Alex O’Grady strengthened his position at the top of the GB4 Championship with two victories at Snetterton, while Josh McLean claimed the final win of the weekend in the championship’s landmark 100th race.
The fifth round of the season delivered a closely fought weekend across the mountune powered grid, with the championship battle taking another significant turn as O’Grady extended his advantage from 25 to 70 points.
Qualifying sets up title fight
Fred Green and O’Grady set the pace in a tightly contested qualifying session on Saturday morning.
Dayton Coulthard initially headed the times before O’Grady moved to the top, but it was Green who ultimately secured race one pole with a 1m47.479s lap, just 0.075s ahead of his championship rival. Thomas Ingram Hill qualified third, with Coulthard, Conor Grant and Torrin Byrne completing the top six.
O’Grady’s consistency paid off for the second race grid. His second quickest lap was just 0.018s slower than his best, securing pole position for Sunday morning’s contest.
O’Grady capitalises in race one
Green led the opening six laps of Saturday’s first race with O’Grady applying pressure from behind.
The battle changed on lap seven when Green slowed with an issue later identified as an incorrectly fitted gearshift actuator, forcing him into retirement.
O’Grady inherited the lead and controlled the remaining four laps to secure his second victory of the season, finishing 1.687 seconds ahead of Byrne.
Coulthard completed the podium in third, with Ingram Hill recovering from eighth on the grid to take fourth. Franciszek Cegielski and Emmilio Valentino Del Grosso rounded out the top six.
The result transformed O’Grady’s 25 point championship advantage at the beginning of the weekend into a 60 point lead heading into Sunday.
Two from two for O’Grady
Starting race two from pole, O’Grady led every lap but faced sustained pressure from Green.
Following an early safety car period, Green remained firmly in the championship leader’s slipstream and looked for an opportunity to challenge. O’Grady held his position despite the pressure, eventually taking the chequered flag just 0.482 seconds clear.
The victory completed a Snetterton double for the KMR Sport driver and extended his championship advantage once again.
Green took second, with Ingram Hill completing the podium. Coulthard finished fourth for Douglas Motorsport ahead of teammate Grant, while Byrne secured sixth following a close battle further down the order.
McLean wins GB4’s 100th race
The final contest of the weekend marked the 100th race in GB4 Championship history, four years after the series held its inaugural event at Snetterton in April 2022.
Josh McLean started from reverse grid pole and held the lead through a dramatic opening lap that saw several drivers caught up in incidents.
Torrin Byrne suffered a puncture following contact before spinning at Palmer, while Green sustained damage and was forced to retire. O’Grady was among several drivers forced onto the grass while avoiding the incidents.
McLean retained the lead through the first safety car restart before another incident, this time involving John O’Donnell and Connor Willis, brought out a second safety car and ultimately a red flag.
With the result declared after five laps, McLean secured his third reverse grid victory of the season. Enzo Hallman and Emmilio Valentino Del Grosso completed the podium, with Coulthard, Ingram Hill and Grant rounding out the top six.
Championship advantage grows
O’Grady recovered to 12th in the final race, and with Green failing to score, the KMR Sport driver left Snetterton with a 70 point championship lead.
After 15 of 21 races, O’Grady leads the standings with 321 points, ahead of Green on 251 and Coulthard on 241.
Six races now remain across the final two weekends of the season at Donington Park and Brands Hatch, with O’Grady firmly in control of the championship battle after a decisive weekend in Norfolk.
