Driver Database News

Seb Morris has been crowned 2011 Ginetta Junior Champion after winning round 17 of the season at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit in Kent this afternoon, Saturday, 1st October – the final result though remains provisional until tomorrow due to an unresolved judicial matter.

In scorching hot temperatures, the 15-year-old Hillspeed driver raced through from fifth on the grid to claim his 12th win of a truly dominant season ahead of Beacon Racing’s Niall Murray and privateer entrant Max Coates.

Pole position starter George Gamble retired on lap four after a tangle with Sennan Fielding as the pair battled for the lead. Charlie Robertson, the only driver other than Gamble mathematically capable of preventing Morris from sealing the title today, was the victim of misfortune himself after contact on lap one but fought back superbly to finish a mere 0.182 seconds shy of the podium.

During the closing stages the dice for victory boiled down to Morris and Murray, after Jake Giddings’ bid came to an end three laps from the finish. Passed by Murray at Surtees, after the Irishman had usurped Morris for second two corners earlier, Giddings went wide and dropped behind Morris, Coates and Robertson.

Into the penultimate lap, Murray led by a fraction with Morris – who had taken things fairly sedately during the first half of the race – challenging hard and with the title within reach. Running side-by-side as they headed to Druids Hairpin, Morris took the lead and held the advantage into the final tour but Murray challenged at the same corner the next time around and contact occurred.

Morris continued to claim the victory, and provisionally his second championship title after scooping the 2010 Ginetta Junior Winter Series crown last November, with Murray recovering a couple of seconds adrift in second.

“It feels great”, said Morris immediately after the race, “It was a really hard race, there was a lot of action on track but I managed to come through it all and take another win. I knew it would all kick-off ahead so I held back early on, I pushed to get good lap times but I wasn’t doing anything stupid as the main thing was to finish the race. When the chance came to fight for the win, we took it.”

At the start, Fielding continued his recent run of excellent form with a great getaway from third on the grid but there was no room ahead and he had to hold position initially. Moving to the outside of Giddings at Paddock Hill Bend though, the TJ Motorsport driver climbed into second and although re-challenged at Druids he held the place.

Morris, starting fifth on the grid, was bundled back to seventh at the exit of Druids and Robertson had his own problems at the very next turn, Graham Hill Bend, when contact pitched him into a near spin, save for some terrific car control in his HHC entry.

Gamble held the lead until lap four when Fielding made his way through at Druids and the battling closed the top five right up. The two at the front though came to grief soon after on the Grand Prix loop with Gamble retiring and Fielding eventually able to recover, climbing back into ninth place.

Giddings inherited the lead therefore with Tom Howard up into second, Murray third and Morris fourth but on lap six at Druids Murray made his move and took the lead. Contact at Graham Hill Bend between Giddings and Murray resulted in the latter running wide but on lap seven, the order was shaken-up again with Murray grabbing first place at Surtees and Morris taking advantage too.

Unfortunately for Howard, his race ended with a retirement to the pits on the seventh tour while at the front Morris managed to see off Murray and Coates. Robertson’s recovery to fourth was terrific, as was that of Fielding who posted a new lap record of 1m46.330 seconds (77.90mph). Giddings took fifth in the end with Brad Bailey sixth ahead of Oliver Chadwick in a season-best seventh.

Runner-up Murray commented: “It was a very hard race, I was up to fifth after the second corner and catching the guys ahead of me. I knew I was quicker, I just had to get by them, and I could see Seb catching so I knew I had to get away. There was a bit of movement with Sennan and George at the front, I didn’t see exactly what happened, but they both went off anyway so that put me in third.

“Then I got the lead, locked-up at Druids and then Seb got past. Then we had a pretty hard fight and at Druids on the last lap – well, it was tough. The car felt great today but qualifying was a disaster as my quickest lap was disallowed and that would have put me on the front row. I’m very happy with the race performance though, we carried on from where we left off at Rockingham.”

Coates added: “It was really hot out there, it was just over 30 degrees in the car before we started! I really enjoyed the race, we got a good launch off the line to get around Will Foster but didn’t really have anywhere to go up to Druids. So I decided I should try a do-or-die move and I got about five or six places – I had to do it because where I was I would have been hung out to dry.

