Oliver Basey-Fisher Started His Ginetta Junior Career With A Podium - Photo Credit: Chris Gurton Photography
2012 Ginetta Junior Scholarship winner Oliver Basey-Fisher delivered a remarkable performance on his car racing debut at Brands Hatch, claiming a podium finish on his first weekend in the Ginetta Junior Championship.
The 16 year old started his weekend off well in qualifying, putting his Tollbar Racing with WIRED-prepared Ginetta G40J seventh on the grid for the opening race. Basey-Fisher slipped to eighth early on, but tagged himself onto the back of the main train of cars.
The student gained a spot when a rival went off track and following a brief safety car period, he gained another when the race leader pitted with a puncture. Soon after Basey-Fisher was into the top five and was in position to benefit from contact between two rivals ahead to move into third.
The Century Logistics-backed driver was quickly pushed back to fourth, but when the second placed was awarded a five second penalty for exceeding the track limits, Basey-Fisher knew that a podium finish was on the cards and crossed the line to take a superb debut podium.
Basey-Fisher said: “It was an incredible race. People were going off left, right and centre. I wasn't quite quick enough to keep on the back of the people ahead but I stayed out of trouble and I was quite happy with a top five result, I didn't want to get caught up in anything.
“When I was in fourth and I saw the five second penalty for the guy in third, I happily sat there to take the podium rather than try anything stupid and risk that result. It's an amazing way to start the year, absolutely fantastic.”
Race two saw Basey-Fisher battle to a ninth place finish, which meant he ended his first weekend in cars fifth overall in the championship standings, just one point behind his predecessor as the Scholarship winner, second year driver Sennan Fielding.
The Suffolk teenager added: “It's not a bad way to start my first year. It really is mind blowing to achieve a result like this on my first weekend. I was happy to come here and get a top five or six, even top rookie would have been great. To be on the podium and the top rookie as well, it's more than I could have asked for – I'm so grateful to Ginetta, Tollbar and, of course, my parents!”
