There were mixed fortunes for some of the Ginetta Junior series Girlracers at Snetterton last weekend. Cassey Watson was out of the weekend before the meeting even started. The conditions of her sponsorship deal means she has to give her car up to her team mate (the Sponsors son.) if needed. His car was not repairable in time for the weekend and so he took over Cassey’s machine. This was a huge blow to the Evesham based driver with the Norfolk circuit being one of her favourites. She had been fastest there at a test session and so had high hopes of winning her first race of the season.

The loss of Cassey, left three girl racers to contest the weekend’s two races, Alice Powell, Sarah Moore and Mia Morgan who was returning to the series after missing Croft. Sarah Moore was the fastest of the trio after qualifying taking an excellent 10th place. Alice Powell took 12th with some mystery car problems causing a lack of speed on the straight. Mia Morgan was 19th and hoping for better in the races. The Son of former Formula one world champion Damon Hill, Josh took an excellent pole position, with George Richardson, Thomas Carnaby, and Dino Zamparelli making up the top four.

Hill got an excellent start for the first race but was soon passed by his team mate Richardson into the Esses. Alice Powell had an even better start shooting up to 8th place. Dino Zamparelli then spun at the Russell chicane the mistake dropping him to the tail of the field. Carnaby then seized 2nd from Hill, who didn’t take this lying down and immediately set about trying to regain his position. Carnaby was equally determined in trying to take the lead from Richardson and the three battled for lap after lap but the positions stayed the same with the top three being, Richardson, Carnaby and Hill. Powell was in an excellent fifth on the last lap but with her mystery car problems still causing trouble she lost the place to a recovering Zamparelli. Sarah Moore took 12th with Mia morgan sadly failing to finish.

1st 6 Thomas Carnaby TollBar Racing 13:29.959
2nd 28 George Richardson TollBar Racing + 0.152
3rd 55 Josh Hill TollBar Racing + 0.497
4th 23 Daniel Lloyd Tockwith Motorsport + 8.993
5th 8 Dino Zamparelli Muzz Racing + 10.530
6th 15 Alice Powell Tockwith Motorsport + 11.968
7th 29 Ashley Craig Driver + 12.591
8th 91 Fergus Walkinshaw TollBar Racing + 12.592
9th 25 Aaron Williamson TJ Motorsport + 13.141
10th 24 Simon Austin Driver + 14.503
11th 51 Alex Austin Tockwith Motorsport + 24.094
12th 26 Sarah Moore Tockwith Motorsport + 30.068
DNF 27 Mia Morgan Driver

Sunday’s race saw another Tollbar podium lockout with the same three drivers, Carnaby, Richardson and Hill in the top three. Richardson this time taking the win from third on the grid. Sarah Moore had an excellent drive taking 9th place. Sadly Alice Powell’s car problems returned leaving her languishing down in 11th. She wasn’t pleased with this;
“I’ve been suffering from problems all weekend and it’s making me look bad, we aren’t sure what is wrong with the car but something is making it cut out on the straights.”
This is the last thing you need at Snetterton and Powell had done well in getting the results she had. Mia Morgan had probably the best race of her very short Ginetta Carreer beating fellow rookie Tom Howard.

1st 28 George Richardson TollBar Racing 13:25.393
2nd 6 Thomas Carnaby TollBar Racing + 0.332
3rd 55 Josh Hill TollBar Racing + 3.171
4th 8 Dino Zamparelli Muzz Racing + 3.510
5th 23 Daniel Lloyd Tockwith Motorsport + 3.861
6th 91 Fergus Walkinshaw TollBar Racing + 6.257
7th 60 Jake Batty TJ Motorsport + 18.147
8th 24 Simon Austin Driver + 18.506
9th 26 Sarah Moore Tockwith Motorsport + 19.016
10th 86 Jake Farndon Driver + 19.808
11th 15 Alice Powell Tockwith Motorsport + 20.009
16th 27 Mia Morgan Driver + 1:19.988

Zamaprelli’s lead is now looking less solid at the head of the championship with Carnaby catching up fast. Hill, Lloyd and Farndon look set to battle over 3rd place. Powell will be hoping her mystery car problems will be solved for Oulton Park, with Watson hoping to get her race car back from team mate Alex Austin so she can get a chance to actually race! Both are likely prospects for podiums and possibly even wins if things go their way. Both Sarah Moore and Mia Morgan will be hoping for further improvements to help move them further up the field, with Moore in particular looking likely to soon join Watson and Powell in the front running battle. The Oulton Park races will be in two weeks time when the BTCC circus arrives in Cheshire.

STOP PRESS: Due to her ongoing car problems, Alice Powell has now switched teams from Tockwith to Muzz racing, who run championship leader Dino Zamparelli. She will be hoping this puts an end to her problems and into a position to win races during the rest of the season.