I just can’t wait to go racing again following a six-week summer break in the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge since our last event at Snetterton. As I have been since the first event at Thruxton back in May, I start Race 1 at Croft (18 Sep) lying second in my maiden GT5 season.
Despite achieving 11 top-three podiums in the 13 races staged to date, I trail championship leader Josh Steed by 67pts heading to North Yorkshire. He first raced in GT5 back in 2019 so I have to be pleased with what I’ve achieved in my first year in the category in that respect but I want that title!
Briefly looking back to Snetterton, Race 1 was very disappointing. Having started from third on the grid, I was tagged into a spin when I was in second place. I recovered from 16th to ninth but it was an opportunity lost in terms of a bigger points score.
I won Race 2 on the road but there had been the slightest of touches as I took the lead which, unfortunately, the stewards decided I had gained from which resulted in a one-place penalty dropping me down to second place. I felt a little aggrieved, but that’s life sometimes.
In Race 3, which was wet, I started from the front row but dropped to fifth at the start. It was the first time I’d started a GT5 race in the rain and the car bogged down with too little revs I guess. Lesson learnt for the next time it rains! I got my head down and caught up with the leaders but had a moment at Turn 1 which put me back down to fifth again but managed to get third at the flag in another very close race.
Since Snett at the beginning of August, I have been karting each week since I got back to Italy. I’ve been driving a two-stroke Rotax kart at the Circuit of Siena. Most of the time it has just been me on track. The aim has been to help me to stay sharp during the break, stay fast and consistent which hopefully I’ll benefit from at the final two events of the season.
It’s still my hope and aim to win the championship. We tested at Croft earlier this month and it didn’t feel like I’d been out the car because of going karting, so it definitely helped in that respect. With the points gap as it is heading to Croft, I’ve got work to do. I need to turn up for practice on Friday and be right on it straightway.
I can do it, Elite can give me a car to do it, it’s down to me to hook everything up and be ready for Saturday’s quali. The aim of course is to start inside the top-three and go on and score a win of three. That has to be my mission. Win as many of the six remaining races as I can in an attempt to close the points gap. It’s as simple as that.
The gap is pretty big but it is still in my hands to win, I just have to finish ahead of Steed in the remaining races and hope he has one or two bad races himself so that I can take the championship fight down the wire to Donington in October. As ever, my thanks to partners Alpaca/Munroe K – come and say hi in the Ginetta paddock!
