill and was full of praise for what racing at these events offers. “As a young driver, it’s so good – you get to learn how to do interviews and how to act when you’re around such a big crowd,” he said.
Sadly, red flags and safety cars blighted the
GT4 Supercup’s final ever event, which also featured one of the most bizarre crashes in the category’s history. Ian Duggan spun immediately off the line in the finale, spearing straight into helpless Fox Motorsport team-mate Nick Halstead and causing a red flag seconds after the start.
Up at the front, James Kellett became the series’ last champion, admitting it was “strange” to be both the first and last GT4 Supercup champion at the wheel of a G56. “It feels mega to win the title – it was my dream just to be in the championship never mind win it!” he said. “It’s been an incredible opportunity and I’ve been breaking records left, right and centre. It’s a shame it’s not going to be around any more because it’s Ginetta’s flagship championship and something I’ve always wanted to race in.”
Someone who has raced in more GT4 Supercup contests than anyone else is Colin White – the four-time class champion started 242 of the category’s 289 races – and, although he was unable to be on the grid as he continues to recover from his hefty Thruxton crash, it was fitting that he waved the chequered flag at the end of the second race. It was also appropriate that Tom Ingram should claim his maiden
BTCC crown on the same weekend, as he won the GT4 Supercup title back in 2013. A perfect reminder of the championship’s, and Ginetta’s, ongoing influence in the sport.