A fantastic 2019 season has seen Ginetta enhance its status as the cornerstone of the British Touring Car Championship support package, with the Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 SuperCup and Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship providing the two highest average grid numbers on the TOCA bill.
The large grids were full of talented drivers who certainly put on a show for the huge trackside crowds and ITV4 television audiences, with thrilling racing on show and hotly contested title battles that went down to the season finale earlier this month at Brands Hatch.
64 different drivers competed across the two championships through the 2019 campaign, with no less than 38 of them standing on the podium at one stage. They competed in 49 races, which were contested over 661 laps totalling 1,175 miles.
Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship:
The 15th running of the UK’s most prestigious and successful junior series saw the latest batch of teenage talents make their mark, with close, exciting racing proving to be a hit for the trackside crowds and television audiences.
Leading the points standings throughout the campaign, James Hedley deservedly walked away with the overall title. Zak O’Sullivan superbly marched to the rookie honours, while other standout drivers included nine-time race-winner Will Martin, Lorcan Hanafin and James Taylor.
The depth of talent on the grid is highlighted by the fact that 22 different drivers secured overall top ten finishes across the campaign. The competitiveness of the championship was clear too, with 15 races featuring winning margins of under a second – twice it was under a quarter of a second!
Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 SuperCup:
The GT4 SuperCup class of 2019 produced a season of captivating racing, with exciting title battles in both the Pro and Am classes featuring plenty of twists and turns before both being decided in the 23rd and final race of the season.
Harry King edged out Will Burns to join a roll call of Pro champions that includes current BTCC stars Tom Ingram, Adam Morgan and Tom Oliphant. In the Am battle, Colin White missed out on a third-class title by just seven points to Nathan Heathcote, who starred in his maiden car-racing season.
A number of landmarks were achieved over the season, including King recording the best race win percentage of any driver in series history (11 wins in 23 races; 47.8%), Will Burns becoming only the sixth driver to reach 100 GT4 SuperCup starts and Colin White tallying 90 Am class podiums.
Ashley Gallagher – Ginetta Motorsport Manager: “It’s been a brilliant season of racing in both the Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 SuperCup and Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship, with both enhancing their status as two of most exciting and competitive series in the UK.
“Both our championships have thrived this year and put on a show for the BTCC crowds and television audiences. With our focus on fair competition in equal machinery, we’ve enjoyed characteristically close, competitive Ginetta racing through the year.
“In Harry King, Nathan Heathcote, James Hedley and Zak O’Sullivan, we’ve had four hugely deserving champions. With 34 other drivers taking home silverware during the season and many more achieving their own personal goals and successes, it’s truly been a great year of competition.
“With our upcoming Ginetta Junior Scholarship and Winter Series events, we’ll get an insight into some of the talents to watch in that series next year, while we’ve had a lot of enquiries for the GT4 SuperCup. We can’t wait to see the 2020 grids shape up over the winter.”
Drivers and teams interested in competing in Ginetta competition in 2020 are recommended to get in touch with Steph Bush (Championship Manager) steph.bush@ginetta.com or Ashley Gallagher (Motorsport Manager) ashley.gallagher@ginetta.com.