“I had a go past Seb on the Grand Prix part of the track but he squeezed me and I then I couldn’t quite keep with him towards the end. The car did go off a bit in the last few laps, I think we were a bit high on the tyre pressures, but other than that the car was great to drive – I really enjoyed it.”

Round 18 of the Ginetta Junior Championship is scheduled to start at 12.10 tomorrow, Sunday, 2nd October, and will be screened live on Freeview, digital satellite and cable channel ITV4, on ITV4 HD and with live streaming as well at www.itv.com/touringcars

Provisional 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship Positions (after Rd17 – inc. drop scores):
CHAMPION: Seb Morris, 490pts; 2nd George Gamble, 364pts; 3rd Charlie Robertson, 358pts; 4th William Foster, 293pts; 5th Max Coates, 269pts; 6th Niall Murray, 268pts

Photo by Jakob Ebrey Photography.

Seb Morris is edging closer to the Ginetta Junior crown as the championship heads to Brands Hatch this weekend, October 1st/2nd.

Morris has notched up an amazing season, as the Chester-based race ace has bagged 11 wins from an ultra-consistent season. Eleven wins are impressive in themselves, as is his ability to score, and score well, in every race of the season. Heading into this weekend’s races, he has a 131-point advantage, but he isn’t thinking about the title just yet.

“We’re getting closer and closer to sealing the championship and it could happen at Brands”, says The King’s School, Chester pupil, “But until it’s properly in the bag we’re not taking anything at all for granted. We’ll be working with the same approach we have all year: get the best set-up we can with the car, focus on qualifying as high up the order as we can and then put together two strong races.”

On overall scores, the 15-year-old’s closest challenger is Charlie Robertson some 131 points adrift but when the category’s double drop score ruling comes into play Seb’s attention turns to George Gamble who moves up into the runner-up position, within 105 points of the Hillspeed star.

Both Robertson and Gamble (TJ Motorsport) have been impressive as well in their rookie seasons in the Ginetta G40s. Gamble won a psychological battle by becoming the first person to defeat Morris when he took the chequered flag first at Thruxton and has added wins at Croft and Knockhill to his tally, while Robertson’s HHC Motorsport-run car scooped wins at Croft and Rockingham last time out. Robertson, at 14 the championship’s youngest driver, has also proved adept at taking lap records, four at the last count.

Between them, these three have locked out the wins but there are plenty of other drivers eager to prove their ability before the season closes. Of those to look for this weekend, Max Coates is hunting down William Foster for fourth in the championship, while Niall Murray (Beacon Racing) and Sennan Fielding (TJ Motorsport) have both shown impressive pace of late. So, too, has team-hopper Myles Collins, now at HHC Motorsport, Patrick McClughan (who had a season-nest of seventh at Rockingham) and Sennan Fielding, while Hillspeed’s William Palmer, son of MSV owner Jonathan, will be eager to go well on home soil.

For some of the closest action this weekend, look no further. Free practice for the Ginetta Junior Championship takes place on Saturday October 1st at 09:00 with qualifying at 12:00. Race one takes place on Saturday afternoon at 17:05 over nine laps, with a shorter eight-lap dash on Sunday at 12:10. You can catch Sunday’s action live on ITV4.

Seb Morris is almost able to place one hand on the 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship trophy after another superb outing at Rockingham over the weekend, 17th/18th September – the teenage racer securing his 11th victory of the campaign at the Northamptonshire venue.

With just four races now remaining this season, on overall scores the 15-year-old has a provisional lead over his closest rival of 131 points and when the championship’s double ‘drop score’ ruling is applied his cushion is still an extremely healthy 105 points.

Mathematically, the championship fight is still alive between the top three in the driver standings but if the Liberty Properties and Legat Owen-backed racer from Marford can continue his sparkling form during the next two rounds at Brands Hatch the title will be his one event early.

Alongside his round 15 victory at Rockingham’s 1.94-mile International Super Sports Car Circuit on Saturday afternoon, a battling drive back up the order to fourth place in round 16 – having been forced off the track on the opening lap at Yentwood – capped off another very strong weekend.

