Doran ends the season on a high at Oulton Park

Christie Doran has signed off the 2017 season with a superb podium finish in the VAG Trophy finale at Oulton Park. In a weekend which featured the largest Class B grid in recent years, Doran steadily improved throughout the meeting after a lengthy build up to the final event. Qualifying in sixth, Christie held this position during the opening race before finding an extra turn of speed in race two to end the season with a podium result in third.

Christie Doran ended her VAG Trophy campaign on a high with a podium finish at Oulton Park. Photo Credit – Lewis Houghton

After almost two months away from the track, Christie was eager to end the season on the high at Oulton Park. A positive test session on Friday ensured Doran’s preparations for a hectic race day on Saturday begun in the best possible way as she targeted a return to the podium. Looking ahead to the meeting, Christie commented “We wanted to end the season on a high and we have done that. It looked like being a tough weekend. Testing had gone well but I just struggled to hook everything up and get a really good lap time, but I still felt confident in qualifying”. Qualifying saw the strongest lineup of Class B drivers take to the circuit, with red flag interrupting the early part of the session. As qualifying progressed, Christie fought her way through traffic to set her fastest time on the final lap of the session to qualify sixth in Class B.

Lining up sixth for the opening race, Doran was aiming to move forward in what was set to be a 20-minute race on the International layout of Oulton Park. The opening laps saw Christie involved in a close battle with Scott Fletcher as her rival took over sixth as the pair ran nose-to-tail. On lap four the safety car was brought out with Christie passing Barrie Culley to re-take sixth position. A lengthy clean up meant only one green flag lap remained as the safety car came in. This led to a frantic dash to the flag with a number of position changes throughout the lap culminating in a sixth place finish for Doran. Looking back on the opening race, Christie was frustrated but remained positive saying “Unfortunately, I was down the hill and couldn’t really see the lights. I got a poor start. I made up one place and was looking to overtake going down to Hislops but an A-Class was going really slowly and I had to bail out. Then we had a lot of laps behind the safety car and just one lap racing at the end. I couldn’t do anything. It was a bit frustrating, but I had to settle for sixth”.

Race two was set to be another close affair with a number of cars out of position on the start. This led to chaos on the opening lap as one-third of the field was involved in an accident which Christie was able to avoid. After a red flag period, the race got underway with Christie moving into second position at the end of the first lap. Doran’s resistance was broken shortly after as Simon Tomlinson took over the runner-up position with Christie slotting in behind her rival. This proved to be a wise move as Christie set her fastest lap of the weekend and remained in touch should Tomlinson make a mistake. As the race progressed, Doran held third position to claim a well-deserved podium result in the final race of the VAG Trophy season. Speaking of the chaotic second race, Doran said “I was determined to end the season on a high. I made a great start but there were a lot of cars damaged on the run down to Cascades. The race was red-flagged and we had to do it again. I had another great start was up to second in class by the first corner. Simon Tomlinson was a guest driver for the round, and was right with me at Lodge. It made more sense to let him go rather than risk anything fighting him so I let him past and then concentrated on building the gap to Scott Fletcher. Nothing was stopping me getting a podium but I was also happy to finish 11th overall”.

Christie was delighted to claim a third place finish after a challenging start to the weekend. Photo Credit – Lewis Houghton

Christie’s season has ended on a high after a great performance in the second race of the weekend where she showed the best speed all weekend. This secured Christie third place in the Class B VAG Trophy standings, with attention turning to the 2018 season where Doran is still assessing her options in what is set to be an exciting year. Reflecting on the season, Christie said “It has been a long hard season. We started so well at Rockingham but then the crash affected my confidence. Slidesports have given me a great car and I was delighted to get the results for them. My engineer, Oli Larsen-Wright, has been great on the car. He has been so laidback all year – just what I have needed. Team boss Mark Jenkins has worked hard with me and I was delighted to pay him back with that result. Now the focus turns to next year. I am not sure what we will do. My sponsors have been great in helping me race this year and we need to talk to them about next year. The VAG Trophy is a tough series and I have finished in the top three for the past two seasons”.

You can keep up to date with Christie’s racing progress using the social media links below:

Website – http://www.christiedoranracing.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/ChristieDoranRacing
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/RacingCD

Alice Hughes crowned Mighty Minis champion

Alice Hughes has claimed the Mighty Minis title in the season finale at Pembrey. Arriving into the weekend with a healthy championship lead, a front row starting spot led to a runner-up finish in the opening race of the weekend. A retirement in race two could’ve led to a tense finale, however Alice’s championship rival Damien Harrington also failed to finish which enabled Hughes to claim the title with one race to spare. It has been an impressive return to the championship for Alice who finished almost half of the races on the podium, including a dominant weekend at Brands Hatch.

