Phillips wins inaugural GB4 Winter Series in dramatic circumstances at Snetterton

Elite Motorsport’s Jesse Phillips won the GB4 Championship’s first-ever Winter Series at Snetterton last weekend after his chief rival was penalised following the final race.

Conor Grant led from pole in the opener and resisted an early challenge from British Formula 4 race winner George Proudford-Nalder to remain ahead. The Douglas Motorsport duo pulled clear of the rest before resuming their battle on the final lap, with Grant holding on to take victory despite his team-mate drawing alongside at Agostini bend. Phillips and John O’Donnell were third and fourth respectively, while reigning Ginetta Junior champion Lewis Goff beat Harrison Mackie to fifth.

Phillips swept around the outside of Proudford-Nalder at Brundle on the opening lap to lead a very wet sequel, while Grant compounded a slow start by going off the track. A three-car tangle then caused the contest to be red-flagged. Phillips controlled the rolling restart and eventually took the win ahead of his team-mates Mackie and O’Donnell, while Proudford-Nalder slipped to fourth.

Proudford-Nalder snatched first place in much improved conditions in race three, making the better start from the second row and sneaking through the middle of Mackie and Phillips. The Australian held off a charging Mackie late on to seal victory, while R Racing’s Chase Fernandez claimed third ahead of Goff and Grant prevailed in a squabble for fifth with O’Donnell.

An opening-lap collision brought out the safety car in the finale. Having fought his way into second, Proudford-Nalder moved to the outside of Mackie at the restart but then had to defend from Phillips. The trio went three-wide into Wilson on the next lap, but another challenge two corners later ended with Proudford-Nalder and Mackie tangling. Phillips inherited the lead, and went on to take his second win ahead of Fernandez, while Proudford-Nalder recovered to third on the final lap to provisionally snatch the title. But a subsequent one-place penalty for his collision with Mackie relegated him to fourth, handing the crown to Phillips.

Podiums in all four races ensured Leusch claimed Ginetta Junior Winter Series glory

Photo by: JEP

Sebastien Leusch took the Ginetta Junior Winter Series title. The R Racing driver passed team-mate Louis Radcliffe with two laps to go to win race one, with Elite duo Jacob Ashcroft and Finlay Lines relegating Radcliffe to fourth on the final tour.

Lines charged from fourth to first on the opening lap in race two and, despite initially being passed by Ashcroft, he profited from his rival’s last-lap error at Riches to reclaim the advantage before taking victory. Leusch came home third ahead of Dominic Darling, who produced a decent recovery from seventh on the grid.

Radcliffe converted pole into the lead in race three, and he resisted early pressure from behind before romping clear to win by 7.7 seconds. Ashcroft and Lines squabbled over second initially before both were passed by Leusch. The frenetic battle continued until the final lap, with Leusch and Ashcroft trading positions before the latter spun while trying to make a move at the final corner, impeding Lines in the process. It was therefore Leusch who took runner-up spot ahead of Noah Baglin, who completed an all-R Racing podium.

Lines spun in the decider after colliding with chief rival Leusch, who eventually came home second behind Radcliffe to seal the crown, while Ashcroft made up ground to third. 

Leusch follows home R Racing team-mate Radcliffe in the finale to seal the crown

Photo by: JEP