“We built the championship lead a bit more this weekend so I’m really happy with that”, said the Hillspeed driver, “We’ve had two more great results, it’s always fantastic to win, and although I couldn’t quite claim the title at Rockingham hopefully we can take it at Brands.”

Expectedly strong in qualifying on Saturday morning, Seb only just missed out on pole position for the opening race by a mere 0.016 seconds although his second best time placed him back on the third row for the second of the weekend’s encounters.

At the start of round 15 the 2010 Ginetta Junior Winter Series Champion immediately usurped pole-sitter Charlie Robertson after a great getaway although at Deene Hairpin, the second corner, Niall Murray made a bold move around the outside to take the lead.

His spell at the front of the field only lasted a lap though as Seb pressured and mounted a successful challenge at the same turn on the second tour. Quickly stretching away, The King’s School, Chester pupil set the fastest time on lap three to signal his intent although he soon came under fresh attack from title rival George Gamble.

Driving beautifully and soaking up huge pressure, Seb held firm but on lap seven Gamble dived up the inside at Deene to grab the advantage. The delay for the championship leader also gave Murray a chance to consider a move but Seb was wise to that and defended second place very well.

On lap nine the Safety Car was required and after just a single tour under caution, racing resumed with Seb keen to mount an early bid for the lead which he did successfully into Deene. Building a cushion of almost a second into the final lap of the race, the young Welshman did exactly what he
needed to in order to seal win number 11 of the campaign.

Round 16 was a much different prospect for Seb with his third row grid start meaning mid-pack contact would be a distinct possibility. Away from the start-line cleanly, the teenager tried to make his way through Deene and Yentwood unscathed but contact at the latter turned him around and dropped Seb well outside the top 10.

Mounting a stirring recovery with one of his best performances of the year, Seb was into eighth by lap five and then into the top six on lap seven. Into the final lap, he closed up to the train of cars queuing up behind third placed Myles Collins and the ensuing fight gave Seb just the opportunity
he needed to get among the podium contenders.

Grabbing fourth place, he challenged for third at the last couple of corners but just ran out of time and took the chequered flag a mere 0.186 seconds shy of yet more silverware – a truly sensational drive by a class act.

“The car was fantastic and enabled me to come back through quite easily”, he said, “Everything went swimmingly really, the win in the first race gave me a lot of confidence and although it was quite frustrating to miss out on fighting for another win in race two, I did enjoy coming back through the
order. In the end we only just missed out on another podium.”

Only four races now remain in the 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship with the penultimate two rounds taking place just a fortnight from now, over the weekend 1st/2nd October, at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit in Kent.

Provisional 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship Driver Standings (after Rd16 – overall scores):
1st Seb Morris, 494pts

Photo by Jakob Ebrey Photography.

On a day when Ginetta Junior Championship contenders George Gamble and Charlie Robertson both saw their respective title bids falter, points leader Seb Morris increased his advantage in the standings yet further at Rockingham this afternoon, Saturday, 17th September, with win number 11 of the season.

While pole-position starter Robertson was forced off the circuit on the opening lap at Yentwood and had to mount a spirited recovery to ninth position, and Gamble posted his first non-score of the year after crashing out on the final lap, series dominator Morris bagged yet another victory.

Qualifying was unbelievably close with 14-year-old Robertson securing his fourth and fifth pole starts of the season for the weekend’s 15th and 16th rounds of the campaign in Northamptonshire. Morris was a mere 0.016 seconds shy while the impressive Brad Bailey was just 0.073 seconds further adrift.

Robertson wasn’t able to get his HHC Motorsport Ginetta G40 off the line as well as he would like and so Morris immediately grabbed the lead of round 15 on the run into Turn One while second row starter Niall Murray also came into the picture.

Into the first hairpin, Deene, Murray made a bold bid for the lead around the outside of Morris and the move paid off superbly with Gamble coming through from fifth to third shortly before Robertson and Bailey had a coming together at Yentwood.

Through the delay caused by the contact, the top three managed to pull clear of the next group of cars headed by Sennan Fielding and on the next lap into Deene it was Morris’ turn to mount a bid for the lead which he seized. Gamble too tried to make his way past the Beacon Racing driver and completed his attempt successfully on the inside at Yentwood to demote Murray to third.

