Smalley Edges Winter Battle With Jewiss

Two wins and two pole positions – the start of the Ginetta Junior Winter Series at Brands Hatch on Saturday couldn’t have gone much better for Kiern Jewiss.

- Jason Noble and Graham Keilloh

But, as befitting a series in which the unexpected usually happens, the 2017 Ginetta Junior rookie champion’s title bid came undone with just one mistake, allowing Adam Smalley to claim the prize.

The title favourite’s weekend started well with masterful defending of the inside lines at Druids and Surtees to hold off Smalley.

A second win from pole in race two was harder than it sounded thanks to the greasy conditions from constant rain meaning his start was “the longest burnout ever”, dropping him to third behind Greg Johnson and Smalley.

The wet kerbs punished wide moments, shuffling Johnson to third, before Smalley found grip at Surtees to pass a loose Jewiss.

The two continued to trade mistakes into the rapidly fading light, but as Smalley rued afterwards “we both made a couple of mistakes, but unfortunately I made the last one,” – a wide moment at Paddock to settle the win for Douglas Motorsports’ Jewiss.

Smalley began race three on pole but suffered a horrendous start on the wet pole slot from Saturday’s showers. Jewiss looked good for a third win from three, but Elite Motorsport’s Smalley caught Jewiss napping with a superb move on the outside at Graham Hill Bend to take his first Junior victory.

Race four was where it all came undone. Jewiss needed second place while Smalley needed at least a win, but Jewiss had a catastrophic spin on oil at Surtees dropping him from third to 14th. His excellent recovery to sixth, despite damaged steering, couldn’t prevent Smalley’s win from securing the title.

“It’s amazing, I’m speechless,” the 2016 scholarship winner said. “Pole, two wins and the championship in a day isn’t bad. Hopefully I can start next year how I ended this one.”