Ollie and Jamie Chadwick found themselves in the thick of the action during the latest rounds of the Ginetta Junior Championship at Snetterton.
Ollie started the weekend in superb form, showing blistering pace during Friday testing and Saturday free practice, which he turned into a pair of front row starts in qualifying.
A heavy rain shower just before the start of race one make conditions tricky for the race, but Ollie excelled, propelling his G40 into the lead on the opening lap.
Unfortunately his advantage was short-lived, as a tap from a rival spun him round and demoted him to last place. A determined comeback saw him eventually recover to fourth at the flag.
Another superb launch in race two gave Ollie the initiative once again, with the JHR Developments racer staunchly defending the lead until lap three, when Will Palmer pounced with a bold move around the outside at Montreal.
A scintillating battle for the lead ensued, with Ollie falling back to sixth at one stage before fighting back to grab a superb third place with a brilliant last gasp overtake, despite suffering with an overheating engine.
“I enjoyed the weekend, but our season remains frustrating,” said Ollie. “Fortunately, I kept my head in both races and I was particularly pleased to secure the podium in race two. I was worried my engine might be damaged as the temperatures were soaring and I had to nurse the car, so third is an acceptable result.”
Despite lacking some straight line speed in Friday and Saturday’s practice sessions, Jamies was in a positive frame of mind heading in qualifying, however she continued to struggle in qualifying, leaving her ninth on the grid for both races.
A measured race in the treacherous conditions saw Jamie storm through the order to fourth place, with the Rookie Trophy and a season’s best finish in sight, before a tap from a rival on the final lap spun her to a finish of ninth. This was compounded in race two, when the performance issues reappeared, leaving her a frustrated eleventh.
“I like this circuit,I felt very happy this weekend and was looking forward to some really good results,” commented Jamie. “But I continued to struggle in terms of outright performance. The rain on Saturday came as a blessing and, although we didn’t have the ideal set up, it suited my driving style and I was well on course for a good result, until I was taken out on the last lap.
“I had hoped for another wet race on Sunday, but the day was dry and warm and I just couldn’t get the speed I needed. All in all it’s disappointing, but the team at JHR are excellent and will, I’m sure, resolve the car issues. I’ll be working with a new driver coach, who should hone my own skills. I’m still learning, but anxious to move up the championship table”
