It was not how Kiern Jewiss wanted to secure the Porsche Carrera Cup GB title. Red flags flying after closest rival Will Martin mounted the barriers exiting Paddock Hill Bend meant there was not the usual fanfare as he crossed the line, but it was still another impressive weekend for the Team Parker racer.
Jewiss did lose out to fellow front-row starter Gus Burton off the line in the opener but responded instantly, diving inside the Century machine in the tiniest of gaps towards Druids to retake the lead.
But there was no time for Burton to retaliate when a lengthy safety car period followed with four cars colliding out of Graham Hill Bend. Then, just after the restart, there was contact between Theo Edgerton and Martin for a second time, resulting in Martin spearing backwards into the tyres and mounting them, a push for which Edgerton was disqualified.
Thankfully, Martin and the nearby marshals were all OK and the Richardson Racing driver was even back out again later in the day. “It’s super frustrating but it’s part of racing – there was nothing I could do,” he said philosophically.
Red flags flew and, with the race not being restarted, it was an anticlimactic way for Jewiss to seal the title. “It doesn’t feel right – there was no crossing the line with a P1 pitboard and seeing the team celebrating,” he admitted. “I made a typical bad start but I redeemed myself very quickly. I didn’t need to go for it [the move on Burton] but I wanted to do it – I made the mistake in F4 [when winning the 2018 title] of backing down and I lost too many points.”
Jewiss could not quite end the year with a win, either. Another bold move on Burton up the inside of Druids resulted in contact this time but, while he moved into third, his steering was damaged. He did pick off Adam Smalley on lap two but had no answer to Charles Rainford, the Pro-Am runner taking a remarkable overall win for the small CCK Motorsport squad.
“To go and beat the big boys is a dream come true,” said Rainford. “It wasn’t like those guys were battling, I had to work for it with the safety car restart.”
That meant seven different drivers were victorious in another entertaining campaign, but Jewiss’s five wins ensured that he had the most to celebrate, despite the unusual circumstances.
While Sam Weller clinched the title in the first race after an excellent campaign, rookie Mini Challenge sensation Alex Denning kept up his late-season record as the man in form at Brands Hatch with two wins.
Irish youngster Denning built a big margin on the opening lap of race one as Jack Mitchell made some superb outside passes to move into second. Ronan Pearson was third ahead of Hybrid Tune racer Weller, who did enough to secure the crown.
Denning had it much tougher at the start of race two. A wobble for the Graves Motorsport man at Paddock allowed fast-starting Weller in front, then Mitchell got the lead out of Druids, before Denning repassed both of them into Hawthorn.
After an early safety car, Denning built an enormous lead while the smoking Mini of Weller kept Mitchell at bay, as a misfire for Pearson allowed Sam Smith into fourth.
Ex-Mazda MX-5 king Smith was on a mission in the reversed-grid finale, taking to the grass into Paddock at the start to move up into second behind Pearson. Another safety car outing preceded a sudden engine drama for Pearson, and Mitchell jumped both Weller and Smith to move into the lead.
Mitchell’s JW Bird Motorsport car was hanging on from the Hybrid Tune machine of Smith when the ex-BTCC and GT racer ran wide onto the grass at Sheene Curve. With red flags curtailing the Minis early for a second time of the weekend, it was Smith ahead, from Mitchell, Weller and Max Coates.
There was an unfamiliar pattern to the last-ever Ginetta GT4 Supercup weekend as James Kellett failed to win at least one race at an event for the first time this year. But he did win the largest prize of them all as he wrapped up the title in a shortened opener.
After qualifying ended early with Tom Emson fastest, Kellett was determined to seal the crown in style. He went for a bold move around the outside at Hawthorn, but Emson was having none of it. Slight contact meant Kellett was delayed, with Aston Millar sneaking through. “If I had been a bit more brave, it would’ve worked but I didn’t want to risk too much,” said Kellett. “If it was at the start of the year, I would’ve had my elbows out more!”
