The youngsters of the GB4 Championship head to Snetterton this weekend, with an international pack of drivers all aiming to catch runaway championship leader Tom Mills.
The British driver is the only returning contender from last year on the grid, and has made his experience count in spectacular style so far in 2023, having won five of the nine races so far, and taking two other podium finishes. Mills, who races for family-run team KMR Sport, holds a handy 86-point margin to the rest of the field.
His nearest challenger is Fox Motorsport’s Ginetta Junior graduate Liam McNeilly, who has impressed greatly in his first campaign of slicks and wings racing. With two wins so far, the 17-year-old has made a strong adaptation, and his next target is to start closing down Mills’ advantage.
McNeilly is equal on points with Australian Cooper Webster. The 20-year-old has really grown into GB4 so far this season, having moved from the V8-powered S5000 Championship in his homeland, where he has defeated names such as Rubens Barrichello and Giancarlo Fisichella. Webster became the first driver to earn four podium finishes in a GB4 weekend last time out at Donington, and the Evans GP contender is due a win.
Fortec’s Colin Queen is next up; the American knows Snetterton well having won the National Formula Ford GB4 Shoot-Out at the venue last year, and heads to Norfolk fresh off the back of his strongest weekend yet, as he claimed three successive podiums at Donington Park.
Jeremy Fairbairn is another race winner on the grid, but has made a mid-season switch from KMR Sport to Graham Brunton Racing ahead of this weekend. He’s just 13 points away from Queen as things stand.
Next up is the youngest driver on the grid, 15-year-old Scotsman Harry Burgoyne Jnr, who now has Fairbairn alongside him at Graham Brunton Racing. One of the most accomplished karters in the UK, he’s made strong progress in his first season of car racing.
Fortec’s Indian duo Aditya Kulkarni and Ruhaan Alva are closely matched, with Kulkarni taking a maiden podium last time out, while Alva was in the top-three a round earlier at Silverstone.
Young Aussie Jack Clifford completes the top-10 at present, competing in his first season of racing in Europe having moved from down under over the winter.
Josh Irfan sits just outside the top-10 for Elite Motorsport, but isn’t present this weekend, so Fox Motorsport’s Sid Smith will gain at least one spot in the standings at Snetterton. The reigning Fiesta Junior champion has made excellent progress so far in his first single-seater campaign.
Privateer Dylan Hotchin put in plenty of work at Donington Park but was left unrewarded. He runs the car himself alongside members of his family, and also gives opportunities to young motorsport apprentices, with many enjoying their first experience in the sport. You won’t miss his bright pink car out on the circuit!
Similar colours adorn the Evans GP car of Thomas Lee; the Taiwanese-American driver is living the dream in GB4, this is his first campaign of single-seater racing and the Donington Park event was his best yet.
The GB4 Championship will race three times at Snetterton this weekend, with the first due to commence at 17.15 on Saturday afternoon, with two further contests at 12.40 and 17.35 on Sunday. The grids for the first two encounters will be decided by fastest and second fastest qualifying times, whilst the final race is a full reversal of all drivers within 103% of the fastest time in qualifying.
Championship leader Mills said: “Snetterton has always been a favourite track of mine. I took my first Formula Ford win there in 2021 and it was our first GB4 round last season where I finished on the podium twice.
“The teams pace has usually been strong there, so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do come race day. I’m missing the Friday test day because I have an A Level exam in the morning, so our Thursday test will be super important.”
All races this weekend will be shown live on the GB4 Championship website www.gb-4.net, the official Facebook page, and the MSV TV YouTube channel. The streams will include full build-up and post-race interviews too.
SNETTERTON ENTRY LIST
#3 Jack Clifford, KMR Sport
#21 Tom Mills, KMR Sport
#23 Aditya Kulkarni, Fortec Motorsport
#27 Ruhaan Alva, Fortec Motorsport
#37 Cooper Webster, Evans GP
#48 Liam McNeilly, Fox Motorsport
#50 Dylan Hotchin, Dylan Hotchin Racing
#56 Thomas Lee, Evans GP
#62 Colin Queen, Fortec Motorsport
#68 Harry Burgoyne Jnr, Graham Brunton Racing
#99 Sid Smith, Fox Motorsport
#TBC Jeremy Fairbairn, Graham Brunton Racing