Morris began to stretch away instantly in his Hillspeed machine and set the early pace but Gamble redoubled his efforts and into lap four he was only 0.4 seconds behind the leader as the pair broke away from Murray. So evenly matched were the leaders, the fighting gave Murray the chance to close back in as Fielding maintained fourth some 1.4 seconds further adrift.

On lap seven, Gamble dived to the inside into Deene to grab the lead back from Morris and Murray also tried to pile on the pressure as they headed to Yentwood. Morris re-challenged at the very same corner on the following tour but Gamble managed to stay ahead – then the Safety Car was deployed to recover the stricken car of the unfortunate Declan Jones.

Racing resumed on lap 10 with Gamble heading a top eight comprising Morris, Murray, Fielding, Foster, Max Coates, Myles Collins and Tom Howard. On the run into Deene, Morris wasted no time and took his chance by slicing up the inside of Gamble to re-take first place once again and the delay for Gamble also enabled Murray to profit as he went through to second position.

From there the TJ Motorsport driver’s race came unstuck as he slipped to fourth behind Fielding at Chapman Curve and then, heading into Deene for the final time on lap 11, Gamble’s involvement came to a dramatic conclusion when an attempt to go around the outside resulted in retirement in the tyre barriers.

Morris ran untroubled to the flag to seal his 11th win from 15 races this season, Murray made a very welcome return to the podium to match his previous season’s best in second and Fielding capped off a fantastic race with his maiden podium in Ginetta Junior.

“George took a slightly wide line, I got up the inside – I knew I could get the move done on the inside there – I checked my reference point and got through”, explained Morris referring to his pass for the lead at the re-start, “I’m really happy to get the win, it’s great for the championship.”

Behind the top three, Coates took fourth place after a strong drive ahead of Collins – the latter’s best finish of 2011 – while the top six was rounded out by William Foster. Following his enforced recovery drive, Robertson salvaged a decent result in ninth place and also added the bonus point for fastest lap after posting a new Ginetta Junior circuit record of 1m36.890 seconds (72.08mph) on lap seven.

Speaking on his runner-up spot, Murray said: “It’s a great result, I got a brilliant start from fourth and tried to get my head down and pull away. But with the tow here, it’s really hard to pull away from the guys behind and when Seb (Morris) got back by I lost a couple of places as I was put wide.

“I just tried to keep my cool, then the Safety Car came out and me and Seb passed George (Gamble) at the re-start. I’m very happy with this result, second matches my best result of the season – well, today is my best finish of the season in the dry actually.”

Podium newcomer Fielding added: “We’ve had the pace most of the season, we’ve just not had much luck, but in today’s race it all went well. We struggled in testing as I’ve never been round here before, and we haven’t used any new tyres, so being on the podium is really good. Every time I get in the car I get a bit faster, a bit more comfortable, so hopefully we can carry on like this tomorrow.”

Round 16 of the Ginetta Junior Championship is scheduled to get underway at 12.10 tomorrow, Sunday, 18th September, and will be screened live on Freeview, cable and digital satellite channel ITV4, in High Definition on ITV4 HD and streamed online at www.itv.com/touringcars

Photo by Jakob Ebrey Photography.

Ginetta Junior Championship pace-setter Seb Morris has his sights set on continued success at Rockingham in Northamptonshire this coming weekend, 17th/18th September, where two more race victories will push him yet closer to the 2011 title.

His record of 10 wins from the first 14 races, a total of 11 podiums for the year so far, evidently tells its own story but the 15-year-old is by no means complacent and knows he will have to fight as hard as possible during rounds 15 and 16 to maintain his healthy lead at the top of the points table.

Thus far this year, only Seb’s second season of car racing action, the Marford-based driver has been nothing short of sensational with a remarkable run of results keeping him at the forefront of the championship battle.

Even when things haven’t quite gone to plan for the young Welshman, as was the case at Croft in mid-June and during the second race at Knockhill in Scotland just over a week ago, he’s still managed to salvage top results.

