G50: Series Donington preview

Frank exchanges in the Michelin Ginetta G50 Cup

With six races to go, Frank Wrathall is back in charge of the Michelin Ginetta G50 Cup which heads to Donington Park this weekend.

It has been a seesaw season between Frank Wrathall (Dynojet) and Carl Breeze (TCR) in the Michelin Ginetta G50 Cup but three wins at Knockhill have allowed Wrathall to reclaim the championship lead prior to this weekend's Donington races. Wrathall, who comes from good motor sport stock as his dad was a noted sidecar racer, leads Breeze by just 13 points. However, when you take dropped scores into account, Wrathall extends his lead to 36 points, suggesting that Frank could be in the box seat.

These two have been the key players in this year's title battle: Breeze has taken seven wins while Wrathall has bagged five victories, plus two more maximum scores when he followed home the non-scoring Guest Car of Rob Huff at Thruxton and a further three at Knockhill when he was the best registered-scorer in each race. To beat these two this year, you've had to be good.

Others have won, however. Leave out WTCC star Huff and his three wins at Thruxton, guest driver Jonathan Adam at Knockhill and the non-scoring former champion Nigel Moore, the others to have defeated Breeze and Wrathall are Tom Sharp, Adam Morgan and Ben Hetherington and all three should be in the mix this weekend. Sharp, who has been a competitive G50 pedaller since the championship began in 2008, scored his maiden wins at Croft where he took two victories in his IDL-backed car, but hasn't been able to replicate that form since. Morgan was the other Croft winner, in the second Dynojet car, in his first season racing the 3.5-litre cars and has looked impressive elsewhere, but Hetherington has been knocking on the door of a win all season and finally came good at Silverstone. The Cheshire-based driver, who is also racing and winning in British GT this year, won Silverstone's second race after Breeze and Wrathall made contact in the early laps. With Breeze badly delayed and Frank in the gravel bed, there was a golden opportunity for Hetherington to take his maiden win. He did so in style and should be a front-runner this weekend as well driving for Century Motorsport, run by reigning champion Nathan Freke.

Hetherington lies third in the title race, scrapping with Sharp, while Morgan is fifth ahead of the second Hetherington brother, Freddie who has shown greater speed in his second season of car racing.

There are plenty of others worth keeping an eye on: former Caterham champion Dan Denis suffered a huge accident at Thruxton at the start of the season but is back up to speed and has been a front-runner while reigning G20 champion Mark Davies took a major step forward at Snetterton in August. TCR's Joachim Ritter is another regular top 10 finisher while Chris Dittman is big on speed and low on luck: pole position at Silverstone came to nought when his driveshaft broke on the installation lap. If anyone deserves a win before the end of the season, it is Dittman.

Another feature of the Michelin Ginetta G50 Cup is the Chairman's Cup, aimed at the over-40s. Colin White, who has won more National Hot Rod titles than he can recall, is the man to beat and lies eighth overall in the championship. Arch-enthusiast Tony Hughes, who drives for Christian Dick's Speedworks team, is the main rival and Hughes has been narrowing the performance gap all season. This weekend the pair goes up against former Caterham racer Ron Johnson who will complete the season in the Leeds-built cars.

Qualifying takes place on Saturday September 18 at 10.35 with race one, over 12 laps, starting at 14.00. On Sunday, both races will be over 16 laps and start at 10.05 and 15.05 respectively.

-source: ginettacars.com