Title contenders Ethan Jeff-Hall, Chase Fernandez and Charlie Hart shared the race wins across a sensational weekend of Ginetta Junior Championship racing on the Silverstone National circuit (17-18 August).
On the second visit of the season to Silverstone, R Racing made it ten race wins in a row with the successes for Jeff-Hall and Fernandez, equalling the all-time championship record in the process, before Elite Motorsport’s Hart ended their victory streak in the final encounter.
Saturday
Fernandez set the quickest lap time across the two days of official pre-event testing leading up to the event, and it was the same name at the top of the timesheets in qualifying as the former Ginetta Junior Scholarship winner secured his third pole position of the season.
Two tenths of a second adrift was Isaac Phelps (Elite Motorsport) as he matched his best qualifying result of the campaign, while championship leader Jeff-Hall went third fastest and secured the race two pole on second fastest times.
The short 1.64-mile Silverstone National circuit has consistently produced spectacular Ginetta Junior races over the years, and Saturday’s opener was another classic. Fernandez led the opening lap from pole, fending off a challenge from Phelps into Luffield that allowed Jeff-Hall to grab second.
Jeff-Hall continued his forward momentum on the next lap to grab the lead into Brooklands, as Fernandez just managed to fend off Phelps behind. The top two broke clear for the next few laps, running nose-to-tail at the head of the field before Phelps reeled them back in.
Fernandez swept around the outside of Jeff-Hall at Brooklands on lap ten to take back the race lead, however as they battled into Copse two corners later, a perfectly executed switchback move from Phelps saw him draft past both to move to the front.
As their battle continued, with Jeff-Hall briefly getting back ahead at Brooklands before Phelps regained control through Copse again, the pack behind were able to take full advantage and the top nine cars were split by less than two seconds heading into the final four laps of the race.
Charging into victory contention was Hart, with a double overtake into Copse on lap 14 securing him the race lead. Jeff-Hall hit back with a two-in-one move of his own at Brooklands though, crucially getting him back to the front ahead of Hart and Fernandez.
As the battles intensified on behind them, Hart piled the pressure on Jeff-Hall in the closing laps but couldn’t deny him a sixth win of the season. There was late drama for Fernandez, with damage after an incident on circuit dropping him right down the order on the penultimate lap.
It was Phelps who therefore emerged with the final place on the overall podium, leading home a close train of cars that included Marcus Saeter (R Racing) and Henry Joslyn (Preptech UK). That double top three for Elite Motorsport took them to the milestone of 200 podium finishes in the Ginetta Junior Championship.
Ethan Carney (Preptech UK) put in a great drive to climb from 12th on the grid to a maiden top six race finish ahead of Elite Motorsport pair Ruben Dan and Archie Clark. The latter had been right in the top six battle for a long time, before an incident with Alfie Slater (R Racing) lost them both ground.
Tom Ingram Hill (R Racing) led the next group of cars across the line in ninth, with Ginetta Junior Scholarship winner Jude Peters (E3 Sport) completing the top ten after running as high as fifth early on. Felix Livesey (MDD Racing) was next up in 11th after a brilliant charge from 17th on the grid.
Colin Cronin (Fox Motorsport) was 12th on the road, however a ten-second penalty for a false start dropped him behind Torrin Byrne (Pace Performance) and Slater. Ntiyiso Mabunda (Pace Performance) picked up his best finish of the season so far in 15th ahead of James Ellis (MDD Racing), with Fernandez left to settle for 17th as he nursed home his damaged car.
Sunday
Race two on Sunday morning featured a familiar battle at the front of the field, as Jeff-Hall, Fernandez and Phelps once again locked horns. From third on the grid, Fernandez swept around the outside of Phelps at Brooklands on lap one to start his pursuit of Jeff-Hall out front.
Fernandez made a move stick on lap five to move into the race lead, with the top two going on to run in close proximity throughout the race. Jeff-Hall’s attempts at regaining the advantage intensified in the closing laps and a switchback move through Copse on the final lap got him alongside the leader.