Alice Hughes claimed the Mighty Minis title at Pembrey. Photo via Alice Hughes Racing

The weekend started off with a practice session on Saturday morning with Alice setting the sixth fastest time, with her consistency particularly impressive heading into qualifying. Starting positions are not always vital in the Mighty Minis Championship, nonetheless, Hughes knew a solid grid slot would give her the best chance for the races ahead. Alice was immediately on the pace in qualifying and despite unable to make any improvements in the second half of the session, her quickest time was second fastest in a very close session.

Starting from the front row of the grid, Alice completed the first lap in third and defended well in the opening stages as pressure mounted from behind. After dropping a position to Stuart Coombs on lap four, the leading drivers closed up which enabled Hughes to reclaim a podium spot on lap seven. The following lap saw Alice take over second position as she commenced her battle with season-long championship rival Damien Harrington. The pair traded the lead multiple times in the closing stages of the race with Alice just missing out on the race, still claiming valuable points for her championship challenge.

Lining up in seventh due to a reverse grid for race two, Alice made a great start and moved into fourth at the end of lap one. After some extremely close racing in the following laps, Hughes moved into a podium spot, before overtaking Owen Edgley for second on lap five. Sadly, two laps later Alice retired as she was beginning to close the gap to the leader. However, with her championship rival Harrington also failing to finish, this meant Alice was crowned Mighty Minis champion with one race to spare.

Despite failing to finish in race two, Alice had done enough to secure the championship with one race to spare. Photo via Alice Hughes Racing

With the championship already secured, Alice did not take to the track for the final race of the season at Pembrey, in what has been a highly successful return to the Mighty Minis Championship. Showing her versatility on a range of circuits, Hughes fully deserves her maiden circuit racing title where she has continued to thrive in action-packed races.

Alice should be extremely proud of her championship run which has seen her showcase her qualities over a single lap, as well as out front and overtaking from deep in the field. Consistency has been crucial for Hughes, especially at Anglesey at the start of the season where she didn’t have the speed to content for wins, but still collected valuable points. This is also highlighted by the fact that Alice claimed just two victories across the season, but six other podium finishes and four fastest laps underlined her pace. Hughes will now work on her plans for the upcoming year where she will aim to build on her momentum and ensure she is once again challenging towards the front.

You can keep up to date with Alice’s progress using the social media links below:

Website – http://www.alicehughesracing.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/AliceHughesRacing
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/AHughesRacing

Positive end to the season for Lydia Walmsley at Brands Hatch

Lydia Walmsley has completed her first full season in the Junior Saloon Car Championship with a positive weekend at Brands Hatch. Fighting adversity in testing and qualifying, Lydia was aiming for a strong race day and delivered a pair of excellent showings to finish eighth in race one, followed by a superb recovery drive in the second race to finish in ninth after contact from behind early on. This ensured Walmsley finished well inside the top-10 in the overall standings, narrowly missing out on a top-5 placing.

Lydia Walmsley completed her Junior Saloon Car Championship campaign with a pair of top-10 finishes at Brands Hatch. Photo Credit – Marc Waller

Lydia arrived into the weekend aiming to end the season on a high, but suffered an early setback as a failure in Friday testing led to a high-speed off at Paddock Hill bend. Nonetheless, the team worked hard and ensured Walmsley was out for opening practice on Saturday where she recorded the seventh fastest time. The drivers were given a second practice session ahead of qualifying which Lydia took full advantage of by completing 13 further laps and setting the 10th fastest time of the drivers who contested the session.

Qualifying took place later that afternoon with Lydia aiming to set her best times of the weekend. Red flags interrupted the session early on as some of her rivals pushed the limits in the final meeting of a hotly contested season with the championship still up for grabs. Slowly improving her times during the 15-minute session, Walmsley qualified 12th for both races, achieving her best time of the weekend in the process. It was a great effort from Lydia who had never competed in a race weekend at Brands Hatch before, as well as suffering from a fuel issue as the session came to an end.

An overnight stewards decision led to two competitors being excluded from the weekend, promoting Lydia to 10th on the grid for the opening race. Walmsley made a fantastic start and almost entered the top-5 entering Paddock Hill for the first time, crossing the line in seventh at the end of lap one. A thrilling battle with Liam Thompson followed as Lydia defended admirably from her rival in the opening stages, fending off a number of attacks. Thompson finally breached Walmsley’s defence on lap 12, with Lydia tucking in close behind to ensure she would be ready to pounce if her rival made a mistake. Fending off Thorburn Astin in the closing stages, Lydia crossed the line in eighth to claim a solid finish given the earlier setbacks in the weekend.