DTO Motorsport driver Millar’s tenure in second place was shortlived as he ran wide at Westfield on the next lap and Kellett was back ahead, the grass in Millar’s radiator sending him to a smoky finish. Kellett was then denied the chance to attack again when a red flag for a heavy crash for Dan Morris ended the race early, leaving the new champion “frustrated”.
Kellett was thwarted again in race two as Emson doubled up, before Millar took his maiden series win in its finale with a robust defence from Kellett. “I think this weekend it finally clicked,” said Millar. Further back, there was a close conclusion to the G55 Pro title battle, with Luke Reade sneaking class success by three points.
No Alex Dunne meant there was a chance for others to shine in the British Formula 4 champion’s absence and it was Joseph Loake who took that opportunity to end his season on a high.
After Oliver Gray’s faint title hopes evaporated when he qualified on the front row, he was unable to topple JHR racer Loake in a processional first contest. The only change inside the top six after the opening lap came when Louis Sharp’s Carlin machine came to a smoky halt.
It was a similar story for Loake in the finale as he again put in an impressive display to end the year with the most victories aside from Dunne, although Sharp passing Gray for second late on denied Loake fourth in the standings.
The partially reversed-grid race was much closer, however. Front-row starter Eduardo Coseteng jumped polesitter Michael Shin off the line but Shin sprinted up to the rear of Coseteng in the closing stages. He was just 0.276 seconds behind at the flag, but was unable to deny more success for Hitech – and Coseteng’s maiden win after two years – on the weekend when the team could finally celebrate Dunne’s domination.
After producing 15 seasons of entertainment, there was still time for two more thrilling Ginetta Junior races as the category marked its final appearance on the British Touring Car support bill at Brands Hatch. But there was to be no late drama in the title battle as Josh Rowledge sealed the championship in the opener.
The R Racing driver made sure of the crown with second place in a first race that proved to be a letdown. The first attempt was red-flagged when Kanato Le and Finn Harrison tangled at Druids and there was then a lengthy safety car period on the restart with Shravan Shanmugavel off at the same corner.
That left a single-lap sprint to the flag, which ended with Fox Motorsport’s Liam McNeilly holding off Rowledge. “I’m speechless – it’s a different feeling to anything else!” said the new champion. While Rowledge then opted to sit out the rest of the weekend, there was a reminder of what BTCC spectators will be missing next year with two cracking contests to round out the season.
McNeilly continued his impressive end to the campaign in race two, last year’s runner-up having finally returned to the winners’ circle in the first race after a tricky campaign, cantering clear as the rest battled behind. On lap nine of 11, Will Macintyre’s pressure on Elite Motorsport team-mate Aqil Alibhai finally told as he dived up the inside of Druids.
The final two and a half laps then featured a frantic fight for third that eventually involved 10 cars running line astern. The pack was just headed by Luke Watts at the flag, despite having virtually no visibility after his bonnet came loose, to take his maiden outright podium on a weekend when his parents were away at a wedding.
The final Ginetta Junior BTCC act was one of the best races of the season as Macintyre and McNeilly tussled for the lead. Macintyre made a brilliant move up the inside of Druids on the first tour to grab the advantage but McNeilly was relentless in his pursuit. The pair were inseparable throughout, McNeilly coming close to sneaking ahead at Westfield on the final lap before being blocked and there was slight contact on the run to the line but Macintyre held on.
“I was thinking on the green-flag lap, nobody has overtaken Liam this weekend,” said Macintyre. “A gap opened up and I went for it!” It was similarly close for third, with Le just getting the nod from Alibhai this time as it proved to be a memorable BTCC farewell to the popular category.
Reports by Stephen Lickorish and Marcus Simmons. Photography by Porsche, Jakob Ebrey Photography/Motorsport Images and Andy Mason. Want more reports from the world of national motorsport? Subscribe today and never miss your weekly fix of motorsport with Autosport magazine
