The Preptech UK team returned to the podium places as the Ginetta Junior Championship headed to the Donington Park Grand Prix circuit for the penultimate meeting of the year.
The Hampshire-based team headed into the weekend running a streamlined two-car entry of Henry Joslyn and Ethan Carney, both of whom were looking to try and challenge towards the sharp end of the grid after mixed fortunes at the previous round held at Silverstone.
Two days of testing prior to the Donington Park race weekend provided plenty of opportunities to get up to speed, with Joslyn going on to post the fourth fastest time in qualifying to put himself in a solid position for the opening race. Carney meanwhile would endure a more difficult session in the wet conditions as he ended up back in 17th spot.
Although he initially held station at the start of race one, Joslyn found himself losing ground in slippery conditions when he was run off line, at on stage slipping down to the lower reaches of the top ten.
Climbing back up into sixth when a mid-race safety car backed up the field following a collision for the top two, Joslyn battled hard in the final stages when racing resumed to finish the race back where he had started in fourth spot.
Despite not being entirely happy with the performance of his car, Carney was able to stay out of trouble as he fought his way up the order to take the flag in tenth spot.
Starting third in tricky wet conditions for race two, Joslyn was able to climb into second spot at the start and would then spend the whole race dicing for the lead with Chase Fernandez, getting ahead at Coppice on the fifth lap. Fernandez would manage to battle back into P1 however, leaving Joslyn to settle for second spot.
Back in 17th once again on the grid, Carney was forced to contend with not only the slippery circuit but also the spray from the cars ahead but he made up ground to take the flag in 14th.
Conditions had improved by the time of the final race of the weekend, but it would prove to be a tough one for the Preptech pair, with Joslyn battling with the handling of his car as he was unable to make the most of a front-row start – slipping down to the lower reaches of the top ten and ultimately being classified down in 14th as a result of time penalties for exceeding track limits.
A spin on the exit of the Old Hairpin on lap two dropped Carney off the back of the pack and ended any chance of a strong result on track, although he would manage to make up a place before the finish to take the flag in 18th.
Henry Joslyn, #26 Ginetta G40 said:
“I’m really pleased to manage P2 in the wet, and to have been racing for the lead again this weekend despite the fact I was struggling with the car a little.”
“With just the season finale left to run, we now need try and resolve any issues that we have, so that we are back fighting for the top step.”
Ethan Carney, #53 Ginetta G40 said:
“Pace wise it all looked promising during the Thursday test day but we seemed to struggle to get the pace out of the car as much on Friday and it unfortunately carried over into the weekend.”
“With that in mind, it was promising to score a top ten finish in the opening race as I can’t really say that the car felt alive, which is a shame given the progress we’d been making in the previous rounds.”
“I’m looking forward to getting back out at Brands Hatch for the final rounds and hopefully we’ll be back on form.”
Oliver Barnard, Team Principal, said:
“We are happy to be back in the hunt for race wins once again but a difficult weekend at times with some minor car issues which is very unusual for us.”
“We are already working hard in the workshop working through the cars and have a plan in place for one of the issues. We head to Brands Hatch looking for multiple wins to finish the season on a high.”
