BROADHURST JOINS SPEEDWORKS

Single-seater racer Mike Broadhurst will drive for Speedworks Motorsport in Sunday’s Ginetta Winter Series opener at the prestigious Walter Hayes Trophy meeting at Silverstone.

The 19-year-old, who has raced in both Formula Ford and Formula Renault BARC, tested for the team at Silverstone last week and is evaluating a possible full campaign in the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship next year.

“It’s definitely an option,” said Broadhurst. “I really enjoyed the test and it is a good route into sportscars. I’m still looking at single-seaters but if I can’t raise the funds for that Ginettas are the ideal choice."

Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick was impressed by Broadhurst’s testing performance, and is confident he will run well in Sunday’s races.

“Considering it was his first time in a Ginetta and the conditions were not easy Mike set some very good times,” said Dick. “I’m looking forward to seeing how he gets on in the races.”

Broadhurst will join fellow single-seater convert James Rigby as a Speedworks newcomer at Silverstone.

SEASON REVIEW: DAVE JACKSON

In only his second season of racing, and his first in the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship, Dave Jackson emerged as a genuine frontrunner. He became a regular top ten contender from Snetterton onwards, and was unfortunate to finish the season down in 14th place in the standings after bad luck denied him a serious number of points – notably at Croft.

HIGH POINT OF THE SEASON
“Definitely battling in the top three at Croft. Despite having mechanical problems in both racing forcing me out of the race, I was really proud of being able to run at the front of a field of 30+ Ginettas. Hopefully it’s a sign of things to come!”

LOW POINT OF THE SEASON
"Has to be crashing into the wall in the pit exit in the last round at Thruxton, and all those moments I spent sat there thinking ‘what have I done?’. I’ll never forget it and it knocked me back for the whole weekend.”

BEST DRIVE OF THE YEAR
“Probably the battle I had at Silverstone with Mark Wania and Julian Barratt. We swapped positions almost every corner for the whole race! It was such a clean close race so it was fantastic to be involved in. There have been a few others too, like the fun I had trying to get past Dan Laddiman at Brands Hatch – the TV coverage even showed the sarcastic hand signals!”

TOUGHEST RIVALS OF THE SEASON
“Probably Mark Wania, Richard Sykes and Julian Barratt. For me, Richard brought great competition and banter to the team when he joined mid-season.”

FINAL VERDICT ON THE SEASON
“It's been a good first season. For next year, the plan is similar to Lewis Hamilton – NO MISTAKES NEXT YEAR! I will be having fun, but serious fun because I want to win.”

STATISTICS
Championship position: 14th, 114 points
Starts: 17
Best finish: 7th
Best qualifying: 6th

SEASON REVIEW: CHRISTIAN DICK

Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick recovered from a poor start to the season to go to the season finale at Thruxton in contention for second in the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship standings. Despite not winning a race, the 31-year-old came close to winning several times and was one of the strongest performers in the second half of the season.

HIGH POINT OF THE SEASON
"Finishing second in race two at Silverstone. It was the first time we really delivered on the potential we had shown in the first part of the year and was really the turning point of the season. From there on we were generally on the money."

LOW POINT OF THE SEASON
"There have been so many! Probably the accident on the first lap of the race at Oulton when I spun at Cascades. It was my mistake - I spun in the damp conditions - and I was collected by Frank Wrathall. And it being the first race of the season with the team running so many cars it was a very difficult weekend."

BEST DRIVE OF THE SEASON
"Again Silverstone race two. I started tenth and managed to fight my way up the order to get second behind Matt Nicoll-Jones. I really enjoyed that and it was probably my best race performance."

TOUGHEST RIVAL OF THE SEASON
"You can only say Matt Nicoll-Jones. He was always up there and was very hard to beat. The standard at the front is high, but in the second half of the year we were able to beat the others. Matt was always hard work."

FINAL VERDICT ON THE SEASON
"From a personal point of view I was disappointed not to get into the top three - made a few too many mistakes and there were too many breakdowns. But the second half of the year from Silverstone onwards was really enjoyable. Team-wise, I'm really pleased with the progress we made and am really looking forward the team making good on that potential next season."

STATISTICS
Championship position: 4th, 330 points
Starts: 18
Best finish: 2nd (four times)
Pole positions: 1

RIGBY JOINS SPEEDWORKS

Single-seater convert James Rigby will drive for Speedworks Motorsport in the first two rounds of the Ginetta Winter Series at the prestigious Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone on November 3/4.

Rigby, who has focused primarily on single-seater racing in recent years, isnow looking to establish himself in sportscars. He is planning a full season in the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship next season.

"Speedworks Motorsport have provided me with the perfect opportunity to get to know the car in racing conditions before lining up on the grid next year," he said.

For further information on the Walter Hayes Trophy click here

ANOTHER PODIUM FOR G50

The new Ginetta G50 claimed another podium finish on only its second racing appearance with Stewart Linn taking third place in the final race of the FIA GT4 Series at Magny-Cours last weekend.

