Four more champions were crowned during a thrilling final round of the main 2024 Ginetta race season on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit this past weekend (28-29 September).
Ethan Jeff-Hall became the 20th drivers’ champion in the Ginetta Junior Championship, as Mike Taylor and Julian Wantling wrapped up the Rookie and GTA classes respectively in the Ginetta GT Academy, and Raceway Motorsport won the teams’ honours in the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT Championship.
Holding the upper hand in a three-way battle for the Junior title heading into the Brands Hatch finale, Jeff-Hall produced composed drives to fourth and ninth in the opening races of the weekend to secure himself the crown with a race to spare ahead of Chase Fernandez and Charlie Hart.
The six-time race-winner therefore ends the season as a double champion, having already won the rookie class honours. He becomes only the third driver ever to secure both titles, following in the footsteps of Freddie Slater (2023) and Tom Lebbon (2020).
Taylor went into Brands Hatch the clear favourite to secure the GT Academy rookie crown and he wrapped it up in style with a brilliant top three hat-trick. That took his tally to 14 podiums for the season, having also picked up his eighth win in the Kent finale.
A 17th podium of the year at Brands Hatch ensured Wantling emerged from his duel with Marc Elman as the GTA class champion. The success continues his fantastic journey racing with Ginetta, having debuted as a novice back in the GRDC in 2018, before spells in the G40 Cup and GT Academy.
Raceway Motorsport meanwhile secured their second title of 2024, adding the GT Championship teams’ crown to their Am drivers’ success with Nick White. It’s a milestone moment for the Yorkshire squad, who secure their first team accolade to add to no less than seven drivers’ titles to date.
Kelly Edmund – Ginetta Events Manager: “The Brands Hatch finale was a fitting conclusion to a season of brilliant racing and camaraderie across the three championships. We had some nail-biting moments as the title battles played out, and everyone at Ginetta would like to congratulate all of our new champions for the 2024 season.
“Looking ahead, we’ve had some great feedback from teams and drivers following the launch of our 2025 season. There’s been high levels of interest in all three championships, with a number of entrants signed up already, so we’re confident the battle for championship glory next season is going to be even more special.”
While not formal titles, honourable mentions go to Wantling for the most wins in the Chairmans Cup this year, a class for drivers aged 45 and over in the GT Academy, and to Ginetta Junior scholar Jude Peters who scored 17 wins in the Freshmans Cup, a new class this year for car-racing rookies with no previous national-level karting experience.
There remains one champion to be crowned before the 2024 Ginetta race season is complete though, as the Ginetta Junior Winter Series returns next month (02-03 November). It will take place as part of the prestigious Walter Hayes Trophy event on the Silverstone National circuit.
