Two GT5 wins and podium hat-trick overcome fuel pump failure in qualifyingRemarkable drive from P39 to P3 in race one sets up victory challengesTetbury racer bounces back from engine problems in British GT4 qualifying BRDC Rising Star completes 3hr British GT contest in torrid conditions
Ollie Chadwick emerged from his busiest ever race meeting happy with his performances in the latest three rounds of the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge, and also the three-hour Fifth Round of the British GT4 Championship, at a rain-hit Silverstone over the weekend, 11th/12th June.
Overcoming fuel pump failure in Ginetta GT5 qualifying, that saw him start right at the back, he delivered a truly remarkable drive through the order in Race One, storming from 39th on the grid into a top three finish. The Tetbury racer went on to claim unchallenged victories in the subsequent two contests.
Increasing his lead at the top of the championship standings to an incredible 105 points ahead of this coming weekend’s visit to Croft in North Yorkshire, Ollie also posted fastest lap in the first and third encounters, on the full Grand Prix Circuit configuration, with his customary flair and blinding speed.
Race One was particularly notable – on the first lap alone, Ollie amazingly carved his way through into the top 10 when a subsequent Safety Car period closed the field and aided his podium bid. Rising from third on the grid to an unthreatened lead in the wet Race Two, he then climbed through from 10th on the ‘reverse grid’ in Race Three to secure an impressive eighth victory of the season.
Contesting a total of nine track sessions across the hectic weekend, Ollie doubled-up his racing activity with his second appearance of the season in the British GT4 Championship, piloting a GPRM Toyota GT86 as team-mate to Stefan Hodgetts.
Unfortunately, the Toyota was beset by teething problems in practice, limiting the pairing to just a handful of laps, and in qualifying the duo only managed three laps in total – two for Ollie, one for Hodgetts – before the engine expired. Despite the car still being in development, the duo hoisted the Toyota into a strong seventh in British GT4 and Ollie took the opening stint of the race.
With torrential rain having saturated the circuit, officials opted to begin the three-hour contest behind the Safety Car and even with the wet weather levelling the playing field to some degree it became clear the GT86 had another issue with power.
Following a lengthy pit-stop which cost the team several laps, the Toyota re-emerged and although lacking performance compared to its GT4 competition Ollie and his team-mate delivered a far better showing than many rivals – bringing the car home safely after three hours in 15th position in GT4.
Ollie Chadwick:“Phew! I love racing and this weekend certainly kept the adrenaline flowing. I had to work hard in the GT5 races – starting so far back, mixed conditions, not wanting to take silly risks, but needing to make up places. Actually, it was a lot of fun and helped stretch my Championship lead.
“British GT4 was very different. The Toyota is still very much in development, and I was only called up last week. There were a few issues that were frustrating and meant we weren’t best prepared, but once going we could feel the potential and both Stefan [Hodgetts] and I felt good to reach the chequered flag after three hours and atrocious, changing weather. Many others struggled. We’re not on the pace yet, but I really enjoyed the experience”.