Fernandez hung on around the outside at Becketts though and as the top three entered Brooklands almost as one, he was just able to fend off his pursuers to take his fifth victory of the year. In a drag race to the line behind, Jeff-Hall edged out Phelps for second by just 0.023 seconds.
Behind them, a massive scrap for fourth place saw seven cars in the battle at one stage. Slater held the position early on before a wide moment through Brooklands dropped him back, with Saeter and Hart having spells at the head of the train before Joslyn took control.
Joslyn held the position to the finish, however a five-second penalty for track limits infringements dropped him back to tenth in the final result. Saeter was therefore classified fourth, with a late move from Hart ultimately netting him fifth ahead of Clark, who posted the fastest lap for the second race in a row.
Slater finished up seventh ahead of Dan, Carney and Joslyn, while Ingram Hill picked up 11th in a thrilling 0.011s photo-finish with Livesey. The latter lost two places to Peters and Cronin though due to a track limits penalty, while Holly Miall (Fox Motorsport) fought forward to a seasons’ best 15th.
With the race two result setting the grid for the final race of the weekend, it was R Racing pair Fernandez and Jeff-Hall who led the field away. Hart made early progress behind, picking off Saeter and Phelps to move into third position.
Brooklands corner was once again the scene of many pivotal overtakes through the race, with Jeff-Hall grabbing the lead there on lap two, before Fernandez hit back at the same corner two laps later, and then Jeff-Hall returned the favour again around the outside on lap six.
The top two trading the lead allowed Hart to close on to their tail, while behind there was a six-car battle developing for fourth. The man on the move in the early laps had been Joslyn, climbing from tenth on the grid to lead the train within seven laps, ahead of Clark, Saeter, Dan and co.
Ahead, Fernandez returned to the front on lap nine with Hart following him through to second. Hart briefly grabbed the lead at Copse on the next lap, however his R Racing rivals then bump-drafted their way past down the Wellington Straight; Jeff-Hall leading from Fernandez again.
More slipstreaming action exiting Copse on lap 12 saw the lead change hands once more though, with Fernandez and Hart working their past Jeff-Hall. All this action had opened the door for Clark and Joslyn to make it a five-car scrap for the win, as Saeter led the next gaggle of cars in sixth.
Clark immediately made his presence felt as he targeted a maiden win, passing Hart and Fernandez into Brooklands on consecutive laps to take the lead. It only lasted a couple of corners though, as a good run out of Copse allowed Fernandez and Hart back ahead.
After almost making a move stick into Brooklands on the penultimate lap, a grandstand finish to the race saw Hart pull off a last-gasp pass into the same corner on the final tour to secure a long-awaited first Ginetta Junior victory ahead of Fernandez.
There was another milestone moment behind as Clark crossed the line for his first overall podium finish in the championship ahead of Jeff-Hall and Joslyn. From third on the grid, Phelps slipped back to ninth at one stage before mounting a fightback to round out the top six.
Hot on his heels were R Racing duo Slater and Saeter, while a brilliant drive from Livesey saw him climb from 14th on the grid to ninth. Dan rounded out the top ten with Carney, Ingram Hill and Cronin in close pursuit, followed by Byrne and Ellis.
Alfie Davies (Preptech UK) completed a pair of 16th place results for the day ahead of Peters and Miall, as Jack Robinson (Fox Motorsport) made it three points finishes for the weekend in 19th. Harry Moss (R Racing) meanwhile ended the event with a best result of 20th in the opening race.
In the Freshmans Cup, a new class this season for car-racing rookies with no previous national-level karting experience, Peters moved up to 11 class wins for the season with a double success. Byrne notched up his sixth victory as part of a podium hat-trick, as Davies, Ellis and Mabunda also took home trophies.
Full race results can be found at www.tsl-timing.com/event/243330
All three races on the Silverstone National circuit can be watched back as part of the Alpha Live coverage: Saturday / Sunday
The penultimate round of the 2024 Ginetta Junior Championship season takes place at Donington Park in three weeks’ time (07-08 September).
