Kiern Jewiss had started to feel like a win would never come his way, but after nine second place finishes in the Ginetta Junior Championship, a maiden success was his in race two at Knockhill.
In typical Ginetta Junior fashion it was far from an easy success for the runaway Rookie Cup leader, with a frenetic race of close fought action eventually only being decided two corners from the finish.
Over the first half of the race it looked set to be a straight duel for the win between Jewiss and Sebastian Priaulx, as squabbling behind allowed them to break clear at the front.
That all changed though when the safety car was introduced after Finley Green span into the gravel at the final chicane, whilst Tom Wood triggered a multi-car incident at the hairpin.
Shortly after the restart a wide moment for Priaulx at Clark’s lost him ground, with Harry King briefly taking second before his engine suddenly cut out heading into McIntyres,
That promoted Daniel Harper to second and the reigning Rookie Cup champion quickly posted the fastest lap of the race as he hunted down his likely successor to the crown, Jewiss.
The Douglas Motorsport team-mates would provide a grandstand finish, with a stunning move around the outside through McIntyres and Butchers earning Harper the lead on the penultimate lap.
Jewiss wouldn’t give up without a fight however and on the final tour, a last gap lunge into Clark’s crucially got him back in front and secured him a long-awaited first victory.
Harper completed a Douglas one-two, while third place for Tom Gamble has moved him just three points shy of the championship lead held by his JHR stablemate Priaulx.
That was aided in part by a difficult last couple of laps for Priaulx leading to him slipping back to sixth behind Jordan Collard, who took a career best fourth place, and Wood.
Tom Canning and Ruben Del Sarte completed the Rookie class podium alongside Jewiss, while Adam Smalley fought back to finish tenth after being one of the cars collected by Wood.
The other belonged to Luke Browning, who took the chequered flag in thirteenth, though Harry Dyson was also caught up in the incident and was forced to retire.
Race one winner King meanwhile was able to get his Elite Motorsport machine back into life and came through to fifteenth place at the finish.
Full race results can be found here: http://tsl-timing.com/file/?f=TOCA/2017/173203gij.pdf