Lydia finished eighth in the opening race of the weekend, taking advantage of a strong start. Photo Credit – Marc Waller

Once again lining up on the fifth row of the grid, Lydia made another excellent start to begin race two and moved into eighth at the end of the opening lap. After some close battles early on, Walmsley gained two positions on lap six with her next target being George Smith. Unfortunately, Astin took an ambitious lunge to overtaking Lydia shortly after, with a nice save from Walmsley enabling her to continue in 11th. Lydia soon began her fightback by passing Charlotte Birch on lap 11, followed by Bailey Bateman on lap 14. Walmsley was even able to get back to the bumper of Astin in the closing stages, just coming up short of being able to make a move on her rival. This meant Lydia crossed the line in ninth, a solid end to the weekend in a race which saw her run her best lap of the weekend.

Brands Hatch proved to be a successful weekend for Lydia as she demonstrated great racecraft in both races to attack and defend her positions. Walmsley finishes the Junior Saloon Car Championship season as one of the highest rookie drivers and this is testament to her talent behind the wheel. Lydia is still finalising her plans for the 2018 season, but it is sure to be a positive next step for the talented young driver’s career.

Katie Milner completes debut Ginetta GT5 Challenge season

Katie Milner has enjoyed a successful final weekend competing in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge at Donington. The former Junior Saloon Car champion faced a frustrating start to the weekend, but showed great character to fight back with two top-10 finishes, including a superb sixth in the final race of the weekend, showing a superb display of defensive driving. Milner’s debut season of senior racing has been extremely encouraging and she should be pleased with the progress she has made stepping up into the championship with Team One Call.

Katie Milner ended her 2017 season with a pair of top-10 finishes in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge at Donington. Photo Credit – Marc Waller

Following a positive test day leading up to the weekend, Katie was confident ahead of qualifying for the final meeting of the season. Immediately on the pace, Milner jumped inside the top-5 during the first portion of the session to signify her intent for the weekend. After a brief stay in the pits, Katie returned to the track for the final six minutes of the session but was unable to improve her time, qualifying 14th for the opening race at Donington. Despite qualifying outside the top-10, there was evidently more speed to cover and Katie would be one to watch in the first race later that day.

Aiming to make progress from the seventh row of the grid, Milner made a good start amongst a very close pack of drivers and moved into 13th at the end of the opening lap. Shortly after, the safety car was deployed to retrieve Luke Pinder’s car, but a quick recovery meant that only one lap was spent under controlled conditions before the racing resumed. Katie made a good restart despite losing out to the hard-charging Ollie Wilkinson and enjoyed close battles throughout the third lap before the race was brought to a premature end with a red flag. Sadly, the race wasn’t restarted with Katie scored in the 13th position, a disappointing end to what had promised to be a positive start to the weekend.

Katie chased down the #67 car of Angus Fender in the opening race of the weekend. Photo Credit – Marc Waller

Once again lining up on the seventh row of the grid for race two, Katie was determined to make further progress with the prospect of a reverse grid draw for the season finale. After dropping one position on the opening lap to Ginetta veteran Rob Boston, Milner began her march forward by picking up two places on the following lap, before gaining a further two on lap four as she entered the top-10. Katie then enjoyed a close battle with Luke Pinder, enabling both drivers to show off their racecraft while moving through the order. Despite some good laps in the closing stages, Milner couldn’t quite fight back, coming across the line in 10th before being promoted to 9th following a penalty for one of her rivals.

Katie was drawn onto the outside of the front row with the top-10 positions reversed for the season finale at Donington. Making a good start, Milner moved ahead of polesitter Steven Wells on the opening lap before crossing the line in second as Ryan Hadfield took the lead. Smart defending on the second lap ensured Katie maintained the runner-up position with a host of cars looking to claim the final podium positions. Lap three saw Milner drop to fourth, but her pace was encouraging as she able to hold faster cars behind her for an extended period at a circuit with plenty of overtaking opportunities. Two laps later Katie was shuffled back to sixth and shortly after the red flag was brought out, enabling Milner to claim a solid top-10 finish in her final Ginetta GT5 Challenge race of the season.

Katie achieved her best result of the weekend in race three, finishing in sixth position. Photo Credit – Marc Waller

Katie’s debut season in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge has shown to be a successful one, with the step up from junior racing into a car with many new elements proving to be a real test. The combination of slick tyres, rear-wheel drive and learning a variety of new circuits has enabled Milner to develop considerably as a driver in one of the most competitive championships in the country. The future is bright for Katie who will be looking forward to getting back out on track later in the year, before focussing on her plans for the 2018 season.
You can keep up to date with Katie’s progress using the social media links below:

Website – http://www.katiemilner.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/katiemilnerracing
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/katiemilner_

Emily Glanvill excels in Fiesta test at Brands Hatch

Talented young driver Emily Glanvill has successfully completed a test day with leading Fiesta team Specialized Motorsport. The former Junior Saloon Car Championship scholar has been testing a Mini Cooper during the current season, making one start in the highly competitive Celtic Speed Scottish Mini Cooper Cup at Knockhill. Last Friday Glanvill was given the opportunity to test a Class C Ford Fiesta at Brands Hatch, where I was fortunate enough to attend the day in support of Emily.

