Ginetta GT5 Challenge

GT5 Challenge Sunday Round-up: Brown Dominates Rockingham

3 Mins read

A spectacular weekend from Lewis Brown saw the Ginetta GT5 Challenge driver collect two wins and two second places over the two days. He left Sunday as the top points scorer and takes the championship lead as the grid pack up from Rockingham Motor Speedway. Elsewhere, an up and down weekend from Shane Stoney saw him collect the Race three silverware.

Race 2

Winner: Lewis Brown – R J Motorsport

A maiden GT5 victory from Lewis Brown saw the pattern of four winners from the opening four races continue, eventually finishing over four seconds clear of his rivals in the R.J. Motorsport team car.

It was a strong start for Simon Traves, battling for second, but a defiant defensive display from Lewis Brown saw the Ginetta Junior driver hold onto second and break away with pole sitter Ryan Hadfield at the front.

There was disaster for the championship leader though as Alex Toth-Jones got on the grass in the run down to Yentwood, spinning across the track.

All eyes were on the leading two and on the fifth lap, Brown finally made the move into the Deene Hairpin. Hadfield could do nothing to defend and was unable to keep up as the race progressed.

Oliver Wilkinson, who had been a front-runner during the Saturday race was back at the fore after a disappointing result in race one. He eventually finished third during a lonely encounter.

Traves’ impressive getaway had not transferring into race pace, quickly falling away, into the clutches of those behind. Before long he found himself holding off Katie Milner for fifth, during an intense final lap battle.

Shane Stoney had been the points leader going into the event, but was involved in an incident during the opening lap. A spectacular fight back through the field saw the #89 classify seventh behind Steven Wells.

Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Race 3

Winner: Shane Stoney – Privateer

A good start for Shane Stoney saw the former MINI CHALLENGE racer take the lead even before the first corner. From there, Stoney did not lift, pulling out a lead of comfortable margins.

Polesitter Max Bird was quickly swamped into the first corner, but managed to establish himself in second during the early part of the race before clipping the kerb into the final corner and losing three places.

Simon Traves had been the first to make it through, but Ryan Hadfield, Traves and Lewis Brown all diced over second during the fourth lap with Brown winning the initial battle. It wasn’t long before a seven car battle formed for second.

One of the gaggle, Oliver Wilkinson put in an audacious move to take third as Hadfield started to fall back with technical issues. Brown and Wilkinson would break away in second and third while Katie Milner inherited the fourth position left by Hadfield and Bird.

Stoney would take the chequered flag, despite being caught slightly by Brown in the closing lap. Rounding out the podium would be Wilkinson recovering well from his dire opening race of the weekend.

Milner would go on to finish a distant fourth as a final lap overtake saw Steven Wells beat Bird to the line. Hadfield would struggle to eighth behind Luke Pinder.

Oulton Park Race 3 (Race 4)

Winner: Lewis Brown – R J Motorsport

The cancelled final race from Oulton Park was rerun at the end of the day, with the grid formed from those who featured in the Oulton weekend fourteen days ago.

Katie Milner had been on pole position, but it was Simon Traves who came out in front after the first corner, due to a poor start for the Team One Call driver. Traves’ advantage did not last long though as Ryan Hadfield and Lewis Brown took up first and second once again.

Brown would bide his time, taking the lead into the hairpin and building an advantage as the race went on. He would eventually win by 2.1 seconds as Hadfield settled for second place.

After falling back at the start, Milner was back on form towards the end of the race. It was too little too late for her though, only securing fourth as Traves held onto his third place.

Despite winning the final scheduled Rockingham race, Shane Stoney had a quiet run to fifth while sixth went to Nick Zapolski who will be disappointed with a weekend that could have provided so much more.

Credit: Nick Smith / TheImageTeam.com
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Single-Seater Specialist who worked for TCF from 2015-19. Come finding me wandering the paddock.
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