Freddie Slater has been crowned the provisional 2023 Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship winner. Reza Seewooruthun was the star of the show at Brands Hatch with a perfect victory treble this past weekend (09/10 September).
Reza Seewooruthun (R Racing) stormed to a brilliant double pole position in qualifying ahead of Elite
Motorsport pair Hugo Schwarze and Alisha Palmowski. Henry Joslyn (Preptech UK) matched his best
qualifying result of fourth, with Mckenzie Douglass (Fox Motorsport) a seasons’ best fifth.
Seewooruthun converted his pole position into a brilliant lights-to-flag win in the opening race,
however he certainly didn’t have it all his own way as Schwarze and Palmowski latched onto his rear
bumper through the first half of the race.
After a safety car period bunched up the pack, Seewooruthun held off his pursuers again to secure
his maiden win in the championship ahead of Schwarze. Palmowski put in a great defensive drive in
the closing laps to keep hold of third, with Luca Hopkinson (R Racing) taking fourth.
Hopkinson had impressively shot from eighth to fourth on the opening lap and led home the close-
fought duo of Mikey Porter (R Racing) and Douglass. Joslyn finished seventh after an exciting battle
with Tom Spragg (Preptech UK) and Chase Fernandez (Assetto Racing).
Finn Harrison climbed from 16 th on the grid to a top ten finish ahead of his Elite Motorsport team-
mate Charlie Hart, with a pair of Preptech UK cars next up in Brea Angliss and Alfie Davies. Felix
Livesey (MDD Racing) and Fox Motorsport pair Holly Miall and debutant Jack Robinson completed
the finishers.
Seewooruthun doubled his win tally in the second race of the weekend, but once again it was far
from easy. A fast-starting Palmowski grabbed second into the first corner and after an early safety
car period, she proceeded to heap the pressure on the race leader.
They had a tense duel through the second half of the race, but a faultless drive from Seewooruthun
netted him the win. Behind, there was an epic scrap for third place as a multi-car train contested the
position, starting with Porter and Schwarze swapping the position multiple times in one lap.
Harrison joined the party and was up to third briefly before a trip through the Surtees gravel trap,
which meant Porter eventually came home with the podium finish. Hart picked off Schwarze coming
out of Druids on the final lap for fourth, with Schwarze’s failure to finish on the podium provisionally
securing Slater the 2023 title.
2023 Ginetta Junior scholar Fernandez was caught up in an incident on the run to Paddock Hill Bend
on lap one and fell to the rear of the field. A brilliant recovery drive after the safety car saw him rise
to sixth place in the end ahead of Edu Robinson (R Racing) and Spragg.
Hopkinson joined Fernandez in slipping to the back on lap one and fought back to ninth, with
Harrison left to settle for tenth after his moment. Davies picked up the best result of his Junior
career so far in 11 th , while debutant Nick Ellis (Elite Motorsport) grabbed 12 th off Angliss on the final
lap.
Harry Moss (Fox Motorsport) and Miall completed the finishers. Livesey had shot from 19 th to tenth
on lap one before ending his race in the gravel trap, with an action-packed race also claiming Jack
Robinson, Joslyn and Douglass.
Seewooruthun completed his perfect weekend with another lights-to-flag success in the closing race,
completing his run of leading every single lap across the three races. Palmowski once again piled on
the pressure, but was unable to breach his defences.
Early moves for Schwarze and Fernandez moved them into the top four at the expense of Porter,
with Hart joining them to make another exciting multi-car battle. Fernandez and Hart gained a place
each on lap five, a moment that secured the former his seventh podium of the campaign.
Porter ended up completing the top six ahead of Hopkinson, who overtook Harrison on the final lap
after a safety car period left a one-lap shootout to the flag. Another driver to progress at the end
was Douglass, impressively gaining three places on a single lap from Edu Robinson, Spragg and
Joslyn.
Full race results can be found at www.tsl-timing.com/event/233605
All three races can be watched back at www.youtube.com/user/ginettatv
The final rounds of the 2023 Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship season will take place at
Donington Park on 21/22 October.
