Starting today (5th November), the three day contest will see the 60+ entry whittled down to one eventual winner, who will enjoy one of the biggest prizes in UK motorsport; a fully-funded season in the 2022 Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship.
Each of the qualification days will see the entrants tested by a range of assessments. On-track, they will get behind the wheel of a fleet of Ginetta G40’s around the Blyton Park circuit. The cars are being supplied and run by a number of the leading teams from the Ginetta Junior paddock.
Judging their driving from the passenger seats will be Ginetta factory drivers Charlie Robertson and Mike Simpson, former scholarship winners Adam Smalley and Sennan Fielding, fellow Junior alumni Ben Green and Max Coates, and experienced racers James Littlejohn and James Gornall.
It’s not just about the drivers’ talent behind the wheel though, as ITV commentator Richard John Neill will be on hand to test their media skills, while Ginetta’s in-house personal trainer Richard Chessman will be putting them through their paces in a range of fitness assessments.
For updates throughout the contest and to find out who the winner is first, follow our social media channels, @GinettaCars.
Ashley Gallagher – Ginetta Motorsport Manager: “We’re very excited to get the 2022 Ginetta Junior Scholarship contest underway at Blyton Park. With more than sixty drivers ready to battle it out for the prize, we’ve got three very competitive days ahead of us.
“We feel our range of assessments allow us to test the key attributes of a racing driver and ultimately pick out a worthy winner. We’ve seen our scholars go on to enjoy great success in the Juniors and beyond, and we’re confident of finding another star of the future this year.”
The Ginetta Junior Scholarship has unearthed a number of hugely talented drivers, including two-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick, 2021 Ginetta GT4 SuperCup winner Adam Smalley and leading GT talents Daniel Harper, Stuart Middleton and Sennan Fielding.
Last year saw history made as two drivers were awarded scholarships for the first time, Robert de Haan and Maurice Henry. Both made their mark this season, with de Haan becoming the third driver ever to win the Rookie title as a scholar.
Of the 27 drivers to reach the final day of the scholarship last year, eleven went on to join de Haan and Henry in competing in the Ginetta Juniors this season, while two have raced in the GT5 Challenge.