Emily Glanvill tested a Class C Ford Fiesta last Friday with support from Specialized Motorsport

Prior to the test day, Emily had never driven the Ford Fiesta before or experienced a race car on slick tyres, in addition to the fact she had little knowledge of Brands Hatch in both wet and dry conditions. Nonetheless, Glanvill took everything in her stride and surpassed every expectation, showing excellent speed in all conditions while gaining confidence with each passing lap. The test day was an unforgettable experience for both myself and Emily, as I was able to gain an inside perspective into motorsport, while Emily was given the opportunity to test with a race-winning team and receive guidance which she has not previously benefited from.

After intermittent rain during the morning, Specialized Motorsport’s Simon Horrobin decided slicks would be the best choice of tyre for the opening session. Simon sat alongside Emily as she took to the circuit for the first time, a daunting prospect initially with the session including a range of cars including Caterham’s and even machines from the Dutch Supercar Challenge. Following a series of sighter laps, Simon was happy for Emily to take to the track solo and she began to build up her lap times. Being able to spend time in the pit lane and even on the pit wall, was a thrilling experience as I was able to get up-close to the action as Emily began to find the limits of the Ford Fiesta on an ever-drying track. As her confidence began to build, Glanvill set some highly competitive times at the end of the session, particularly impressive considering the track was still partially damp and this was the first ever time she had driven a race car on slick tyres.

During the lunch break, Emily was given the chance to sit down with veteran race-winning driver Simon Horrobin to discuss data from the morning session. The level of information available from just one 30-minute session was remarkable, with Emily able to study sector times and compare them to the potential of herself and the car. Simon was able to explain characteristics of the car to a degree which Emily had not experienced before, enabling her to give detailed feedback and understand where she could improve her lap times. As the rain started to fall, Simon was able to give Emily extra reassurance by discussing characteristics of certain corners in the wet, enabling her to take full advantage of the upcoming session.

Emily was given the chance to sit down with Simon Horrobin to discuss data from the morning session. Photo Credit @Badwallflower

The second session started with full wet conditions, similar to those which Emily faced during qualifying for the Junior Saloon Car Championship at Brands Hatch last year. Glanvill did a great job of building up her lap times among a session littered with red flags, with the tricky conditions catching out a number of drivers, including a Porsche which spun right in front of her at Druids. Although she wasn’t able to complete as many laps as in the first session, Emily’s confidence in the wet improved significantly and she was feeling even more comfortable behind the wheel of the Class C Ford Fiesta.

Eager to put what she had learnt over the day into practice, the final session saw mixed conditions with the team deciding on wet tyres for a track which was slowly drying. This proved to be the perfect call as Emily pushed the car to its full potential, even receiving a warning for track limits! Glanvill’s commitment was undoubted as she reeled off a series of impressive lap times, with her speed through Paddock Hill bend especially noticeable indicating the confidence she had in the car and her own abilities. As Emily arrived back into the paddock for the final time, she was elated with her performance which served as further motivation for a future in motorsport.

Emily thoroughly enjoyed the final session of the dry where she took to the track on wet tyres as the track continued to dry

Throughout the day Emily was able to showcase her talents and develop her skills in a range of conditions, gaining confidence with each and every session. Glanvill’s ability to adapt to the situation presented to her while maintaining competitive lap times highlights her natural capabilities, with her car control in particular praised significantly. Emily is hoping to compete in one final race weekend to round off the 2017 season, with her experiences from Brands Hatch giving her the best possible opportunity to improve as a driver regardless of the challenges presented to her.

Many thanks to Emily, Brian and Specialized Motorsport for inviting me to the test session so I was able to experience motorsport from another perspective, it’s certainly a day I will never forget.

You can keep up to date with Emily’s progress using the social media links below:

Website – http://www.eglanvill999.wix.com/emilyracing
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/emilyracing
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/emily_racing

Double podium for Christie Doran at Thruxton

Christie Doran has tamed the thrilling Thruxton circuit by claiming a pair of second place results in the VAG Trophy on her first visit to the high-speed track. The Slidesports driver showed good speed from the outset, qualifying in second position in Class B after a strong end to the session. Doran backed up this pace with impressive showings in the races, finishing in second position despite both races finishing prematurely due to red flags.

Christie Doran achieved her best results of the season to date at Thruxton. Photo Credit – Jakob Ebrey Photography

Christie’s week leading up to Thruxton got off to the best possible start as she was able to secure a new sponsor in the Edinburgh Watch Company. Thrilled by the announcement, Christie said “It has been a good week. We also agreed a deal with the Edinburgh Watch Company for the rest of the season. It was great to have their support and get a result the first time we had their stickers on the car. We had been joking about how we were always looking for tenths of a second so it was prefect to have a watch company and it worked for us. We also had an amazing amount of interest in the bespoke watches you can buy through Edinburgh Watch Company. I think their website will be getting a few visits”.

