Multiple race-winner Colin Cronin, scholar Fred Green and Winter Series star Joseph Smith are part of a capacity six-car entry from former champions Elite Motorsport in the Ginetta Junior Championship this year.
The Norfolk-based team head into their 11th consecutive season of Ginetta Junior racing aiming to add to their 14 title successes to date. That includes four overall drivers’ titles and three teams’ crowns, while they’ve accumulated more than 50 race wins and 200 podium finishes.
Cronin makes the switch to Elite for his second season in the championship after a standout debut campaign with Fox Motorsport. The Irishman charged to a breakthrough race victory at Donington Park en-route to a top ten points finish.
The 16-year-old talent then added another win as he finished runner-up in the season-ending Winter Series. He’ll be joined in the Elite awning this season by his older brother Robert, who is competing in the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT Championship.
Colin Cronin: “My aim for this season is to consistently run at the front of the pack. If that happens, hopefully I can be in the fight for the championship.”
Eddie Ives, Elite Motorsport: “I am extremely pleased that Colin has decided to join our Ginetta Junior team for 2025. He really impressed us in the Winter Series and he knows what to expect going into this coming season. He has fitted into our team really well in a short space of time during winter testing.”
Joining Cronin in linking up with Elite for his second year in the championship will be Ethan Carney. A debut season with Preptech UK featured a handful of top ten finishes, before the American / Australian racer joined Elite for the Winter Series and scored a best result of seventh.
Ethan Carney: “Having spent only a couple of years in karting, the 2024 Ginetta Junior season was a year of steep learning. But I’m certain it’s laid the foundations for a very competitive season with Elite Motorsport this year.
“I want to achieve certain personal aspirations on-track but equally important is contributing positively to Elite’s bid for more Teams’ title success.”
Eddie Ives: “Ethan joined us for the Ginetta Winter Series and immediately got to work. We know exactly what Ethan needs to concentrate on to improve. Everyone at Elite looks forward to making some big progress with him as he goes into his second year.”
Smith will enter his first full Junior season this year after making an immediate impression on his Winter Series debut. The 15-year-old from Cambridgeshire topped the timesheets in official testing before scoring a hat-trick of rookie class podium finishes and a best result of second overall.
Joseph Smith: “I’ll be working hard to try and win both the outright and Rookie Ginetta Junior titles. I’m looking forward to the ups and downs plus developing with Elite Motorsport on the journey.”
Eddie Ives: “Joseph impressed us from the off and excelled at the Winter Series. I am confident that with a thorough test programme under his belt prior to the season beginning, Joseph will run at the front of the field next year despite his lack of car racing experience.”
Green is set to make his car-racing bow as the latest recipient of the coveted Ginetta Junior Scholarship. The karting graduate, who was crowned the 2024 IAME EuroCup vice-champion, beat a record-high entry of 70 young drivers to win a fully-funded season in the championship this year.
Fred Green: “My aim this year will be to do myself and Ginetta proud after winning the Scholarship. I want to represent Ginetta in the best possible way and make the most of the opportunity that’s been given to me. Hopefully I can also achieve success for Elite Motorsport during the course of the season as well.”
Eddie Ives: ““I am delighted that Fred has chosen Elite Motorsport for his Scholarship year. Ginetta has a good, proven record of picking talented drivers for the scholarship and I have no doubt that Fred is continuing this trend. We have seen some great progress from Fred over the winter.”
The Elite line-up for 2025 is completed by two more drivers embarking on their first season of car-racing. Revie Lake, son of British GT and European GT4 racer Steven, prepares to join the grid with lots of simulator experience under his belt.
Emmilio Valentino Del Grosso meanwhile is set to become the first ever Venezuelan driver to race in Ginetta Juniors. The 15-year-old has recently competed in IAME Euroseries and IAME Series Benelux karting.
Revie Lake: “Despite my lack of physical racing experience, I’ll be aiming for a Rookie class win and hopefully an overall top-ten in the championship this year. I have taught myself everything I know up until now on a simulator, practising daily, combined with some guidance from my dad.
“I’m under no illusion of the tough challenge that lies ahead and that I’m making a big jump. But I believe with the help and experience of Elite Motorsport, I can make the transition and am very excited and raring to go.”
Emmilio Valentino Del Grosso: “In my debut season of car racing, I aim to challenge for the 2025 Ginetta Junior Championship. That said, I fully understand that the competition will be formidable.
“I will work closely with my team, Elite Motorsport, to maximise performance, consistency, and racecraft, with the ultimate goal of securing the championship title.”
Eddie Ives: ““We are really pleased to have Revie and Emmilio joining us for 2025. Although Revie has a very limited racing experience, he has been around cars and motorsport for many years. I’m confident this will aid his progression where he has already had moments of looking fast in testing.
“Emmilio has limited experience too, but his natural ability combined with his remarkable work ethic and attitude, will see him develop quickly. We’re really looking forward to seeing how he progresses through the season.”
Ginetta is introducing a range of enhancements for 2025 to keep every rung of its unique motorsport ladder at the front of the grid for years to come, including the introduction of the Ginetta G56 GTP8 and Ginetta G40 Junior Evo. More information can be found here.