Following Ginetta owner Lawrence Tomlinson's strong showings on the car's debut at Nogaro last month, Ginetta opted to contest the double-header at the French circuit with Linn and Tom Kimber-Smith sharing driving duties. Although Kimber-Smith was forced to retire from the first race with a loss of fuel pressure problem while running second, Linn had a trouble-free run to third in race two.

“This is our second meeting and the second podium," said Linn. "There’s definitely more to come from the car, and more from me, in terms of learning how to drive it. My first GT4 experience was very good – the cars were evenly matched, which makes for good racing.”

Ginettas on TV - Rockingham Rounds

16/10/07 at 19.30 on Sky Sports 3
16/10/07 at 22.00 on Sky Sports Extra
17/10/07 at 01.30 on Sky Sports Extra
17/10/07 at 09.30 on Sky Sports 2

Please note these times can change at short notice, please check the TV listings magazines for the most up to date information

DICK JUST MISSES THIRD

Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick narrowly missed out on taking third in the final Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship standings after taking second in the season finale at Thruxton.

Dick finished less than half-a-second behind race winner Matt Nicoll-Jones, which left him four points behind Daniel Laddiman, who ended up third in the standings.

"It's a shame to miss out on the top three by such a small margin," said Dick. "If we hadn't had to retire from yesterday's race we'd have been there no problem getting third. Overall it's been a strong season, and to be fourth after the luck we've had is still a good acheievement!"

Jonny Hyde battled his way to a strong tenth-place, his best finish since the Brands Hatch meeting in June.

"That was a really good race," he said. "It's good to be back up there and able to run near the front."

Richard Sykees, Neil Merry and Gary Simms claimed 14th, 15th and 16th respectively, with the latter surviving a spin on his final appearance for Speedworks.

Dave Jackson, who had started at the back of the grid, salvaged two points in 19th, with Edd Straw taking 23rd.

Tony Huges retired from the race after being tapped into a spin by Neil Houston. He was then hit by Neil Merry and Jonathan Hawkins, the latter being pitched into a roll which brought out the safety car on lap two.

"I'm not really sure what happened to be honest," said Hughes. "I was already a bit out of shape but could easily control it, and it seems Neil Houston has just lightly touched me and put me round.

Thruxton race two results
1 Matt Nicoll-Jones, 14 laps in 25m05.628s
2 Christian Dick, +0.449s
3 Spencer McCarthy, +0.728s
4 Ben Elliott, +9.191s
5 Joe Osborne, +9.670s
6 Linton Stuteley, +9.780s
7 Rob Austin, +11.705s
8 Daniel Laddiman, +12.890s
9 Richard Austin, +13.363s
10 Jonny Hyde, +18.509s
11 Paul Moden, +18.762s
12 Julian Barratt, +25.235s
13 Stuart Pearson, +26.109s
14 Richard Sykes, +28.312s
15 Neil Merry, +29.277s
16 Gary Simms, +35.282s
17 Del Holden, +35.914s
18 Hampus Rydman, +35.991s
19 Dave Jackson, +39.579s
20 Ross Edwards, +47.170s
21 Neil Houston, +49.358s
22 Michael Ralph, +49.770s
23 Edd Straw, +50.638s
24 Martin Jones, +59.911s
25 Steve Williams, +71.864s
26 Duncan Gass, +84.099s
27 John Jerstice, +1 lap
28 Edwina Graham, +1 lap
29 James Littlejohn, +1 lap
DNF Frank Wrathall
DNF Paul Morgan
DNF Dan van Rosen
DNF Tony Hughes – accident
DNF Jonathan Hawkins - accident

SIMMS TAKES BEST FINISH

Speedworks Ginetta Scholarship winner Gary Simms claimed his best finish of the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship season with a strong 11th at Thruxton.

Simms, on his final outing for Speedworks, just missed out on his first top ten finish after a strong run from 15th on the grid.

"I've had a 13th before, but that was more down to other people having problems ahead," said Simms. "I feel I really earned this one."

Team Principal Christian Dick lost his chance of taking second in the championship after a clash involving team-mate James Littlejohn and Joe Osborne.

"I tried to squeeze up the inside of James and Joe at the chicane," said Dick. "Unfortunately with three cars it was very tight and myself and James ended up spinning."

The clash put Dick into the wall and ultimately out of the race, while Littlejohn, spun and recovered to 12th.

"Joe just moved over on me a bit going into the chicane and pushed me into Christian," said Littlejohn. "But I really enjoyed the race. I knew my qualifying pace wouldn't be fantastic because today was the first time I had driven the car, but I was always confident going into the race."

Neil Merry took 13th place, while Dave Jackson charged from the back of the grid to take 18th after an accident in free practice.

"When you start that far down you just have to go for it," said Jackson. "I went onto the grass on the first lap at the chicane and fortunately wasn't collected."

Tony Hughes improved on his grid position to take two points for 19th, while Edd Straw took 23rd.