Thruxton would pose a new challenge to Christie, with the Slidesports driver having never visited the high-speed circuit. Encouraged by her previous experiences at Castle Combe, a track with similar characteristics, Doran started the weekend off positively with a test session on Friday. Speaking of her first taste of Thruxton, Christie said “I always like going to a new circuit. Thruxton was a challenge because it is not on any game, but former touring car driver Micky Doyle helped me out and gave me some really useful tips. The circuit staff were really helpful and gave me some sighter laps before testing, but it was obvious the track was very fast and you needed to be brave and commit to the corners. We had a few slight issues in testing that restricted our running a little bit, but Slidesports are great at sorting them out and giving you confidence in the car. We finished the day with some promising times but with the knowledge that there was plenty more to come”.

Qualifying gave Christie further cause for optimism as she improved her times considerably towards the end of the session to set the second fastest time in Class B. Happy with her performance over a single lap, Doran commented “Qualifying was all about determination. I thought I was doing OK then saw I was P4 with just a few minutes to go. That wasn’t part of the plan but I hooked up a great lap to take P2 at the death. That also boosted my confidence”.

Starting from second on the Class B grid, Christie was aiming for a strong start in order to challenge for the victory. It was a successful opening lap as Doran crossed the line in second, describing the start Christie said, “I was after my usual fast start but Scott Fletcher was even better. He took the class lead as Martyn Culley and I got boxed in. We got out on to the faster part of the circuit and Martyn got past then I managed to take him at Church. I was able to open a gap on Barrie Culley and Scott and tried to manage it from there, but I couldn’t do anything about Martyn. He was absolutely flying”. As the race progressed, Doran was able to improve on her lap times and extended her gap to third place driver Barrie Culley. Although the race was red flagged shortly before the end, Christie finished in second and was delighted with her best result to date, commenting “I felt it was all fairly comfortable but then someone had a blow-out at Church and there was debris all over the track. I came flying round and that was a pretty scary moment. It was no surprise to see the red flag. I would have liked to see the end of the race, but I was glad to get my best result of the season”.

Christie drove smartly during race one in order to claim her best result of the season in second. Photo Credit – Jakob Ebrey Photography

Once again lining up in second for race two, Christie enjoyed another action-packed first lap as she fought hard with Barrie Culley to maintain her second place. Throughout the race, both drivers looked to gain the upper hand with Doran setting fast lap times in order to hold track position over her rival. Another red flag brought the race to a premature end, with Christie claiming back-to-back second place finishes to round off a positive weekend at Thruxton. Describing the events of race two, Doran said “Race two was a huge battle with Barrie for second place as Martyn continued his form. I opened a gap then Barrie closed it down. I had to fight really hard but it was really good fun and very clean racing. Then we saw a load of cars off at Campbell and blue lights flashing. I was just glad that I could see drivers getting out of the cars – especially as two of them were my Slidesports team-mates. I braked for the safety car but then the red flags came out and I had just held Barrie off”.

Christie showed all of her fighting spirit to secure her best weekend of the season to date, following a challenging start to the year. Doran’s ability to replicate strong single lap pace in both races will be particularly encouraging at a track which is especially punishing on the tyres, with an average speed of over 90mph in qualifying. The VAG Trophy now takes a break before returning at the end of October for the final meeting of the season at Oulton Park, one which Christie is looking forward to, commenting “The results really boosted my confidence and the next round is Oulton where I have had some success in the past. It would be good to finish the season on a high”.

You can keep up to date with Christie’s racing progress using the social media links below:

Website – http://www.christiedoranracing.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/ChristieDoranRacing
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/RacingCD

Emily Linscott makes Ginetta Junior debut at Rockingham

Talented young driver Emily Linscott successfully made her Ginetta Junior debut at Rockingham this weekend. Driving for Elite Motorsport, Emily achieved a best finish of 17th coming in race two, while gaining valuable on-track experience in a racing situation. The meeting was not without its challenges after a retirement in the opening race, however Emily showed superb fighting spirit to improve her lap times during the rest of the weekend in preparation for her next outing in the Ginetta G40 at Silverstone.

Emily Linscott made her Ginetta Junior debut at Rockingham for Elite Motorsport. Photo Credit – Mark Haggan

Emily arrived into the weekend with realistic expectations after testing the Ginetta G40 during the course of the season in preparation for the final three meetings of the year. Linscott is currently a part of the Arden YRDA programme after being scouted by them at the end of last year following an impressive debut year in karting. Friday saw two 50-minute test sessions where Emily joined her six Elite Motorsport teammates on track to gain valuable track time ahead of the race weekend. It was a successful day for Linscott who was able to complete a good series of laps, ending the second session with the 18th fastest time.

