Liverpool’s Declan Jones will fill a second SV Racing-prepared Ginetta G55 in the pivotal final round of the 2014 Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup on the world-renowned Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit (11-12 October).
Jones, from Halewood, Liverpool, achieved several race wins and championship titles during a prolific Karting career spanning six years and has become synonymous with GT and endurance racing since graduating from Karts to cars in 2011.
A strong maiden season in Ginetta Juniors was followed by dovetailed programmes in the VdeV Endurance Championship, which encompassed a class win in the Dijon two-hour race, and the Ginetta GT Supercup.
The Merseyside-domiciled racer put his car on pole position by over seven tenths of a second and finished third on his GT Supercup debut, and notched up six additional podium finishes and two race victories at Knockhill, Rockingham, Silverstone and Brands Hatch to cap off a highly lucrative year.
A faultless maiden British GT outing the following season in 2013 saw him become one of the youngest ever winners in the series’ illustrious history at the age of 17, and Jones enjoyed a another stellar campaign, taking his Ginetta G50 to three outright wins and six podiums to finish just two points shy of the championship-winning total.
For Jones, now aged 19, the 2014 season has been a difficult one and sporadic British GT appearances in a GT4-spec BMW M3 haven’t yielded the hoped-for results.
However, the young hotshot – an instructor at the MotorSport Vision-operated Oulton Park circuit in Cheshire – is hoping to cap off a frustrating and underwhelming year on a high and feels reinvigorated by the prospect of returning to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) support package in a second SV Racing-prepared Ginetta G55.
“This has been perhaps the most frustrating year of my racing career, as pretty much all of my plans have been scuppered by various factors and I haven’t been able to compete much at all,” said Jones. “I really would like to end the 2014 season on a high as a result, and I’m genuinely excited about entering the Ginetta GT4 Supercup under Danny Buxton’s SV Racing banner and being part of the TOCA package, which is known for consistently attracting large trackside and television audiences.
“I hope it will be a nice weekend and, as always, I want to win. However, I won’t be punting everybody off or driving aggressively and to achieve top-five placings would be fantastic in what is currently a very strong field. This will be my first experience in a Ginetta G55 and I can’t wait to see what the car is like. I’m still young at the age of 19 and I’m keeping my options open for next year. I’ve known Danny (Buxton) for a few years now and I jumped at this opportunity because I really like him and he definitely knows what he’s doing.”
SV Racing Director, Danny Buxton, said: “I am really excited about getting Declan (Jones) in one the second SV Racing Ginetta G55 , as I’ve known him for his entire car racing career and both parties have been trying to conjure up an opportunity to work together ever since. Sometimes you have to be patient and I’m confident Declan is going to take his chance and deliver. He’s definitely one to watch at Brands Hatch, being such a versatile and malleable driving talent. He can get into anything and be fast straight out of the blocks and I hope SV Racing can bring the best out of him, giving us all a successful weekend.”
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