“I know I’ve still got the pace on the others”, said the Liberty Properties and Legat Owen-supported racer, “I made a mistake in race two at Knockhill and that’s why I finished sixth, it wasn’t down to anyone being quicker than we were. As always, we’ll work hard at Rockingham to get the flow and push as hard as we can for pole positions, podiums and wins.”

Seb will arrive at Rockingham’s 1.94-mile International Super Sports Car Circuit later this week 99 points clear at the head of the driver standings but when the championship’s ‘drop score’ ruling is taken into consideration his lead is reduced to 78 points. Having continually attained large scores this season, The King’s School, Chester pupil’s superb consistency does effectively work against him.

With every race that passes, so the Hillspeed driver gets nearer to placing one hand on the coveted trophy. That said, with 35 points up for grabs for a victory, along with bonus points for pole position and fastest lap in each race, the championship is far from over just yet.

He added: “I’m just going to take it weekend after weekend, race after race, lap after lap – I’m not looking at the championship as a whole yet. I’m focused on doing the best I can every race and I’m hoping Rockingham will go well. It’s a good circuit, especially with the huge stands as there’s always a good turn-out. If you get it right it’s a very rewarding track, I’m confident we’ll be quick there.”

After officially timed testing on Friday, 16th September, an additional 15-minute free practice will take place on Saturday, 17th September, with qualifying following at 12.00 and the first race of the weekend, round 15, scheduled to start at 15.40.

On Sunday, 18th September, round 16 of the Ginetta Junior Championship will get underway at 12.10 and will be screened live on Freeview, digital satellite and cable channel ITV4, in High Definition on ITV4 HD and online at www.itv.com/touringcars

Provisional 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship Driver Standings (after Rd14):
1st Seb Morris, 437pts

Photo by Jakob Ebrey Photography.

Welsh teenager Seb Morris secured win number 10 of the Ginetta Junior Championship season at Knockhill Circuit in Scotland over the weekend, 3rd/4th September, to take his remarkable podium tally for the year to 11 from 14 races.

Concluding the visit north of the border exactly 100 points clear of his closest rival, with just six races now remaining on the 2011 calendar the 15-year-old has taken yet another step closer to his aim of adding the main Ginetta Junior crown to the Winter Series title he claimed last November.

Seb, who resides in Marford near Wrexham, delivered a tremendous performance in round 13 on Saturday afternoon to take his latest win – a good start from second place on the grid soon turning into the lead when pole-sitter George Gamble was pressured into a mistake at the chicane.

Punching in some very rapid early laps, Seb quickly built-up an impressive lead and by the start of lap nine he was over three seconds clear and driving impeccably. Just two laps later though, he had it all to do again when the deployment of the Safety Car erased his clear advantage.

Getting back underway cleanly at the re-start on lap 16, the Hillspeed driver was able to pull away at the front and at the chequered flag on the very next tour he took the win some 1.1 seconds clear of main title rival Gamble.

“I just tried to keep my head, not focus on what was going on behind me and instead concentrate on my own lap times – I treated it like a qualifying run really once I got the lead”, he said, “I pulled away well and then the Safety Car came out! George really heated his tyres up well before the re-start, I was a bit more conservative, and he did catch me up a bit. But I knew I had it in hand.”

Aiming to battle for another win in round 14, the Liberty Properties and Legat Owen-backed driver had a much less straightforward time of things as a he became embroiled in some mid-pack tussling which seriously compromised his race.

Lining up on the front row of the grid again, Seb held second position on lap one but a moment on the second tour dropped him to eighth place and with a lot of work to do to recover. Trying to make some headway, on lap seven the Safety Car was then deployed – offering a good chance for The King’s School, Chester pupil to try and get back among the podium contenders.

In sixth position at the re-start Seb got away well and a lap later he benefited from a multi-car tangle at the hairpin to climb into fourth place. With a podium in his sights, he challenged Niall Murray for third but Seb was the one to suffer at the hairpin the next time around when he was bundled back down to sixth position – his eventual finishing spot.

With only three race meetings remaining on the 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship calendar, the destiny of the title is still far from assured. However, Seb’s three-figure lead at the top of the driver standings means he heads into rounds 15 and 16 two weeks from now in a very healthy position.

