Elite Motorsport’s Protyre Ginetta GT5 Challenge quartet have little time to relax as they prepare for their third event of the season inside just four weeks. Will Jenkins, Harley Haughton, Harry Mangion and Karim Sekkat lie third, fourth, seventh and third (Am) respectively after the latest three races at Donington Park (23-24 Apr) with Elite moving up to second in the Teams’ standings.

Jenkins, frustrated having finished only P5 and P4 in qualifying for the first two races, bounced back with second place in the Red Flag lap countback for Race 1 despite contact battling for the lead then recorded a second race win of the season in Race 2. Will, making his 50th Ginetta race start over the weekend, was well on course for victory in Race 3 but a sudden suspension issue caused him to spin into retirement in the closing stages.

Haughton got his Donington weekend off to a flying start by achieving pole-position for Races 1 and 2. He was initially classified third at the Red Flag in Race 1 but received a 10secs time penalty for a false start post-race dropping him to an unrepresentative 13th. 

In Race 2, Harley traded places in the top-four prior to another Red Flag bringing the race to a premature end with Haughton ultimately classified third with race fastest lap. He challenged for third-place in Race 3 but was unlucky to find himself forced into the gravel trap on the outside of a spinning car and into retirement.

Mangion had a good weekend that improved with every race. After a frustrating quali session due to oil on the track, he showed good pace to place ninth then seventh in the opening two races, Harry rounding off a very solid weekend, claiming second place – less than a second behind the winner – in Race 3.

Sekkat endured a character-building Donington event. Having ended Race 1 in the gravel trap avoiding a spinning car, Karim lost places at the start of Race 2 to record seventh in “Am” – despite setting the fastest “Am” lap – but recorded a good third-place in the final race of the weekend, 0.614secs from second-place. Silverstone hosts Rounds 7 and 8 over 7-8 May.

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Eddie Ives, Team Owner & Manager:

“Our GT5 pace all weekend at Donington was rapid.

“So it was a big shame this wasn't shown in the results after we endured some terrible luck. 

“I was extremely pleased for Harry to finish the final race in P2 on genuine pace.

“Onwards and upwards to Silverstone where I look forward to some better luck falling our way.”