Georgi Dimitrov enjoyed a dream debut in the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship this past weekend (August 1/2) at Donington Park; scoring two race wins and a second place finish to lead the overall standings. Embarking on his first season of tin top racing in 2020, the Richardson Racing driver produced a near-perfect performance under the flightpath of East Midlands airport to make his mark on the one-make series. Clocking valuable mileage across Friday’s two practice sessions, the British-Bulgarian driver proved to be a constant threat throughout a frenetic qualifying session the next day - ultimately setting the third fastest time around the 1.9-mile circuit. Launching off the line from the second row of the grid for his first-ever car race, Dimitrov starred in a four-way, lights-to-flag battle for the lead. Showcasing his race craft as he swapped positions almost every lap, the 15-year-old took the chequered flag in third. This would become second though following a post-race time penalty for a fellow competitor. Powering to the front of field from the outside of the front row in race two, Dimitrov continued his rich vein of form to record a dominant lights-to-flag victory in just his second race in the category. Starting from pole position in the third and final race of the weekend - broadcast live on ITV4 - Dimitrov further underlined his talents behind the wheel with another stellar performance. Holding the lead off the line, the Hitech Academy driver showcased his defensive skills early on as he held off a train of eight cars. Dropping to second place on lap five, Dimitrov showed his fighting spirit and hounded the back of Joel Pearson before making his move back on the eighth tour. Retaking the lead at McLeans, the accomplished racer broke clear and dominated the latter stages to cross the line more than two seconds clear of the opposition. Dimitrov’s race three victory also meant he took a clean sweep of wins in the Rookie Class. Leaving Donington Park, Dimitrov holds a 27-point advantage at the top of the Drivers’ Championship after three rounds. Georgi Dimitrov: “What a weekend! I didn’t really have too high expectations coming into the first event of the season so to leave Donington Park with two race wins and a second place finish is more than I could have ever hoped to achieve. “Every race was ultra-competitive and you’ve really got to be at the top of your game because it is so close out there. I had some real back and forth battles during the weekend and in races one and two, once I got to the front I had to take my opportunity and make it count. “It has been a dream weekend though, to achieve what we have is amazing and I’m so grateful and proud. I have to say a huge thank you to everyone at Richardson Racing as well as they have been fantastic all weekend. "We’ll now switch our focus to Brands Hatch in a few days time and hopefully we can maintain this momentum that we’ve built up here.” The 2020 Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship heads to Brands Hatch this coming weekend (August 8/9), with three races being played out around the Grand Prix layout of the legendary Kent venue.
Image from Jakob Ebrey Photography.