The PMW World Expo Racing / Optimum Motorsport Ginetta made tidy work of pole position ahead of tomorrow’s 2 hour race at Rockingham.
The championship leading #50 Ginetta G55 picked right up on its Brands Hatch winning form, Graham Johnson among the first out and getting the best of a clear lap in the ‘Am’ session. His time of 1:22.878 headed the GT4 times almost immediately, the #50 entry staying nailed to the top of the timing screen for the rest of the qualifying session.
The Century Motorsport G55 of Sean Byrne was showing good improvement for second, just 0.4 seconds shy on 1:23.279, with Alex Reed proving the Lanan Racing team’s decision to stick with its Ginetta for the rest of the season was sound, just a tenth off.
But despite resurgent form the Ginettas weren’t having it all their way this time out. Jamie Chadwick wound up the #44 Generation AMR Racing Aston Martin GT4 to relieve Reed of third before pitting early. Meanwhile Anna Walewska’s Century Motorsport Ginetta was spotted parked up on the inside of Turn 1. After just two flying laps her #73 G55 succumbed to the same crank sensor problems that had plagued the car all day, despite setting fastest times in Free Practice earlier on.
One second covered the top five, Sandy Mitchell’s McLaren 570S rounding this up; a solid 1:23.857 further evidence of the car’s steady progress.
Walewska’s Ginetta was recovered, but unfortunately was to take no further part in the session. With a 15 second penalty from their second place at Brands and now a start from the back, big points are looking like a tall order for the Century car.
Graham Johnson: “I’ve not been feeling too well these past few days so I was happy with my laps. I think we can get pole, but we have a twenty second penalty to think about tomorrow. I doubt we could win the race, so a podium is the target.”
The ‘Pro’ drivers took their seats for the second ten minute session and it was soon clear Johnson’s confidence was well founded. Mike Robinson got down to work early in the PMW Expo Ginetta; one flyer was all that was possible from the tyres and Robinson made it count. Three consecutive purple sectors delivered a 1:22.934, the car straight back into its pit, job done. The resulting aggregate time of 2:45.088 was never bettered.
Robinson: “It’s our first pole, so I’m absolutely delighted. We were one of the first cars out and so we both got a good clear run. Graham handed the car over to me and told me I had just one lap. The tyres went off rapidly so I’m glad we didn’t have any traffic.”
The #59 Ecurie Ecosse McLaren improved to third in the hands of Ciaran Haggerty, his 1:22.522 better than Aleks Schjerpen’s 1:22.934 in the #40 Century Ginetta, but not quite enough to take the front row position on aggregate.
So it would be Ginettas on the front row, the McLaren sharing the second with the #44 Generation AMR Aston Martin GT4, Matthew George having done enough to keep his car in contention.
Jordan Stilp’s RCIB Team Hard Ginetta was deposed from fifth in the closing minutes after another strong showing, he and team mate Will Phillips sharing the third row with the #407 Beechdean Aston Martin GT4 of Jack Bartholomew and Jordan Albert who had stolen their position. Both these cars had times disallowed for exceeding track limits, but their positions stood.
With Ginetta apparently in rude health another solid result for the marque would seem a reasonable bet. But with the pole-sitter due a penalty the Aston Martins look well placed to take advantage. Ecurie Ecosse have yet to prove their McLaren’s reliability over a full race distance but its steady improvement could auger well for the new car’s contention.
