Ginetta JuniorGinetta SeriesSportscars

Last Lap Gamble Pays Off For George

2 Mins read

George Gamble took victory in Round Five of the Ginetta Junior Championship after a stunning last corner move at Thruxton. The Nottingham teenager started from pole and traded the race lead with Seb Morris throughout the race, before taking the win by the narrowest of margins, just 0.036s.

Gamble started from pole and led the field through Allard and into the Complex for the first time, followed by Morris. Behind, a poor start for Morris' Hillspeed team-mate Struan Moore saw him drop down the pack, with Max Coates initially taking third, before a superb move by Myles Collins around the outside at Campbell saw him take the place.

There was soon to be the safety car emerging though, after contact between Tom Howard and Niall Murray sent the reigning Ginetta Junior Ireland champion Murray into the barriers on the approach to the Complex, instantly putting him out the race. However before the safety car came out, there was a time for a change of the lead, with Morris making a great move around the outside at the fastest corner on the circuit, Church.

After two laps under yellows, the race restarted with Morris leading Gamble. There was a quick change for third, with Coates getting past Collins at Campbell on lap five, the duo closely pursued by Brad Bailey and Sennan Fielding. Ahead, Gamble got his first sniff of regaining the lead after a mistake by Morris exiting Club saw him run wide onto the kerbs, allowing Gamble alongside as they headed across the straight-finish line and around Allard, but Morris held the place as they went into Campbell.

The front of the pack soon split into pairs, with Morris and Gamble building a small gap to Coates and Collins, who in turn pulled away from Bailey and Fielding. Behind, a battle emerged between HHC team-mates Mikey Day and Charlie Robertson over seventh, with Day losing the spot on lap six, before dropping three more places over the next two laps.

Gamble continued to pressure Morris at the front and it told on lap nine, with Morris making a mistake at Club once again, with Gamble this time able to capitalise and dive into the lead. However it only lasted five corners, before Morris got back through at Noble.

Aiming to close up on the front two was Coates, who had managed to break free from Collins, the latter dropping into the clutches of Bailey and Fielding. After getting past briefly at Club on lap ten, Bailey made his move for fourth stick on lap eleven at Goodwood, with Fielding following through at Church, dropping Collins to sixth.

As the race moved onto its final lap, Morris looked settled in the lead and ready to take his fifth consecutive win, but TJ Motorsport's Gamble had other ideas. After an attempted move around the outside at the Complex failed, Gamble got a good run on the back of the circuit and drew alongside Morris on the approach to the final chicane. It became a challenge of who could brake latest, with Gamble proving the bravest, diving around the outside to get his nose ahead. Despite Morris getting a run out the corner and drawing alongside as they crossed the line, Gamble held on to take his maiden Junior win by the tiniest of margins.

Holding on for his first ever series podium was privateer Coates, ahead of TJ Motorsport pairing Bailey and Fielding. Robertson took sixth after a late move on Westbourne Motorsport's Collins who took seventh ahead of Struan Moore, with Jake Giddings and William Foster completing the top ten. Patrick McClughan, Day, Declan Jones, Eric Morris, Oliver Chadwick and Howard completed the finishers, with Finlay Ratcliffe joining Murray on the retirement list.

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Simon is an experienced journalist and PR officer, who has worked in the national motorsport paddocks for over a decade, primarily on the BTCC support package.
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