Rockingham International Sports Car Circuit, near Corby in Northamptonshire, is the next stop for the Ginetta Junior racers over the weekend 17th/18th September.

Provisional 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship Driver Standings (after Rd14):
1st Seb Morris, 437pts

Photo by Jakob Ebrey Photography.

Knockhill Circuit in Scotland provided the latest test for the teenage stars of the Ginetta Junior Championship today, Saturday, 3rd September, with points leader Seb Morris once again adding to his already substantial cushion with his 10th victory of the year in round 13.

On a very strong day for Hillspeed, Morris’ team-mate Struan Moore secured his second podium in as many race meetings with a terrific third place behind TJ Motorsport’s George Gamble – the latter having to mount not one, but two sensational recoveries having originally led on lap one.

Getting away from pole position well, albeit under massive pressure from fellow front-row starter Morris on the run to the first corner, Gamble threaded his way neatly through the tricky Leslie’s and Scotsman section but on the approach to the chicane he got slightly out of shape.

Handing the lead to Morris, the championship pace-setter didn’t need a second invitation and he proceeded to build a lead of well over three seconds as he looked set to ease to win number 10 of the season. However, a late-race Safety Car period – required after Jake Giddings spun out into the barriers at the exit of Clark’s – did offer some additional spice.

Morris though led away well at the re-start and took the chequered flag on lap 17 just over a second clear of Gamble, for whom the Safety Car intervention was most welcome as it enabled him to move from fourth to second in the space of the final two laps.

“I just tried to keep my head, not focus on what was going on behind me and instead concentrate on my own lap times – I treated it like a qualifying run really once I got the lead”, said Morris, “I pulled away well and then the Safety Car came out. George really heated his tyres up well before the re-start, I was a bit more conservative, and he did catch me up a bit. But I knew I had it in hand.”

After his lap one error, Gamble had to work incredibly hard. Initially slipping behind Morris, he then lost second place to Giddings but applied massive pressure to the FML driver. Then, on lap four into SEAT Curve, Gamble produced a superb pass around the outside to re-take third although it was short lived as he then dropped back outside the top six at Butcher’s.

Over the next four laps Gamble worked his way back into the top four and then after the Safety Car period he picked-off Niall Murray at the first corner of the re-start to go third before then grabbing second place into the hairpin on the final lap from Moore.

Gamble commented: “The team has got the car spot on this weekend – I think we’ve been quickest in every session and second place is more great points for the championship. I’m really pleased with my comeback, when I hit that kerb I dropped back to sixth or seventh and thought it would be really hard but the Safety Car did help me. With another couple of laps I think we could have got Seb.”

Moore, who qualified alongside Giddings on the second row of the grid, battled at the sharp end throughout and took third at the expense of Gamble on lap four before inheriting second two laps later. On course for a career-best finish, only Gamble’s determined recovery and final corner pass prevented him from doing so. Nonetheless, Moore did set a new lap record of 1m02.091 seconds.

“It’s a shame not to have held second to the end, it would have been great for the team to have the one-two”, said Moore, “It all came down to the Safety Car but third place is really good, I’m very happy to be on the podium again. It’s all coming together for us, Knockhill is a good drivers’ track and very tough but I’m really enjoying it.”

Fourth position went the way of TJ Motorsport’s Sennan Fielding, equalling his previous best of the season with a very competitive drive, while fifth placed Charlie Robertson worked hard to steer his HHC Motorsport car into a top five finish – having qualified an uncharacteristic eighth. The top six was completed by Beacon Racing’s Murray.

This weekend also marks the culmination of a campaign in the Scottish Sun daily newspaper, run in conjunction with the Ginetta Junior Championship, to prove youngsters can come straight into car racing without any previous, and often extremely expensive, competitive experience in karts.

Christie Doran, the 16-year-old daughter of Scottish Sun journalist Jon Doran, had only undertaken some basic training prior to today’s encounter but she acquitted herself well and improved her pace markedly between testing, qualifying and round 13. Posting a race finish, the JHR Developments driver will be hoping for another step forward tomorrow.

