Ginetta's Festival Success at Cadwell

Ginetta’s Cadwell Park festival was hailed a success at the weekend (5th / 6th April 2008) following the first ever race meeting comprising solely of Ginetta Cars.

Forming part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the British Sportscar Manufacturer, Ginetta’s three Championships and the inaugural Club Ginetta race formed Sunday’s timetable of four qualifying sessions and eight races.

Although air temperatures were lower than average for April, the sun shone for the majority of the meeting – only interrupted by a couple of short hailstone showers.

Saturday’s practice sessions gave drivers the opportunity to become accustomed to the technical Linconshire circuit – and onlookers a taste of what was to come on Sunday.

Saturday evening activities were focussed in the Ginetta marquee for drinks and food – bringing the paddock and Ginetta enthusiasts together. Elizabeth Walkinshaw had also hired a Dodgems fairground attraction in honour of son Fergus’s 17th birthday.

A bar and entertainment provided by live ‘covers’ band SUPERfreak filled the dance floor into the night.

Sunday opened with the four qualifying sessions and two races before lunch. Members of the Ginetta Owners Club (www. Ginetta.org) brought along some models from Ginetta’s heritage which also went out onto the circuit at lunch time for parade laps.

Kieran Vernon did his title aspirations a power of good in the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship races. His race two victory has kept him up there at the top of the table, but it could have been better, having been pipped on the last lap of an incident packed first race by Spencer McCarthy.

Dino Zamparelli dominated the Ginetta Junior results with two wins. A restarted first race (after Dominic Pettitt tagged Alex Austin on the pit straight and sent him spinning into the wall brought out the red flags) was initially led by Josh Hill but Zamparelli and Tom Carnaby came through to demote the rookie to third in only his third race.

It was all too easy for Zamparelli in the second race, out on his own for the entire race. The gap for the lead pair had opened initially, when Richardson and Powell both went off at the Mountain. Tom Carnaby settled in for a second runner-up spot with Jake Farndon grabbing third on the sixth lap at Coppice.

Nigel Moore shone once again with maximum points score and two lights to flag victories.

Holding his pole position advantage at both rolling starts over second place man Phil Keen, Moore pulled out a gap consistently reducing his lap time and setting fastest lap after fastest lap.

Keen out there on his own for 2nd place in his G50 debut headed battles for third place whereby Paul O’Neill pulled off a last-minute move on Clive Richards for the final place on the podium. However, Richards fended off O’Neill in race two to take his first Ginetta podium.

In Club Ginetta, veteran racer Barrie Williams had a double-podium in his Ginetta G20 car. Stuart Pearson and Simon Moore headed Williams in race one, but he came through to take the win in race two. Pearson and Gavin Mitchell came through for second and third.

“It’s been an absolutely fantastic weekend” said Ginetta Chairman Lawrence Tomlinson. “It’s great to be able to have a paddock full of cars and host your own event. It’s also been a great showcase to everyone that Ginetta is a company going places!”

The Ginetta Juniors are back out this weekend at Rockingham, plus the G50s and the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship heading up to Knockhill in Scotland.

Meanwhile, Ginetta also look forward to their second festival to be held at Mallory Park on September 6th and 7th later this year.