Louise Richardson produced a sensational recovery drive to win Round 11 of the 2010 Ginetta Junior Championship, in the process firmly placing herself in the hunt for the championship. The 17 year old recovered from mid race contact to work her way back to the front to win the action packed race.
Richardson began on pole position, joined on the front row by Team Parker Racing's Adam Bonham. His team mate Chris Swanwick was behind in third, with championship leader coming into the race Jake Hill completing row two. Tom Ingram and Jody Fannin made up row three.
From the start, Richardson held on to her lead, with Bonham slotting into second, closely followed by Hill. As they headed through Sear, Hill gained a better exit onto the straight, getting into Bonham's slipstream and sliding past as they entered the Esses. Bonham quickly took his place back though, with a good run through Coram allowing him to make a late lunge into the Russell Chicane.
Although back in second, a poor exit for Bonham allowed Hill right back onto his bootlid. Hill seized the chance to get back past again instantly and moved to the inside as they entered Riches. The youngster carried too much speed into the corner though, pitching his car into a spin, taking Bonham off circuit in the process, dropping the pair down the order.
The incident moved Swanwick into second, ahead Fannin, Sarah Moore, Alex Austin and David Moore. Swanwick began to catch Richardson out front and made a move for the lead on lap five. Moving into her slipstream down the Revett Straight, he drew alongside her as they approached the Esses. Coming from the outside, he cut across the front of Richardson, resulting in contact pitching the pair into spins. Fannin shot passed into the lead, with Richardson recovering to fifth, Swanwick much further back.
Sarah Moore and Austin were promoted to second and third, though Austin quickly made a move at the Russell Chicane later in the lap. He slid past under braking in the first part of the chicane, but Moore quickly fought back, pulling off a tremendous move to go around the outside of him on the second part of the chicane to retain her position.
After being punted out of the lead, Richardson was quick to try and work her way back up the order. After squeezing past David Moore at Sear on lap six, she caught onto the back of the Austin/Sarah Moore battle on lap 7. With Austin making a move on Moore going into Sear giving the two poor exits onto the straight, Richardson had a run. As they headed into the Esses it was three abreast, but Richardson had the nerve to brake last, passing two cars in one go moving her into second.
She quickly went about hunting down leader Fannin, while behind Austin and Moore just wouldn't stop fighting for position. Austin tried to repeat his move at Sear from the previous lap, but once again poor exits for the two allowed the car behind to get a run, this time Ingram. He wasn't able to pull the same move as Richardson though, slotting behind the pair, but got past them on lap nine, the final lap.
Back at the front, Richardson was all over the back of Fannin as they entered the final lap. Getting into his slipstream on the Revett Straight, she was able to move alongside, forcing Fannin to get defensive. This forced him to brake last and run wide in the corner. Richardson seized this chance, by cutting back at the second part of the Esses, drawing alongside and making the move stick into the bomb hole.
The TJ Motorsport driver held on for the final three corners to record an eventful maiden win in the series. Rookie Fannin followed for a great second place, while Ingram finished third to cap a brilliant recovery drive, after gear troubles on lap one had dropped him back as far as 17th. The Austin/Sarah Moore battle was going to the end, with Austin getting a poor exit out the final chicane, giving Moore a chance to draw alongside. As they crossed the line, it was almost a dead heat, though Austin kept fourth by 0.084 seconds. Behind a brilliant drive by Seb Morris gave him his best result in car racing in sixth, with David Moore, Tom Howard, Maverick Domene and the disappointed Swanwick rounding out the top then. After his earlier spin, Hill recovered to twelfth, not a good point haul for the title contender.