Round 14 of the Ginetta Junior Championship will take place at 15.00 tomorrow, Sunday, 4th September, and will be screened live on Freeview, digital satellite and cable channel ITV4 and in High Definition on ITV4 HD. There will also be live streaming online at www.itv.com/touringcars

Provisional 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship Positions (after Rd13):
1st Seb Morris, 419pts; 2nd George Gamble, 301pts; 3rd Charlie Robertson, 285pts; 4th William Foster, 257pts; 5th Tom Howard, 217pts; 6th Max Coates, 211pts

Photo by Jakob Ebrey Photography.

Seb Morris is the man to beat in the Ginetta Junior Championship as the series heads to Knockhill this weekend.

Watch a round of the Ginetta Junior Championship and you forget that you are watching teenagers, not yet old enough to drive on the road. When it comes to exciting racing and brave overtaking, there is nothing quite like it! It is also the perfect training ground for tomorrow’s stars. A racetrack or a classroom? Forget theory tests, this is the best way to learn.

Seb Morris (Hillspeed) has been in great form this season. He’s had nine wins, four on the bounce at the start of the season and leads by a margin of 114 points from George Gamble (TJ Motorsport), who beat him to the line at Thruxton. These two are proving to be hard to beat, but they are not invincible: take Charlie Robertson (HHC Motorsport) as an example. The 14-year-old won at Croft and came close to a victory at Snetterton, and has proved to be an impressive newcomer in his maiden season of car racing. This weekend is a home race for Robertson as his family hails from Scotland and he has been a multiple Scottish karting champion. He goes to school in Surrey these days, but is very proud of his Scottish ancestry.

Robertson lies just five points behind Gamble and may well be able to overhaul him this weekend, while William Foster is looming large in their mirrors. Add into the mix Jake Giddings (FML), Tom Howard (Tollbar Racing with WIRED) and Max Coates, plus Patrick McClughan (HHC Motorsport) and Struan Moore (Hillspeed) and there are plenty of drivers all capable of grabbing a top six finish this weekend. Declan Jones will be one to watch as well, having shown increased pace in recent races and he will be a front-runner around the Fife circuit in his Kelvin Jones Motorsport-run car.

The 1800cc pocket rockets have delivered excellent racing all season and the twisty nature of Knockhill will prove who the star drivers are. Get ready for the best battles of the weekend as tomorrow’s stars do battle – today.

For some of the closest action this weekend, look no further. Free practice for the Ginetta Junior Championship takes place on Saturday September 3rd at 10:30 with qualifying at 14:35. Race one takes place on Saturday afternoon at 17:35 over 15 laps, with a shorter 12-lap dash on Sunday at 15:00. You can catch Sunday’s action live on ITV4.

With eight races remaining in the 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship there is still a very long way to go before the destiny of the title is decided, but current points leader Seb Morris is aiming to edge that bit closer to the crown when the action resumes at Knockhill next weekend, 3rd/4th September.

Ahead of rounds 13 and 14 of the campaign, the Marford driver has a remarkable nine wins to his credit – 10 podiums in total from the first 12 races – and is a massive 114 points clear at the top of the championship standings.

Whether leading from the front or battling tooth and nail in the cut and thrust that typifies Ginetta Junior racing, the 15-year-old Hillspeed star has proven to be a class act and he’s certainly set the standard throughout the year with a series of tremendous performances.

In addition to his race success, the Liberty Properties and Legat Owen-backed youngster has notched up half a dozen pole positions and a tally of six fastest race laps – including lap records at Donington Park, Thruxton and his home venue, Oulton Park Island Circuit.

Knockhill is a unique challenge and at just 1.3 miles in length is one of the shortest tracks on the calendar. As always Seb will be aiming to challenge for pole position and to win both races but he’s realistic enough to know, as the second half of the season gathers momentum, consistent finishes are the key requirement to sealing the championship title.

“I’ve worked really hard so far to stretch out as much of a points lead as possible to try and reduce the pressure in the championship”, said The King’s School, Chester pupil, “We’ve got a good lead so that’s boosted me to try and go for more wins without worrying too much. If we can take a couple of good finishes at Knockhill it’ll be great, but my real aim is to go there and fight for wins.