Qualifying began the official race weekend at Rockingham, bright and early on Saturday morning ahead of a triple-header of races to follow. Emily exited the pits along with her Elite Motorsport teammates and set about working together in order to achieve the quickest possible time. The abrasive surface meant that the first lap set is often the fastest at Rockingham, and this proved to be the case for Emily who slotted into 19th place. Despite setting some consistent lap times to end the session, Linscott was unable to improve on her best time but gained valuable experience of driving in and around her rivals in preparation for the races to come.

Emily qualified in 19th and was looking forward to competing in her first ever car race. Photo Credit – Jakob Ebrey

Anticipation was building ahead of Emily’s first car race in one of the most competitive junior championships in the country. Getting away from the line successfully, Linscott headed down into the first corner but sadly the young driver was forced to retire shortly after with some damage to her Ginetta G40. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the start which Emily was looking for, but she would still have two races in which to gain confidence and score some good finishes on her debut weekend.

Race two began later that day with Emily hoping for a change of fortune in order to score her first ever Ginetta Junior points. It was a good start for Linscott who ended the opening lap in 18th following a retirement for Connor Grady. Despite losing ground to the group ahead on lap two, Emily set about improving her lap times and was able to get into a nice rhythm during the middle portion of the race. Laying down her fastest lap of the race on lap nine, Emily finished the second race in 17th position to secure her best finish to date with a number of positive to take into race three.

Emily achieved her best finish of the weekend in race two, much to the delight of her fan club. Photo Credit – Niko Gill

Starting from 17th on the grid for the final race of the weekend courtesy of her finish in race two, Emily made a great start and challenged teammate Louis Foster on the run down into the first turn. Linscott was just squeezed out as she ended the first lap in 18th, before gaining a further position on lap three following an off-track moment for Matt Luff. Superbly hanging with the drivers ahead, Emily was running her best laps of the weekend since testing but dropped to the back of the field after a small spin at the Deene Hairpin on lap four. Determined to push on, Linscott continued to set competitive lap times and brought the car home in 18th position to round off a challenging, yet enjoyable debut weekend in Ginetta Juniors.

Emily’s debut weekend in car racing was one she will remember for years to come, with the irreplaceable thrill of being part of one of the leading junior series in the country. Emily showed good speed across one lap, as well as in race situations, and will be looking for some added consistency to take forward into the remainder of the season. Linscott’s next race will take place at Silverstone where the Elite Motorsport driver will be targeting further improvements at the historic circuit.

Emily would like to thank Handpicked Commercial Interiors, Sargeant Partnership, Vitabiotics, Everyone Active, Ropelet, Dirtyslate Creative Studio and her parents for their continued support.

You can keep up to date with Emily’s racing progress using the social media links below:

Website – http://www.emilylinscott.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/emilylinscottracing
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/Emily_Linscott

Challenging Brands Hatch meeting for Christie Doran

Brands Hatch hosted the latest round of the VAG Trophy where Slidesports driver Christie Doran was in action. Following on from her first podium of the season on the Grand Prix layout two weeks out, Doran was hopeful of a successful meeting as the championship moved to the Indy layout. Despite missing out on the elusive podium, Christie rallied to a fourth-place result in race one, followed by a further top-5 finish in race two. Summing up her weekend, Christie said “Overall, we scored solid points and stayed third in the Class B championship but I wanted more. We have another race in two weeks. It has been a hectic schedule but we will be right in the fight at Thruxton”.

Christie Doran competed in the most recent round of the VAG Trophy at Brands Hatch, collecting a best finish of fourth. Photo Credit – Lewis Houghton

Christie’s weekend began positively with a promising test session on Friday ahead of qualifying and two races to take place the following day. Unlike two weeks ago, dry conditions led to a comparably uneventful qualifying session where Doran was able to consistently improve her lap times and gain in confidence. The result of this was a time which put her fourth fastest on the Class B grid, a good place to make progress from on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit. Nonetheless, Christie knew there was more room for improvement, commenting “We were at Brands just two weeks ago and my trip into the gravel at Paddock Hill was playing on my mind a little. That affected my qualifying so we had to settle for fourth in class”.

Christie qualified fourth in class ahead of the opening race of the weekend. Photo Credit – Lewis Houghton

Lining up fourth on the grid, Christie made a good start and held her position on the opening lap, just on the tail of Barrie Culley. Doran’s challenge was soon halted by a safety car period on lap five after an incident between a number of Class A runners. When the racing resumed, Christie aimed to move forward and immediately set her fastest lap of the race as she hunted down a podium result. A series of fast lap times weren’t quite enough to seal a spot on the podium as Christie claimed back-to-back fourth place finishes.

