With two new overall race-winners and no less than 13 different class podium finishers across the opening three races, the Ginetta GT Academy is looking as competitive and exciting as ever heading into the second round of the season this weekend at Silverstone.
Charlie Digby (MDD Racing) is the early GTA class points leader after a stunning debut weekend at Donington Park earlier this month. Seven years on from his last appearance in the Ginetta paddock, the former GT5 Challenge front-runner made a triumphant return to action with two overall race victories and a second-place finish.
The other race victory on the opening weekend went the way of Jamie Caudle (E3 Sport). Returning to the grid this season after scoring multiple podium finishes last year, he reached new heights at Donington Park with his maiden GTA win and will have more success in his sights at Silverstone.
Another driver to watch this weekend will be James Nicholas (E3 Sport), who won both GT Academy races on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit last year. One of the standout rookies in 2024, he’s now stepped up to the GTA class and started his season with a pair of podium finishes.
Alex Deighton (Paradine by Xentek) enjoyed a brilliant Ginetta debut at Donington Park, celebrating a GTA podium in his maiden race. Julian Wantling, a class winner at Silverstone last year on his way to the GTA title, and his E3 Sport team-mate Mike West also started the season inside the top six overall.
They’re part of a competitive pack of drivers who will be hoping to record their first GTA podium finishes of 2025 this weekend, including Paul Livesey (MDD Racing), Robin Grimwood (E3 Sport) and W2R duo Peter Thompson and Lucie Hodgson.
Bolstering the GTA ranks this weekend will be Gilbert Verdian (SVG Motorsport), who makes his first appearance of the season after contesting two rounds in 2024, whilst former GRDC racer Chris Babington (W2R) returns to a Ginetta grid for the first time in nine years.
In the rookie class, the early pace-setters were car-racing debutants Sam Shrimpton (W2R) and Shiv Sapra (Paradine by Xentek). The latest winner of the PalmerSport Ginetta Race Scholarship, Shrimpton starred with a podium hat-trick including two victories, while Sapra excelled by qualifying fourth fastest overall and securing the other class win.
MDD Racing’s Louis Darling and W2R pair Joe Edge and Allan Wright also picked up rookie podium finishes during the season opener, while fellow W2R racer Damien Duffy will be aspiring to secure his first Ginetta trophy this weekend.
Follow the action across the weekend on social media, @GinettaCars.
Provisional Timetable:
Saturday 26 April: Qualifying 13:30; Race One 17:50
Sunday 27 April: Race Two 09:00
Both races will be streamed live on Ginetta’s YouTube channel, while live timing and results will be available via TSL Timing.
