Ollie Chadwick brought his three year spell in the Ginetta Junior Championship to a close with victory in the final round of the 2013 season at Brands Hatch, completing his double success for the weekend.
In true Ginetta Junior style, the final race of the season proved to be an action-packed affair, with Chadwick’s closest challengers Keith Donegan and Will Palmer amongst those coming to grief in the six-lap encounter.
Front-row starters Palmer and Tom Jackson got fairly even starts off the line, though they were quickly under pressure from a quick-starting Donegan into Paddock Hill bend, the Irishman squeezing into second at the exit of the corner behind Palmer.
Jackson briefly held third, however his place was lost following a great move around the outside at Graham Hill bend by Chadwick, who nearly snatched second around the outside at the next corner.
Donegan made his first challenge for the lead at Paddock Hill on lap two, however his attempt around the outside was not successful, resulting in him running wide through the gravel, into the barriers and out of the race.
The Douglas Motorsport ace’s absence left Chadwick with a free run on Palmer heading into Druids. The leader ran wide on the exit of the bend, giving Chadwick a prime opportunity to pass into Graham Hill bend, which he duly did to grab the advantage.
Three laps later Palmer mounted his challenge back for the lead, the HHC Motorsport driver getting ahead at Druids as Chadwick ran wide. The erstwhile leader got back up the inside at Graham Hill bend though, with the pressure resulting in a spin for Palmer.
Palmer’s demise gave Chadwick a comfortable lead at the front of the field, the JHR Developments racer bringing the car home to cap off a sensational finale weekend.
“It’s a near-perfect weekend,” enthused Chadwick. “We were only two points off securing a maximum haul this weekend. Our start wasn’t great, but we were able to pick them off one at a time and it all came together. Will’s incident behind gave me some space and that meant I could control the pace, not take any risks and bring it home. I’m delighted.”
Jackson emerged from the shuffle in second, the Junior Race Car Academy racer matching his best result of the campaign, while Jack Mitchell completed his superb rookie season with third, his fourth overall rostrum finish.
Behind them, a fiercely-fought battle played out throughout the race. Rookies Jamie Chadwick and James Kellett battled it out in the early stages, trading positions almost every lap. Kellett eventually got the upper hand and brought his HHC Motorsport car home in fourth.
Chadwick’s impressive run came to an end two laps from the end however, an optimistic move from a recovering Palmer at Sheene resulting in contact, with both left beached in the gravel trap.
There incident allowed Josh White to come through for his best finish of the season in fifth, with Jack Rawles emerging from another frantic race to round out the top six. Ben Pearson recovered from a first lap spin, caused by a tap from Rawles, to take seventh, with fellow rookies Jonathan Hadfield, James Webb and Tom Brown completing the finishers.
Full race results can be found here: http://tsl-timing.com/toca/2013/134103gij.pdf
