After being rained off the day before, round eight of the the Ginetta Junior Championship at the North-East circuit Croft finally got under way with Will Martin leading the field home and round 9 to be rescheduled for another race weekend.
For qualifying the weather was dry but cloudy, James Hedley qualified in pole with Will Martin following closely, his rookie teammate Casper Stevenson took third place. Roman Bilinski qualified in fourth and James Taylor in fifth. Bring up the rear of the grid was Molly Dodd and Hayatham Qarajouli. Lorcan Hanafin did not take part in qualifying. For Croft weekend there was a new addition to the grid of Tom ward, Elite Motorsport, who qualified in thirteenth place.
With the rain holding off, Richardson Racings’ Will Martin made a brilliant get away from pole at the first corner and did not look back for the duration of the race. Going on to take a well deserved victory.
Throughout the race it was a battle for second and third between Casper Stevenson, James Taylor and James Hedley.
Just over half way into the race James Taylor came out of the hairpin and onto the straight but ended up clash with the the barriers, allowing Stevenson and Hedley to overtake leaving him in fourth. Hedley went on to take second and top rookie Stevenson takes third overall and first on the rookie podium. Second on the rookie podium was Theo Edgerton in sixth and third placed rookie was Zak O’Sullivan with eighth overall. O’Sullivan has achieved either a rookie or overall podium eight out of eight times this season.
Ben Kasperczak achieved his best finish to date with a place of tenth, despite having proir practice sessions.
It was not Roman Bilinskis race, on the first lap he got hit from behind, sending him straight into the barrier, bending the tracking on his suspension.
Ben O’Hare spun out at the hairpin, causing a safety car until he was recovered. Daniel Gale, Harry Dyson all ended up retiring from the race early. As did Josh Rattican due to his bonnet getting stuck under a wheel; Debutant Tom Ward also did not finish.
James Hedley set the fastest lap, with a lap time of 1:39.845
