Ollie Chadwick made it four wins in the opening five Ginetta GT5 Challenge races of the season with a dominant double victory from a Thruxton weekend he described as “perfect”.
Chadwick showcased his pace around the high-speed Hampshire circuit in qualifying by putting his Xentek Motorsport G40 on pole position by just shy of a second.
The reigning vice-champion went on to lead every racing lap of the two races, producing a pair of fastest laps over four tenths of a second faster than any of his competition.
Having seen title challenges come short in the championship over the past couple of seasons, Chadwick says it was important to take full advantage of his pace from the weekend.
“It was a perfect weekend with two poles, two wins and two fastest laps, we couldn’t have asked for anymore,” said Chadwick.
“I don’t think I’ve ever done that before, and it’s a shame we didn’t have a third race this weekend as we feel really strong around here.
“I’m really happy, you’ve got to take all the points you can in these situations as you don’t know when things can go wrong.
“A small mistake can ruin a whole weekend, so you need to open the opportunities and take them where you can, like we’ve done this weekend.”
Chadwick Starred In The Thruxton Sunshine – Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography
The guest appearance on the BTCC support package brought Chadwick back to a Thruxton circuit he’d previously finished on the podium at back in 2013 in the Ginetta Juniors.
The 20 year old feels his previous experience at the circuit naturally aided his challenge around the unique circuit, but feels the work of the Xentek team is key to his current form.
“It’s not the most technical circuit, but it’s certainly one where you’ve got to be brave,” he reflected.
“We do Spa and people say that’s a fast circuit, but this is a whole new level as the whole back of the circuit is almost flat out.
“Experience certainly helps, we’ve raced this championship twice and competed at Thruxton before, but like everyone else we hadn’t raced this car at this circuit.
“Xentek are doing a fantastic job and that’s been key. People think it’s easy being at the front, but there’s reasons why we’re there
“The team are working extremely hard to come up with new ideas, finding ways to develop the car and keep moving forwards.”
The 2016 Ginetta GT5 Challenge returns to action at Oulton Park on May 28-29, when the series returns to the British GT support bill.
