Carl Garnett secured a brilliant podium finish from an otherwise challenging second meeting of the 2020 Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 SuperCup season at Brands Hatch this past weekend (08/09 August). Garnett headed to the Kent circuit determined to bounce back from a double bout of bad luck during the season opener at Donington Park a week prior. The summer heatwave provided a fresh challenge for him, as he tackled Brands Hatch’s Grand Prix layout in the dry for the first time. In his Telescope supported Ginetta G55 GT4, Garnett battled in car temperatures of over 50 degrees Celsius across Friday’s two free practice sessions. Gaining speed and confidence across the day, he carried the crucial experience gained into qualifying the following morning. A competitive showing saw the York based racer finish third fastest in the Am class. He hoped he could convert the strong starting position into a podium challenge, however the bad luck struck again as a broken driveshaft on the green flag lap ended his race before it had even begun. That put Garnett at the back of the grid for the first of two races televised live on ITV4 on Sunday. A great start saw him move up to third on the opening lap, and he held that position through to the chequered flag. A time penalty for a driver ahead though promoted him to second. Starting third on the reverse grid for the final encounter, the York-based racer had high hopes for another podium finish. Unfortunately he was dealt further misfortune though, with contact at the opening corner leading to broken steering and an immediate end to his race. The Astrolite, ValetPro and AC Database Services supported driver now has a weekend off before the Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 SuperCup returns to action at Oulton Park in Cheshire (22/23 August). Carl Garnett: “I must have done something to upset someone as I can’t buy some luck at the moment! Twice at Donington Park I was caught out in incidents out of my control, and we had another double dose of misfortune this weekend. “I’d never driven the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit in the dry before this weekend, so it was a steep learning curve on Friday – particularly with the incredibly hot conditions. I was finding a lot of time through the free practice sessions and again in qualifying. “While naturally disappointed with how both races one and three went, I’m pleased I was at least able to pick up one podium finish from the weekend. Our focus now is on bouncing back from this and challenging for more silverware at Oulton Park.”
Image from Jakob Ebrey Photography.