Ollie Chadwick won both of the pole positions on offer from the final qualifying session of the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge season at Donington Park.
Xentek Motorsport driver Chadwick, the third of the three drivers entering the series’ finale weekend with a chance of lifting the title, was a step ahead of his rivals throughout the session, continually improving his time to remain out in front. He began the session with a 1:51.846 and eventually took the fastest time – and pole position for Saturday afternoon’s first race – with a lap of 1:45.844. His previous lap – 1:48.878 – ensured he will also start from pole for the second race of the weekend when the grid is set by drivers’ second fastest time.
Several drivers took up the mantle of being Chadwick’s nearest challengers during the session with his title rivals Dennis Strandberg and George Gamble as well as Callum Pointon holding second spot at some point during the session.
Eventually it was Gamble, who holds a comfortable lead at the top of the championship, who clinched the second front row spot for the opening race. Gamble will also start Sunday’s morning’s race from second but the split in possession of the third place spots – Pointon for the first race, Strandberg for the second – reflects the ever changing nature of the back in the middle of the top ten.
Swede Strandberg, the other man in contention for the title, will start the first race from fourth ahead of Stewart Linn and Gary Simms.
Optimum Motorsport driver Linn will start from fourth ahead of Luca Hirst, due to line up seventh for race one and Pointon with Simms seventh.
G20 class poles were shared between Alex Preston and Brian Murphy.
Preston set the fastest time among those in the older, open top, car (1:51.873) with Murphy second fastest as regular class leader Stuart Pearson struggled for pace. the top two’s roles will be reversed for the second race of the weekend before the finishing order of race two sets the starting grid for the final race of the season in Sunday afternoon.