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2020 Ginetta Junior ChampionshipBrands Hatch Indy

Lebbon crowned 2020 Ginetta Junior champion, Miller takes first win

by Bethonie Waring
written by Bethonie Waring

Tom Lebbon becomes the first Ginetta Junior Scholarship winner to take the overal Ginetta Junior title in his rookie season.

Lebbon came into the season finale five points ahead of title rivals Josh Rattican and Bailey Voisin after a time penalty for Voisin in race one.

Starting from the front row of the grid, Lebbon simply needed to stay ahead of his title rivals in order to take the title.

Race action was delayed after Will Vincent ran into the back of a stalled Freddie Tomlinson at the race start, then was hit from behind by Rowan Vincent. Despite heavy damage to Vincent and Tomlinson’s cars, all drivers were able to climb out of their Ginettas unaided.

The race was immediately red flagged and the field returned to the grid.

On the second start, pole sitter Josh Miller got a strong get away, and was pulling a gap to Lebbon when the safety car was brought out as Trennon Bettany slid into the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend.

There was a lengthy safety car period to clear the vehicle, playing into Lebbon’s favour. Bailey Voisin had had a difficult start and dropped down to eighth on the opening lap, while Rattican hadn’t managed to find a way past Lebbon.

Action resumed with less than five minutes on the clock. Miller again got a strong get away, leaving Lebbon to fight with his title rivals.

Miller held Lebbon at arms length to take his maiden car racing victory, 0.674s ahead of his Elite Motorsport team-mate.

Voisin got a strong restart, immedietly pulling alongside Will Aspin in the battle for seventh. The pair came together and Aspin was forced wide, but managed to stay in control despite losing the position.

As Rattican brought a challenge to Lebbon, Voisin picked of Sebastien Hopkins into Druids.

The top three were running nose to tail heading into the final lap. Voisin managed a move around the outside of Rattican to take third, only for Rattican to fight back and reclaim the position.

Lebbon was just able to edge a small gap to Voisin and Rattican in the final corners as Voisin and Rattican ran side-by-side as they took the chequered flag. Rattican was 0.049s ahead of Voisin on the start-finish line, securing second in the championship standings.

Sebastian Hopkins held off Georgi Dimitrov to take fifth, while Tom Edgar finished seventh ahead of Tommy Pintos, Joel Pearson, and James Higgins.

Image courtesy of Ginetta/Jakob Ebrey Photography

Brands Hatch Indy 2020 Race 2

PR available: Ginetta Junior Update writer Bethonie Waring is available to supply PR and communications services to Ginetta Junior drivers and racers in other selected series. Visit the PR Opportunities tab for more details

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2020 Ginetta Junior ChampionshipBrands Hatch Indy

Rattican victorious as championship fight tightens

by Bethonie Waring
written by Bethonie Waring

Josh Rattican wins the penultimate race of the 2020 Ginetta Junior championship to make it a three-way battle for the title in tomorrow’s race.

Second place for Tom Lebbon leaves him just one point behind Bailey Voisin going into the final race of the season, with Rattican a further five points back.

Lebbon was the quickest starter off the initial grid, snatching second from Voisin and closing in on pole sitter Josh Miller for the lead. Rattican followed him past Voisin and stuck to Lebbon’s bumper, meaning Miller was shuffled back to third when Lebbon forced him onto the outside line.

Before Rattican could challenge for the race lead, the safety car was brought out as Tommy Pintos and Will Aspin ran into the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend.

Pintos’ car was beached enough to bring out the red flags after a handful of safety car laps and the field lined up on the grid again.

Rattican got a good getaway on the restart, taking the lead from Lebbon before the first corner. The field didn’t get much further before the safety car came out again, this time for Trennan Bettany, who ran into the gravel at turn one.

The incident was cleared without the need for red flags and the single file restart meant the field avoided any more drama on the second restart of the race.

Rattican held onto the lead from Lebbon as Sebastian Hopkins and Miller battled for P3. Lebbon couldn’t stick with Rattican for the final few laps and was 1.2s behind his title rival when an off for Liam McNeilly brought out the red flags for a second time with half a minute on the clock.

The race did not resume and Rattican was awarded his fourth win of the season, bringing an end to Lebbon’s string of victories.

Hopkins started 11th, but managed to avoid the drama on the opening lap to climb up to fifth before the first red flag period.

He managed to get the jump on Voisin on the restart and was running fourth when the safety car was brought out ahead of the final restart.

Miller put up a good defence against his fellow Elite Motorsport driver, but couldn’t keep Hopkins behind him. Hopkins came through to take his second podium of the season and extend his advantage over Tom Edgar in the championship standings.

Miller took fourth ahead of Voisin and Edgar.

Aston Millar and Edgar had spent much of the race battling. Millar was ahead at the final restart, but Edgar just managed to edge him out. Millar bounced back just before the red flag was brought out, but was classified seventh as the positions were counted back a lap.

Georgi Dimitrov had a mixed race. After a difficult qualifying, he had managed to climb up the order and was battling Voisin, but couldn’t hold the position and dropped back to eighth.

Freddie Tomlinson and Will Jenkins completed the top 10.

Image courtesy of Ginetta/Jakob Ebrey Photography

Brands Hatch Indy 2020 Race 1

PR available: Ginetta Junior Update writer Bethonie Waring is available to supply PR and communications services to Ginetta Junior drivers and racers in other selected series. Visit the PR Opportunities tab for more details

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2020 Ginetta Junior ChampionshipBrands Hatch Indy

Miller claims maiden pole for 2020 finale

by Bethonie Waring
written by Bethonie Waring

Josh Miller claimed his maiden Ginetta Junior pole position despite bringing out the red flags in the final qualifying session of the season.

Miller was one of three drivers to fall into the gravel at Brands Hatch in the disrupted wet qualifying session.

Miller set the pace early on with a 1m05.000s lap around the Indy circuit. He was briefly knocked off the top spot by championship leader Bailey Voisin, but reclaimed provisional pole position just before an off for Trennon Bettany brought out the red flag just after the 5 minute mark.

The session resumed after a short break, but the green flags were only out for a handful of minutes before two driver ran off at separate parts of the circuit.

Miller ran into the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend and, though he had good momentum, couldn’t keep going and was left stranded. At Clarke Curve, Will Jenkins also ran wide into the gravel.

The falling rain meant lap times in the final five minutes of the session couldn’t compare to those early on, and nobody was able to match Miller’s time.

He ended the morning with a 1m04.470s time, 0.375s ahead of Voisin.

Championship contender Tom Lebbon took third, ahead of Sebastian Hopkins and Joel Pearson.

Will Jenkins qualified sixth and managed to get back out after bringing out the red flag, but was given a black flag for doing so.

Tommy Pintos took seventh, ahead of Tom Edgar, Josh Rattican and Will Aspin.

Image courtesy of Ginetta/Jakob Ebrey Photography

Brands Hatch Indy 2020 - Qualifying

Second Fastest Times

PR available: Ginetta Junior Update writer Bethonie Waring is available to supply PR and communications services to Ginetta Junior drivers and racers in other selected series. Visit the PR Opportunities tab for more details

 

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