Over the next few weeks here at btcc.net we’ll be taking a brief look back at each of the support series’ on the TOCA bill whilst pointing you in the right direction for the latest news and opinion ahead of the 2015 season. Today we look at the Ginetta Junior Championship:
The 2014 KICK Start Energy Ginetta Junior championship season drew to a conclusion at the Brands Hatch finale in October as Jack Mitchell claimed the main title and Lando Norris wrapped up the rookie cup.
Mitchell secured the championship after qualifying thanks to a hefty points advantage arriving at his home circuit and his closest rival Kellett failing to claim a pole position for both of the two races. Ironically the crucial pole positions instead went the way of Kellett’s teammate Norris.
Norris started from pole position for the first of the two races with Jamie Caroline alongside, but a strong start for the second-placed man saw him lead into turn one, as Rawles fended off Carlube-backed Ginetta Junior scholarship winner Alex Sedgwick to hang onto third place as the cars crossed the line for the first time.
With the title his, Mitchell had nothing to lose as he powered past Sedgwick and began to reel in Rawles, but as Senna Proctor went straight on at Paddock Hill at the start of lap two, the safety car was deployed and the race concluded in processional format.
The result meant that Caroline claimed his second win of the year, just ahead of Kellett and Rawles, the latter of whom celebrated his first KICK Start Energy Ginetta Junior Championship podium.
Race two saw Norris struggle again on the start, dropping to fourth as Caroline, Kellett and Zelos took the top three positions off the line. The usual opening-lap shuffle also saw Mitchell squeezed onto the grass, where he drifted into the barrier and damaged the side of the car, forcing the champion to limp back to the pit lane and retire from the race.
Back on track, Norris had the hammer down as he passed Zelos and Kellett over the course of a few corners to creep from fourth to second, but Kellett – who already had his vice-championship status confirmed – wasn’t about to let the position go, and the teammates traded places before Kellett spun on lap four and was left to finish his final race in 13th.
With Kellett out of the picture, Norris was left to challenge Caroline for the lead, and the two cars swapped and changed their order on track throughout lap five, with Norris making a move stick at Sheene with just a few laps left to run.
The result saw an all-rookie podium as the 2014 KICK Start Energy Ginetta Junior Championship came to an end, with Norris, Caroline and Zelos proving that the 2015 KICK Start Energy Ginetta Junior Championship is going to deliver an unmissable 20 races from the motorsport stars of the future.
Discussing his championship title, Mitchell said: “I’m over the moon. I just can’t believe it. All the team have put in so much hard work over the year to get me where I am today and my friends and family are here this weekend to give me a lot of support so it’s good to end the season here on a high with them all here.”
KICK Start Energy Ginetta Junior Championship Top 10 Standings
1 MITCHELL, Jack - 513
2 KELLETT, James - 459
3 NORRIS, Lando - 451
4 ZELOS, Dan - 390
5 HADFIELD, Ryan - 361
6 PEARSON, Ben - 324
7 CAROLINE, Jamie - 316
8 CHADWICK, Jamie - 287
9 RAWLES, Jack - 263
10 SEDGWICK, Alex - 240