Looking to end the meeting on a high, Christie made a great start in race two and was quickly into a podium position with the leaders in sight. However, Doran was forced to take evasive action after an incident ahead which dropped her down to fifth by the end of the first lap. Looking to make up for lost time, Christie began to close in on the driver ahead of her in the opening exchanges of the race, hopeful a safety car may work in her favour. As the race evolved, Christie encountered traffic which halted her progress forward and despite setting her best lap on the final lap of the race, Doran settled for fifth position in race two at Brands Hatch. Speaking of her added confidence in race two, Christie said “We spent the time between the races going through the video and breaking it all down then building it up again. It did the trick. I got a flying start and was up to third in class and right with the front two. My confidence was back but then there was contact up in front, a car spun and I had a choice – hit it or go in the gravel. That is just the way my luck has been going. It was damage limitation from there. It was a shame because the Deutsche Fest was a good meeting. The grid walk was really popular and the SlideSports Golf got so much attention. It was great to see so many kids and they loved the fact that we let them sit in the car and get their photos taken. It must have been popular because some of the team said I had a new band of supporters shouting me on by the start/finish line”.

Race two came complete with a grid walk where Christie’s car received attention from the viewing spectators. Photo Credit – Lewis Houghton

Despite not achieving the results she was hoping for, Christie can still take positives from her second visit to Brands Hatch this season. Completing both races successfully ensured Doran gained maximum track time at a challenging circuit, while continuing to learn the dynamics of the car ahead of the remaining rounds of the season. The fifth round of the championship takes place at the high-speed Thruxton circuit, a new track for Christie to learn but one she is relishing following her success at Castle Combe in previous years. Taking an overview of the season so far, Doran comments “The season has not gone the way we planned but we will get through it and these experiences will make the good days even better. SlideSports are doing a great job with the car and boss Mark Jenkins has faith in what I am doing. The annoying thing is the pace is there, we just have not had the breaks”.

You can keep up to date with Christie’s racing progress using the social media links below:

Website – http://www.christiedoranracing.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/ChristieDoranRacing
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/RacingCD

Katie Milner’s Knockhill adventure

Katie Milner enjoyed a successful weekend competing at Knockhill in the penultimate round of the Ginetta GT5 Challenge where she secured a pair of top-10 finishes. Racing as part of the TOCA package for the second time this season, a bumper crowd was in attendance to watch the Team One Call driver as she was tested by a variety of conditions during the course of the weekend. After qualifying in 10th, Katie finished the opening race in sixth after some smart driving in a race which started dry and ended in wet conditions. More progress was made in race two as Milner finished in ninth, showing excellent pace in the closing stages as she battled hard with her rivals.

Katie Milner enjoyed a successful weekend in mixed conditions at Knockhill. Photo Credit – Marc Waller

Katie arrived at Knockhill feeling positive ahead of the weekend with her experiences from the Junior Saloon Car Championship proving useful with many of the drivers having never previously raced at the Scottish circuit. Friday’s test sessions saw mixed conditions throughout the day with Milner gaining valuable track time while setting competitive lap times as the Team One Call driver placed inside the top-10 for both sessions. Qualifying also proved to be a wet session with some of the toughest conditions Katie had faced all year. Despite a couple of red flags during the session, Milner set a series of competitive lap times and qualified 10th, less than a second from pole position.

Katie qualified inside the top-10 despite tricky conditions which make setup choices tough. Photo Credit – Marc Waller

The opening race of the weekend took place in dry conditions with Katie starting from the fifth row of the grid. Making a great start, Milner moved into ninth after the opening lap as the safety car was deployed for an incident just behind Katie. As the racing resumed, Milner closed in on Carlito Miracco and made the move for eighth position at the final hairpin on lap five. A good series of laps following the pass was rewarded on lap nine with Zapolski dropping down the order as heavy rain returned to Knockhill. This made conditions extremely tricky but Milner coped admirably and moved ahead of Ollie Wilkinson on lap 13 after applying the pressure on her fellow Ginetta rookie. As the rain continued to fall, Katie continued to drive smartly in order to consolidate her sixth position in the closing stages, a position which she held to the flag in order to collect valuable championship points.

Lining up in sixth position for race two courtesy of her race one result, Katie avoided any first corner incident and ended the opening lap in eighth position before an early safety car was once again deployed. Milner defended well from Max Bird at the restart, before the former Ginetta Junior rookie cup winner took the position at the end of lap six. An incident involving the race leaders, which led to a second safety car, greatly benefited Katie who was able to move inside the top-7 by the halfway stage. A recovering Lewis Brown was able to move pass Milner on the restart, with Carlito Miracco also finding a way through on lap 17 to demote Katie to eighth. Nonetheless, the Team One Call driver defended superb from Seb Perez before significantly picking up the pace to set her two best laps of the race in the closing stages, less than half a second away from the quickest lap of the race. This burst of speed allowed Katie to maintain her ninth position to the flag, ensuring a positive end to a solid weekend of racing at Knockhill.

