Total Control Racing’s George Gamble wrapped-up the 2014 Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge title in style at Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit on Sunday, 14th September, by sealing the championship with his seventh victory of the season.

 

Arriving at his ‘home’ track firmly in control at the top of the standings after a sensational maiden campaign in the category, the Nottingham youngster was victorious in the first race on Saturday, 13th September, to require only a single point from race two to win the title for Wednesbury’s TCR.

 

Beginning the second encounter on the front row, Gamble made an outstanding start and surged into a lead he would never relinquish to secure his second car racing crown – having previously won the 2011 Ginetta Junior Winter Series title. Gamble almost made it three wins from three for the weekend too in the final race on Sunday afternoon, just missing out in second place by 0.2 seconds.

 

“Obviously, I’m really happy”, said the new champion, “I got a mega start to the second race and just thought I’d go for it. We had seriously quick lap times, quicker and quicker through the race, it was just mega and the perfect way to win the championship.

 

“It’s been an amazing year, I’ve really enjoyed it and huge thanks to everyone who has helped me do it – Rads Storage, Close Motor Finance and all my family – it’s really fantastic. It’s been great working with everyone at TCR, they’ve given me a perfect car all year and it’s great to win the title together.”

 

Reflecting on a sensational year, TCR team principal Lee Brookes said: “We knew at the beginning of the season George was going to be one of the favourites after running him last year, and then we started the year brilliantly. He’s looked after the car, the championship and has just controlled it. He won races when he needed to and took seconds when he needed them.

 

“George has excelled with his driving standards, his pace and consistency. The rest had contact at various points but we’ve had a trouble-free season and he fully deserves the championship. It’s fantastic for TCR to be back on top as championship winners.”

 

Gamble’s TCR team-mate Callum Pointon ended the year fifth in the championship and was unlucky to miss out on adding to the maiden Ginetta GT5 Challenge podiums he achieved last time out at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit.

 

Qualifying an excellent third fastest for the first Donington race, Pointon didn’t have the best of starts and was unfortunately elbowed all the way down to 14th position. Mounting an excellent recovery, though, the Cheddleton driver was back into the top 12 by the end of lap five and then continued his march through the order – taking the flag on lap nine in seventh position.

 

Pointon started race two in sixth place but slipped to seventh prior to the emergence of the Safety Car at the beginning of lap two. At the re-start, he grabbed sixth with a great move into the hairpin and became embroiled in a fantastic battle over the final podium spot involving six cars.

 

Taking fifth at Redgate on lap six, the TCR racer was then nudged down to seventh over the course of the next couple of laps but he continued to push and moved back into the top six with just over two laps to run. Attacking for fifth on the penultimate tour, he ultimately had to settle for sixth.

 

Lining-up sixth on the grid for race three, Pointon quickly moved into the top five and then produced a great pass at McLeans on lap two to claim fourth position. Edged back to fifth at Melbourne Hairpin on the fourth tour, Pointon managed to re-take fourth place into lap eight and just missed out on the podium by only 0.9 seconds at the finish on lap nine.

 

“Callum should have been on the podium if things had gone his way, he had the pace and he proved that during the last meeting”, said Brookes, “If we do it again next year and Callum is back with us, maybe he’ll be the one trying to do what George has this year. He’s done a great job this season and has made huge improvements. It’s been a cracking season with two fantastic young drivers.”

 

Total Control Racing will be back in action next weekend, 20th/21st September, at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire for the final two rounds of the Michelin Clio Cup Race Series season where the team is in pole position to secure its second championship victory in as many weekends.