Callum Pointon could take a big step towards being crowned the 2017 Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup champion with a positive showing at Rockingham this weekend, as the series returns to action after a four week break.
Pointon heads into the sixth meeting of the season in Corby off the back of his most successful weekend so far at Snetterton, with a victory and two second place finishes extending his points lead to 95 points with three triple-header meetings remaining.
The HHC Motorsport ace now has an impressive record of eleven podium finishes in fourteen races so far, a level of consistency that has built him his points lead despite six other drivers leading more laps than him this season, and the Snetterton win being only his second of the campaign.
The driver with the most wins so far this season is Pointon’s closest challenger in the points, Ben Green, who has taken three successes so far amongst seven podium finishes, but the Century Motorsport racer is likely to be left to rue three early season retirements.
The early points leader in the championship was George Gamble, but his preparations for Rockingham have been far from ideal as the recent suspension of JHR Developments from all Ginetta competition have led to him and Seb Perez needing to find a new team to compete with.
Their destination of choice is Rob Boston Racing, with the reigning champions expanding to a formidable five car entry as they join existing trio of Jack Mitchell, Declan Jones and Charlie Ladell, meaning they could well be the team to beat in the remaining rounds.
Jones joined the squad ahead of the last rounds at Snetterton and duly recorded his first win in the championship, while Mitchell could well have been a title contender this year were it not for clashing British GT commitments, having taken a win and three other podiums to date.
Gamble meanwhile has been particularly hot and cold this season, with a double win at Brands and podium treble at Croft being coupled with three podium-free outings, whilst Ladell has a pair of top three finishes to his name and Perez is capable of challenging for the top six.
The other race winners on the grid are experienced Supercup hands Carl Boardley and Tom Hibbert, the former’s sole success coming last time out while Hibbert secured a double win at Oulton Park, whilst Reece Somerfield is no stranger to taking the walk onto the Supercup podium.
Whilst it seems a case of when, not if, Pointon will wrap up the outright title, it’s a much closer battle for the Amateur class honours, with reigning double champion Colin White having lost his hold on the points lead last time out to Jac Constable.
Xentek Motorsport’s Constable is on a sensational run of seven consecutive victories in the class, which have secured him a fifteen point advantage heading to Rockingham, but the ultra-experienced White has only finished off the podium once with his own CWS outfit.
Whilst two have secured all the class wins so far this year, Dan Kirby and Jack Minshaw have the potential to break that run by season’s end having each taken six class podium finishes, whilst Ian Robinson and Alexis Taylor have also shown flashes of their potential.
A new face to the grid this weekend comes in the shape of Toby Bearne with Team HARD, while Jason Baker returns to the grid for the final three rounds with Rob Boston Racing following a successful series debut back at Oulton Park.
Full championship standings ahead of the weekend can be found here: http://tsl-timing.com/file/?f=TOCA/2017/173003ptsg50.pdf