“Knockhill is the most unique track on the calendar, I like it as it brings out a lot of skill unlike some other tracks where you can maybe run wide a lot and not get into too much trouble. It’s a technical circuit and completely different to anywhere else I’ve raced. We were quite quick there last year so hopefully this time around we’ll have a successful weekend.”

Following official testing at Knockhill on Friday, 2nd September, an additional practice will take place on Saturday, 3rd September, with qualifying scheduled for 14.35 and the first race of the weekend set to begin at 17.35.

On Sunday, 4th September, the second Ginetta Junior encounter is expected to start at 12.25 and will be screened live across the UK on Freeview, cable and digital satellite channel ITV4 and also on ITV4 HD. Live online streaming will also be carried at www.itv.com/touringcars

Provisional 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship Driver Standings (after Rd12):
1st Seb Morris, 384pts

Photo by Jakob Ebrey Photography.

Seb Morris got the second half of the Ginetta Junior Championship season off to a near-perfect start at Snetterton 300 Circuit in Norfolk over the weekend, 6th/7th August, with two hard-fought victories in rounds 11 and 12 boosting his lead in the driver standings to an amazing 120 points.

Chalking up his eighth and ninth victories of the season, the 15-year-old’s return to the top step of the podium marked his fourth winning double of the year – similar success having come at Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Oulton Park.

“It’s been a really satisfying weekend”, said the Marford-based driver, “Both races were really tough and we had to fight hard but to take two wins on the new track at Snetterton is fantastic. Jonathan Palmer and MSV (MotorSport Vision) have done such a good job with this circuit – I really like it.”

Although an electrical problem ruled him out of the final practice run on Saturday, 6th August, the reduced track time compared to his rivals didn’t trouble Seb and in qualifying he just missed out on the fastest time of all by a mere 0.1 seconds. Even so, his terrific consistency was such he posted the quickest second best lap of any driver to secure pole position for race two.

Making a good start to the opening encounter on Sunday, 7th August, the Liberty Properties and Legat Owen-backed racer challenged pole-sitter Charlie Robertson for the lead through Riches and although remaining in second place initially, he grabbed the lead at Agostini – the fourth turn.

As a very busy first lap neared its conclusion, George Gamble got a good run up the inside of Seb at Coram to demote the Hillspeed driver to second but into the hairpin on lap two immense pressure from Morris told and Gamble spun out of the lead under braking. From that point on Morris wasn’t headed and although pressed hard throughout, he performed faultlessly to claim the win.

Lining-up for round 12 on pole position, Seb got away from the grid cleanly but slipped to second at the hairpin behind a very fast-starting Jake Giddings. Determined to wrest the lead back in double quick time, the Welsh teenager positioned himself around the outside of Giddings into Agostini but wasn’t quite able to make the attempted pass stick on the exit.

Running nose-to-tail into lap two, Seb’s pressure paid off as he took the lead but on the subsequent tour Giddings tried to fight back. The lead bunch of four cars couldn’t have been closer but Seb held first place strongly. Then, on lap four, Robertson made a bid for the lead – having passed Giddings just before – and sealed the move out of Agostini after squeezing Seb onto the grass.

Although relegated to fourth place, Seb quickly battled back and challenged Giddings for third into the Esses where there was unfortunate contact between the two. Continuing in third place, the dominant championship leader closed down a 1.3 second deficit to the two leaders over the course of the penultimate tour – setting the fastest lap – so the fight for the win became a three-way again.

Into the final lap, the Esses provided the location for more drama when contact between Gamble and Robertson delayed both and left the way clear for Seb to position his Ginetta G40 on the inside for the run through the Bomb Hole and he went on to take the chequered flag 0.4 seconds clear.

“I’d pretty much settled for third place in race two but then the opportunity was there to take the lead so I did”, added The King’s School, Chester pupil, “Croft was a really disappointing weekend in terms of the points score, although I did enjoy the races, so it’s been good to come here, start the second half of the season with two more wins and build the championship lead even further.”

There is now a four week break in the Ginetta Junior Championship calendar with rounds 13 and 14 of the season set to take place at Knockhill Circuit in Scotland over the weekend 3rd/4th September.

Provisional 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship Driver Standings (after Rd12):
1st Seb Morris, 390pts

Photo by Jakob Ebrey Photography.