Ginetta GT4 Supercup

Victory For Wrigley In Thrilling Knockhill Closer

2 Mins read

Tom Wrigley has taken his second Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup win in as many meetings during a superb, action-packed final race of the weekend at Knockhill.

It was Reece Somerfield who started the race from the reverse grid pole position and the privateer maintained the advantage off the line, with Ollie Jackson launching past front-row starter Wrigley into second place.

That only lasted a couple of laps though before a slick move from Wrigley into the first corner on lap three gave him second place, and the Rob Boston Racing man was soon right under the rear bumper of the leader.

Jackson followed him though, and a slow exit from Clarks for Somerfield on lap eight allowed the former BTCC racer to try and overtake them both around the outside at the hairpin, however he found himself shoved wide on the exit and he slotted back into third.

The man on the move behind meanwhile was championship leader Tom Oliphant, who was looking to complete a rare hat-trick of victories on a Supercup weekend. After passing Will Burns into Clarks on lap seven, Oliphant dispatched Jamie Orton in style around the outside at the hairpin three laps later.

Oliphant was straight past his Century Motorsport team-mate Jackson at the next corner, while behind contact between Michael Caine and Orton left the latter stranded at the side of the track with a broken suspension.

A lap later and the change for the lead finally came, as Somerfield’s hardened defence was finally breached with an opportunistic move by Wrigley into Scotsman – with the new leader breaking away almost instantly as Somerfield was left defending from Oliphant.

Oliphant attempted a move for second around the outside into the first corner on lap sixteen, however a slide heading down Duffus Dip meant he ended up losing a place to Jackson into Scotsman – though only briefly, with a drift wide for Jackson giving the spot straight back exiting the corner.

Three laps later Oliphant was finally able to make a move stick for second, storming around the outside into the first corner. Jackson tried to capitalise heading into Scotsman, but only preceded to hit the back of Somerfield, causing damage to the front of his car that required a trip to the pits.

By this point, Wrigley was already nearly five seconds clear at the front and maintained that gap for his second career Supercup win, while Oliphant took second for his eleventh consecutive podium finish.

The battle for the final podium spot came to a head three laps from the finish, with Burns getting through at Clarks to complete a podium hat-trick for the weekend. Somerfield had cutback in behind him after the move, but in doing so he found himself hit hard from behind from Caine.

Despite his rear right tyre rubbing against broken bodywork, Somerfield was able to maintain fourth place to the flag, while Caine slipped back to sixth behind Carl Breeze as a severely flapping bonnet left him with limited visibility.

For Breeze it had been a subdued race, the 2012 champion not seeming to have the pace to capitalise on the action in front and gain ground. In seventh meanwhile was Colin White, completing an AM class treble for him, while Osamu Kawashima was next ahead of his Century team-mate Jackson.

Orton’s retirement and the troubles across the weekend for Breeze means that Oliphant has extended his championship lead to 59 points with nine races remaining, while Orton holds a 13 point advantage over Breeze for second.

Full race results can be found here, while the championship standings following the weekend’s action are here.

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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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