Charlie Robertson Led From Start To Finish In The Brands Hatch Sunshine - Photo Credit: Chris Gurton Photography
Charlie Robertson bounced back from his disappointment in Round One to take a comprehensive victory in Round Two of the Ginetta Junior Championship at Brands Hatch.
HHC Motorsport's Robertson was leading Round One when he suffered a puncture and he made amends with a lights to flag victory in race two, a race that saw Round One winner Niall Murray take second and with it the early championship lead.
In a reversal from race one, it was Robertson who started on pole with Sennan Fielding alongside him, but a repeat scenario saw Robertson get the better start to lead into Paddock Hill for the first time from Fielding, though he lost second place to Murray at Druids on the opening lap.
Sitting fourth was George Gamble, ahead of JHR Developments Ollie Chadwick and HHC Motorsports William Palmer, though Palmer was soon under pressure from Douglas Motorsport's Andrew Watson, the Irishman making his way past for sixth in lap four. Making strong early progress was Hillspeed's Pepe Massot, the Spaniard working his way from last on the grid into the top ten early on, before passing Nathan Harrison on lap five and Palmer on lap nine to reach seventh.
At the front, Robertson held a small lead over Murray in second, with the front two beginning to break away slightly from Fielding and Gamble, the duo who made contact in race one having a close tussle over third. Gamble made a move for the spot on lap eleven at Paddock Hill, looking to the outside and selling the dummy before switching to the inside and sliding past to take the position.
Robertson controlled the remaining few laps to take the win, with Murray taking his eighth consecutive Ginetta Junior podium in second. Gamble held on to third from Fielding and his team-mate Chadwick.
The great fight for sixth continued over the final three laps, with Massot falling behind Palmer on the penultimate lap, before fighting back to pass both Palmer and Watson at Paddock Hill on the final lap to take sixth, with Watson seventh and Palmer eventually dropping to tenth behind Hillspeed's Harrison and reigning Ginetta Scholarship winner Basey-Fisher. Beacon Racing duo Harry Woodhead and Keith Donegan were next up, Woodhead working his way to eleventh after stalling on the grid, while the final finisher in thirteenth was RPM Motorsport's Elliot Paterson.
Provisional 2012 Ginetta Junior Championship Standings (After Rd. 2):
- Niall Murray – 65 points
- George Gamble – 57 points
- Charlie Robertson – 46 points
- Sennan Fielding – 39 points
- Oliver Basey-Fisher – 38 points
- Nathan Harrison – 36 points
