Liam McNeilly wins the final race of the 2021 Ginetta Junior season after an off for Aston Millar dropped the newly crowed champion down the order.
The final race of season ended behind the safety car after an off further down the order, leaving Robert de Haan no opportunity to snatch the victory from the Fox Motorsport driver.
McNeilly got the best start off the line and tried to take the lead from Millar, but the R Racing driver had the inside line going into Paddock Hill Bend.
McNeilly slotted back into second, with Will Jenkins close behind.
A small slide into the gravel for Millar allowed McNeilly and Jenkins to squeeze through, but Millar returned to the track before the charging Freddie Tomlinson and Joe Wheeler could catch the leaders.
Millar wasn’t going to settle for third, though, and tried to get alongside Jenkins. The pair made contact and both dropped down the order.
By this point, McNeilly had extended a strong gap at the front of the order, helped by the battle going on behind him.
Robert de Haan eventually came to the front of the chasing group, albeit only after Wheeler was forced into the gravel and span back on track, scattering much of the field.
De Haan tried to close the gap to McNeilly, but the 2021 runner-up was still eight seconds clear when the safety car came out with four laps remaining.
Further down the order, an incident for Thomas Jack Lee took him out of the race, prompting the caution period.
De Haan closed onto the back of McNeilly, preparing for a one lap dash to the flag, but the safety car lights went out as the clock ticked down to zero and the chequered flag was thrown.
Edward Pearson made it an R Racing two-three in his best finish of the season, having avoided the drama durther back to climb up from eighth on the grid.
Jenkins recovered to fourth, ahead of Tomlinson, Josh Rowledge, and Seb Hopkins.
Millar would eventually come home eighth after his incidents, while Aqil Alibhai and James Higgins completed the top 10.
Image credit: Ginetta/Jakob Ebrey Photography
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