Back to the home of Motorsport in the UK, Silverstone Circuit, using the national rather than the GP layout. With its shorter configuration it suits the Ginetta juniors better than the longer GP circuit and always makes for tight racing.

 

Day one of testing finished with Jude top of the time sheets, with a time that would be the fourth fastest of the whole weekend. A great result and put us in strong position for qualifying.

Qualifying was in the dry, and with strong times in practice hopes were high. Jude did not disappoint and was straight on the pace. With only a three-lap qualifying run, it’s critical to get a time in the books on the first flying lap.

 

 

Performance from practice carried over into qualifying and Jude put himself 6th on the grid for race 1 and 5th for race two. These were his best qualifying times to date, and validation of all his effort and focus, putting him right at the sharp end of the pack.

Lights out and Jude was away, holding station through the first lap and keeping his position. Over the course of the next two laps he executed his pre-race plan to perfection, lining up an overtake on the technical ‘Becketts’ corner and working his way up to 4th place, mixing it with the championship leaders.

 

On lap 3 a braking point was missed by a couple of metres leading to Jude going wide and losing a couple of places. He fought hard to maintain momentum and was battling through the luffield complex when he was held out and onto the gravel, leading to another loss of places. Jude kept his head and worked hard to settle himself and get back into the rhythm of the race ultimately finishing top 10, and a first place in class. A good taste of what it’s like to fight right at the front, and some lessons in race craft to take away.

Race two started from 5th place, and again Jude was able to make up a place. However, a more assertive pack resulted in Jude being escorted to the edge of the track, and beyond on three separate occasions, each time losing momentum, and the inevitable places.

 

Again, he kept his head and fought back from the lost places to finish 12th. His pace never in question, the focus turned to race craft and defending his position, something that his competition have been crafting for years. Up against seriously stiff competition a mid-pack finish is still a great result, and another first in class.

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A good start again, and Jude was in the main pack and looking to move up from starting point of 12th place. An unfortunate contact smashed a light cluster and pushed the left-hand side of the bonnet under itself and onto the wheel.

 

Spectators saw Jude’s pace plummet and his position move down the pack wondering what was happening. Bodywork rubbing on the wheel meant Jude was down 2 seconds a lap, and it was clear to see people simply driving past him. He never gave up and had his own battle further down the field. His determination kept him fighting even though his car was severely restricted. A testament to his great temperament was him jumping out of the car with a smile. He knew he should have been further up the finishing gris, but enjoyed the racing even if it was further down the pack, and he rinsed all the learning he could from it.

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Overall, a fantastic weekend, topping the timesheets in practice and two more class wins. Jude’s pace is right at the front and now he needs to refine his race craft to stay there, and he can be battling for outright podiums. He continues to make amazing progress, especially for someone who has never raced prior to this season. Back to the sim for preparation ahead of the next round at Donington on the 7th and 8thSeptember.