Katie continued to push the limits in race two on her way to setting her best lap of the weekend. Photo Credit – Marc Waller

Knockhill was arguably Katie’s most impressive meeting of the season as she showed excellent speed in a variety of conditions at a track which is unlike many others on the calendar. Her ability to come out on top of a number of close battles will give her good confidence going forward, with Milner’s driving in race one a particular highlight. For a rookie in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge, Katie has progressed well during the year and made a smooth transition into rear-wheel drive circuit racing, coming close to her first podium result. Just one round remains in the season with Katie aiming high as the championship heads to Donington Park for the season finale, a circuit at which she has enjoyed success in the past.

You can keep up to date with Katie’s progress using the social media links below:

Website – http://www.katiemilner.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/katiemilnerracing
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/katiemilner_

Sarah Moore shines in Mini Challenge at Brands Hatch

Sarah Moore made a sensational debut in the Mini Challenge JCW class at Brands Hatch this weekend. With only one test day under her belt on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit, Sarah showed impressive pace throughout the weekend on the Grand Prix layout to collect two top-6 finishes in one of the most competitive single-make championships in the country. Arguably Sarah’s most remarkable performance came in qualifying where she set the fourth fastest time in wet conditions, her first ever experience of the Mini Challenge JCW in the wet. Sarah continued to battle hard throughout the races, narrowly missing out on a podium place in race one by finishing in fourth after a close battle with championship leader Brett Smith. Starting from reverse grid pole in race two, Moore held the lead early on but was shuffled back just outside the top-5 where she enjoyed a thrilling fight with Henry Neal.

Sarah Moore made her debut in the Mini Challenge JCW Class at Brands Hatch. Photo Credit – Matt Acton

Coming into the weekend, Sarah had some experience of driving Brands Hatch in a Mini following her one-off outing in the Mini Challenge Cooper Pro class earlier in the season. Driving the race-spec JCW class car would be a totally new prospect however, with just one test day on the Indy circuit available before the weekend, in addition to day at Snetterton three weeks before the event to help familiarise herself with the car. Qualifying on Saturday was the first time Sarah got to drive the JCW car on the Grand Prix circuit, and to make the session even more challenging, the heavens opened leaving an extremely wet track for all the drivers. Moore was first out of the pits and was the guinea pig for all the other drivers, nonetheless, she did a great job to put in a series of competitive lap times. After a period of yellow flags, all drivers were faced with just one lap in order to set their best time with Sarah catching some traffic in the first part of the lap. Nonetheless, Moore set the fourth fastest time overall, including an overall best second sector, a truly remarkable performance on her first time driving the car on the Grand Prix layout.

Starting from the second row of the grid in race one, Sarah made a good start and was running just inside the top-5 as the red flag was brought out before one lap was completed. This meant a full re-grid which Moore took full advantage of by making an excellent start and moved past Brett Smith into the final podium place. Resisting the pressure from the championship leader, Sarah did a valiant job of defending from the Eurotech Racing driver for a couple of laps. By the end of the third lap, Smith had found a way through with a safety car deployed shortly after which sadly continued for the remainder of the race. Despite narrowly missing out on a podium position, Moore claimed a trophy for the highest rookie driver as she took the fight to series veterans, claiming the scalp of former champion Charlie Butler-Henderson in race one.

Sarah claimed a trophy for her performance in race one, finishing as the highest rookie driver in fourth position. Photo Credit – Marc Waller

Finishing in fourth proved to be a blessing in disguise with Sarah being drawn onto reverse grid pole, an incredible opportunity in her first ever Mini Challenge JCW weekend. Moore made her best start to date and had almost a three car length lead entering Paddock Hill bend. Despite being shuffled back over the next few laps, Sarah did well to hold herself inside the top-5 until a hard-charging Luke Caudle was able to take the position. Moore was then under-attack from Henry Neal who twice made the move into Paddock Hill, before Sarah regained the position up the inside at Druids. Once Neal was able to complete the move, Sarah fought back magnificently to regain sixth spot and slowly pull away in the closing stages to complete a fantastic weekend in the Mini Challenge with her best lap in race two just one tenth away from the best.

Sarah enjoyed a thrilling battle with Henry Neal in race two, coming out on top to claim sixth position. Photo Credit – Marc Waller

Throughout the course of the season, Sarah has proven her versatility by racing with success in a variety of series, ranging from Mighty Mini’s to the LMP3 Cup. The former Ginetta Junior champion showcased all of her abilities, especially in race two where she got the better of Henry Neal after an intense battle where the position changed multiple times. Sarah is assessing her options for next season which could see her make a return to Le Mans prototype competition, or possibly compete for the Mini Challenge JCW championship where she would be sure to enter the season as a title favourite.

Sarah would like to thank her family and girlfriend Carla for their continued support and she hopes to be back on track soon.

You can keep up to date with Sarah’s racing progress using the social media links below:

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/SarahMooreRacing
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/smgirlracer26