The Ginetta Racing Drivers Club (GRDC) speeds into action at Rockingham Motor Speedway this weekend, as 22 newly qualified racing drivers enjoy their first ever motor race.
Jack Oliphant will share his car with father Paul (who races in the GRDC+ series) and enjoy tuition from older brother Tom, who won the 2015 Michelin Ginetta GT4 SuperCup.
Similarly, Ron Linn from Dewsbury has followed in son Stewart’s footsteps and found himself behind the wheel of a G40. With Stewart a former champion and son-in-law Shaun Goff owner of Optimum Motorsport, he will be sure to have a large fan club descending on Rockingham this weekend.
It seems there’s plenty of local (to Ginetta at least) folks signed up this season too, as a further five drivers hail from the home of the White Rose. Representing Leeds is David Powell, whilst Sheffield is pinning its hopes on Paul Ogle. Former professional remote controlled car racer Richard Isherwood and car collector Richard Anderson will be aiming to take some champagne and silverware back to their hometown of York, whilst completing the collective is Wetherby’s Adam Beaumont.
Across the Pennines, Oldham’s Richard Tetlow joins the grid having heard all about the series from 2015 racer, Phil McGarty. The only female racer on this year’s grid, Tamsin Germain, will be representing London, whilst presenter of Channel 4’s The Love Of Cars, Ant Anstead was a late entry and will be representing Hertfordshire. Coming from slightly further afield, Mike Rogers will make the commute from his home in Munich for each of the four races. Whilst gaining slightly fewer air miles will be Northern Ireland’s Keith Gibson.
Some of the slightly more experienced competitors include Vimto Soft Drinks Rally Champion 1992 Robert Morgan from Rutland, track day enthusiast Karim Sekkat from Oxford and Southampton’s Barry Trumper. Want2race winner Phil Ingram hopes his experience as a Vehicle Dynamics Engineer at Williams Advanced Engineering should make him one to watch this season.
With an incredibly varied grid of ages and experiences, this year’s Ginetta Racing Drivers Club is shaping up to be one of the most exciting yet.
Extract Ginetta News, April 28 2016, 2:02 PM
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