Racing News from the Ginetta challenge

The Spa Francorchamps gathering of the Ginetta GT5 Challenge proved a mixed weekend for Buddy Racing, with a race win and two 3rd places for Charles Ferguson in the GRDC+ class and frustration for Nick Zapolski who despite his best efforts continued to suffer mixed fortunes, Jack Minshaw continued to improve with his best-placed finish of the season. Glen Broster joined the team for Spa and immediately benefited from the GotBoost Racing engineers’ input, with his best race result of the season. Broster also suffered from misfortunes spinning at high speed through Eau Rouge, and hitting the tyre wall while trying to avoid his new teammate. Both caused extensive damage but the team of engineers from GotBoost Racing got him out for every session.

In the opening race, Jack Minshaw quarrelled over the sixth place, first with Ian Robinson and later Matt Palmer, but held firm to take his best finish of the season so far. Broster recovering from his spin in qualifying showed his potential with 8th. The man of the moment however was Nick Zapolski, who started from the pit lane but battled his way up the 30-strong grid to finish in 11th place.

In the GRDC+ class, a tremendous drive from Gary Wager saw him lead for part of the opening lap before contact with Keogh at the Bus Stop saw the pair lose time and Ferguson reel in the top three. Moving into the third position, Ferguson then clawed his way up the pack, first passing Keogh, and then-leader Hyland, with whom he battled to the flag to take the class win after a drag race to the line.

Race two was very much a rerun of the first encounter at the head of the field, as Pointon made a textbook start and held the lead from Kellett and Chadwick. The action wasn’t just reserved for the front runners either. Zapolski spun after contact with Hirst, and Broster had to take avoiding action which led to him hitting the tyre wall at significant speed. Minshaw meanwhile damaged a wheel leaving him with vibration and handling problems, after both Zapolski and Minshaw made pit stops they were out of the race finishing 25th & 29th respectively.

In the fight for the GRDC+ podium positions, Hyland was once again sitting comfortably in second, but Ferguson was under immense pressure from Wager who had been looking racy all weekend. At the flag, Keogh took another win, from Hyland and Ferguson.

It was the battle of the TCR boys once again in race three, as Kellett and Pointon traded positions for the lead. Whilst Chadwick stuck with the twosome over the opening few laps, he soon fell into the clutches of the chasing Stewart Linn, who had managed to escape early pressure from Elshimy and the two Robinsons.

Credit goes to Nick Zapolski, whose storming race saw him climb from P25 at the start into an impressive P11 by the time the flag fell. Meanwhile, Minshaw had to hold firm to keep Taylor, O’Brien and Broster behind him in the fight over P12, with Broster completing the trio line abreast in 13th.

In GRDC+ Keogh and Hyland were once again the men in control, trading positions but with Hyland ultimately taking the win from teammate Keogh, with Ferguson in third.