After almost two years since his last win in the series, Nigel Moore returned to the top step of the Michelin Ginetta G50 Cup podium with victory in Round 20 at Knockhill. Moore, the first ever G50 cup champion in 2008, returned to the series at Croft earlier this year, with this his first win of the season as a guest driver. With guest drivers not picking up championship points, it was second placed Frank Wrathall who came away from the race with full championship points, helping to close the gap at the top of the standings.
It was another guest driver who secured pole position, former Renault Clip Cup and Seat Cupra Cup champion Jonny Adam in the Ginetta 'VIP' car. Moore lined up alongside him, with Century Motorsport's Benji Hetherington and Dynojet's Wrathall on row two. Freddie Hetherington and FML's Aaron Williamson lined up on row three.
Back at Knockhill for the first time since he competed at the track in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship in 2009, Adam was looking to become the second 'VIP' car driver to win this season, after World Touring Car Championship racer Robert Huff took the car to victory in the first three rounds at the series opener at Thruxton.
He got off to a great start, holding off Moore into Duffus Dip for the first time, but his challenge for the race win was soon to be over, with race officials serving him a drive-through penalty for a start-line infringement. He lost the lead before taking the penalty though, Moore passing at the Hairpin on lap two for the lead. With Adam taking his drive through short after, it was left to Wrathall to take the fight to Moore, closely followed by Hetherington siblings Benji and Freddie.
Wrathall quickly caught up to Moore, putting the former champion under immense pressure, though at the same time coming under pressure from Hetherington behind. As the race progressed over halfway, the front pair was able to shake off the attention from those behind, building an advantage at the front.
Behind, the man on the move was Wrathall's title rival Carl Breeze. A mistake in qualifying left him ninth on the grid, with problems early in the race leaving him to work his way through the field as the race progressed. By lap five, the Total Control Racing driver had moved into the top six and on lap eleven, he moved into the top four ahead of Freddie Hetherington.
At the race moved towards its conclusion, Wrathall began to suffer from brake problems, dropping him off the back of Moore and back into the clutches of Hetherington. This gave Moore an easy run to the line for the win, the Tockwith driver crossing the line with a victory margin of over 3 seconds. Behind, Wrathall had to defend hard from the quicker Hetherington. As they headed out of the hairpin for the final time, Hetherington was able to draw alongside, but Wrathall just had enough pace to hold on for second and full championship points. Breeze finished fourth for some vital championship points, ahead of Freddie Hetherington, Adam Morgan and Joachim Ritter. Adam recovered from his earlier penalty to finish eighth, recording the fastest lap of the race in the process, with Tom Sharp ninth. Neil Houston rounded off the top ten, the Optimum Motorsport driver taking part in his first G50 race for over a year, in the process winning the Chairman's Cup honours after class leader Colin White retired two laps from the end.
