Katie Milner headed to race in Scotland for the first time this weekend as the Junior Saloon car championship (JSCC) went to Knockhill for the first time in it’s history.
The circuit is loved by drivers but is notoriously tricky and very unforgiving if you get it wrong. Friday’s test day also provided stereotypical Scottish weather conditions as heavy rain fell on and off throughout the day. Katie managed to keep her car unscathed unlike some of her rivals who sadly ended up with some very damaged machinery!
Qualifying was first on Saturday and although the rain had stopped earlier that day, the track was still damp and very slippery. Conditions improved during the session and Katie was finding tenths of a second with every lap she completed. Sadly her rival Zanetti edged her out for pole by 0.1 seconds!
Katie wasn’t bothered by not getting pole as she knew she had lots more pace to unlock in the race and so with a front row start she felt confident of being able to challenge for the win.
Race one took place in sunny warm weather on a now dry track and Katie made a great start. Unfortunately for her, so did Zanetti and they were level heading into the first corner with Zanetti on the inside from his pole position. This was the advantage he needed and he moved into the lead.
Katie dropped in close behind and for the next four laps, she followed him closely, looking for any sign of weakness to make her move. At the final hairpin she saw a gap and shot down his inside to take the lead.
She now pushed hard and her increased pace edged her away from Zanetti, picking up the fastest lap of the race as she went.
She crossed the line to take another win in what has already been a record breaking season for the Yorkshire driver.
Sunday saw race two and this proved to be one of Katie’s toughest races of the season. Hard racing with rivals saw her drop back not once but twice leaving her in fourth position in the closing stages.
There was not enough time to make up the gap to those ahead and she crossed the line still in fourth. She still Scored more important points and she leaves Scotland with a bigger championship lead than when she arrived so mission accomplished!
“A first and a fourth this weekend which I’m over the moon with.” She said after Sunday’s race. “I’ve extended my championship lead but now it’s straight back to work making sure I am fit and prepared for Silverstone, the final rounds where I’ll be battling to win the championship! Thanks to my team and all my family as well as my sponsors Nimbus Motorsport, Autocool radiators, Merlin international, Torco, Myprotein and Richardson transport. It’s an exciting time for me as I also start at the MSA Academy on Tuesday which should be a huge benefit to my career in motorsport.”
The final rounds of the JSCC are at Silverstone on the 8th and 9th October and Katie will be pushing hard to secure the championship victory. If she succeeds, she will be the first female junior champion since Sarah Moore won Ginetta Juniors in 2009 and the first ever female JSCC champion. By Marc Waller