"It was very close between myself and Jacko on the first lap as he came onto the track - we came very close to colliding," said Straw. "After that I was pretty much last. I managed to make up a few place but not quite the result I was looking for."

Richard Sykes finished 27th after crashing at the first corner in the early stages.

"I tried a move between two cars and just got squeezed," said Sykes. "It was one of those moves you know is a bit of a risk, but I'd not made my normal good start and had to be aggressive. After I rejoined the bonnet was coming off and the catch tank was throwing oil in my face!"

Jonny Hyde was on course for a strong result, but retired after suffering a balljoint failure.

Thruxton race one results
1 Matt Nicoll-Jones, 16 laps in 23m24.134s
2 Spencer McCarthy, +0.571s
3 Rob Austin, +3.076s
4 Linton Stuteley, +22.011s
5 Ben Elliott, +22.361s
6 Richard Austin, +22.583s
7 Julian Barratt, +22.772s
8 Paul Moden, +22.913s
9 Daniel Laddiman, +23.166s
10 Frank Wrathall, +24.478s
11 Gary Simms, +38.323s
12 James Littlejohn, +40.766s
13 Neil Merry, +47.168s
14 Stuart Pearson, +47.551s
15 Hampus Rydman, +55.108s
16 Joe Osborne, +64.122s
17 Jonathan Hawkins, +64.460s
18 Dave Jackson, +66.464s
19 Tony Hughes, +66.093s
20 Del Holden, +78.928s
21 Neil Houston, +86.687s
22 Duncan Gass, +90.053s
23 Edd Straw, +90.311s
24 Martin Jones, +90.733s
25 Paul Morgan, +1 lap
26 Steve Williams, +1 lap
27 Richard Sykes, +1 lap
28 Michael Ralph, +2 laps
29 Edwina Graham, +2 laps
DNF Christian Dick – accident damage
DNF Dan van Rosen
DNF Ross Edwards
DNF Jon Jerstice
DNF Jonny Hyde – balljoint failure

DICK IN THE FIGHT FOR SECOND

Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick will be in the thick of a four-driver battle for second in the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship standings in this weekend's final rounds of the season at Thruxton.

Dick currently lies fourth in the standings, but has both second-placed Ben Elliott and third-placed Daniel Laddiman in his sights. Joe Osborne is also in contention, but slipped to fifth in the standings behind Dick after last month's rounds at Rockingham.

"Realistically the main target is to get into third, but after the bad luck we've had this season to get second would be fantastic," said Dick. "We went well in the August races at Thruxton, so we know the car is quick around there. If we can get that first win of the season and into the top three overall I'd be made up!"

With a maximum of 70 points available at Thruxton, the battle is wide open. With the Hampshire speedbowl famous for its thrilling slipstreaming battles, Dick expects the battle to go down to the last lap of the last race.

"Around Thruxton it is so close," he said. "You can't expect to break away in the lead or to have an easy time. I can easily see a situation where the four of us are all together on track into that final chicane. It's going to be spectacular!"

Dick isn't the only Speedworks Motorsport driver with a strong championship position at stake. Richard Sykes is just 15 points off tenth place in the championship, a position currently occupied by Julian Barratt.

Battle for second
2 Ben Elliott, 323pts
3 Daniel Laddiman, 307pts
4 Christian Dick, 300pts
5 Joe Osborne, 288pts

LITTLEJOHN TO RACE AT THRUXTON

Speedworks Motorsport instructor James Littlejohn will make his Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship debut for the team at Thruxton this weekend.

The 19-year-old, who finished third in the Formula Renault BARC Championship last year, will be behind the wheel of a ninth Speedworks entry at Thruxton. This season, he has raced a Chrysler Viper in the British GT Championship, and is looking forward to racing a Ginetta G20 for the first time.

"I got the call from Speedworks saying they had a spare car and though it would be a good chance to get out there and have some fun," said Littlejohn. "I'll be going straight into qualifying not having driven the car - although I had a little play in the G20 at Llandow during the scholarship - so if I can get into the top six I'll be really happy."

Speedworks Motorsport Team Principal Christian Dick is confident Littlejohn will have a strong weekend.

“Although James won’t have the chance to do any testing before qualifying, he’s a very quick driver and I’m sure he’ll do well,” said Dick. “It’s always good to see young drivers coming into the championship, and he will be a very useful addition to the team."

HANCOCK TAKES THIRD

Speedworks Motorsport instructor Olly Hancock clinched third place in the Formula Renault BARC Championship at Oulton Park last weekend.

After qualifying seventh, less than half-a-second off champion Hywel Lloyd, Hancock dropped to 17th on the second lap. Despite a hobbled car, Hancock charged back through the field to take ninth place and enough points to pip Ross Worswick to third in the standings by two points.

“It has been an up and down season,” said Hancock. “To get third in the championship is good, but next year I want to win it.

“There has been a bit of bad luck during the season which has made it more difficult, but I’ve learned a lot and am looking forward to next year.”

Hancock won one race during the season – taking an impressive victory at Silverstone – and could have had more but for several clashes with rivals.