Blake Angliss produced an eye-catching debut in the Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 SuperCup season opener at Snetterton this past weekend (12/13 June), impressing with a fantastic charge through the field and a brilliant fifth place finish.
Despite having only seven previous car-racing starts under his belt from 2020, Angliss belied his lack of experience to produce some brilliant performances in Ginetta’s flagship championship and firmly highlights himself as one to watch in the series this season.
With only one test day in the car under his belt heading into the race meeting, Angliss knew it was going to be a steep learning curve on one of the most technical and challenging circuits on the calendar. Therefore, two free practice sessions on Friday provided crucial track time.
The 18 year old quickly got up to a competitive pace and ended the day an impressive ninth fastest overall, a result which led to him being promoted to the championship’s headline Pro category, where he’d be up against the fastest drivers on the grid.
Angliss relished the additional challenge and took another step forward in his Century Motorsport Ginetta G55 during qualifying on Saturday morning. As temperatures rose in the Norfolk sunshine, a scorching lap time secured him eighth position on the final timesheets.
A tough start to the opening race that afternoon saw the Transend-backed driver slip to tenth position, but he quickly composed himself and looked to make progress back up the order. As he closed in on the ninth placed runner, disaster struck as he suffered a puncture on his G55.
After taking a trip to the pitlane for a replacement, Angliss eventually picked up some championship points in 14th position. Whilst frustrated to see a top ten result in his debut race slip from his grasp, the Coventry-based racer was confident he could bounce back strongly on Sunday.
Behind the wheel of his eye-catching blue and yellow Ginetta, Angliss produced a sensational charge through the field from 14th on the grid in race two. Gaining a couple of places on the opening lap, he stayed there for a few laps before kicking on at the halfway mark of the race.
A double move through the Brundle / Nelson section of the track got him into the top ten, before he gained another spot for ninth. He saved the best until last, with a stunning move around the outside at Agostini corner earning him eighth position as he took the chequered flag.
There was better news to come too, with a time penalty for another driver promoting the Icom, Lifeline, Haigh Group and Splodge Hygiene backed driver into seventh in the final result. That’s where he’d then start the final race of the weekend, which was televised live on ITV4.
An issue for a driver ahead immediately moved him into the top six as the race got underway, before he benefitted from another retirement at mid-distance to rise to fifth. Driving with a wise head on young shoulders, he then bided his time before making a move for fourth.
His moment came with an opportunistic dive down the inside into the Wilson hairpin on lap nine. With a large gap to the car ahead halting any podium aspirations, Angliss fought hard to the end and although he lost a spot on the last lap, fifth represented a fantastic conclusion to his debut weekend.
Blake Angliss: “What a great weekend. Considering my limited racing experience so far and lack of testing in the Ginetta G55, to come away with fifth and seventh place finishes on my debut outing in a hugely competitive field is an achievement I’m really happy.
“I’m learning more and improving every time I get into the car and I felt I was in a good position after qualifying. The race one puncture was a real shame as it put me on the back foot for race two, but it gave me the chance to go out there and make some moves which I thoroughly enjoyed.
“Whilst I’m gutted to have lost a spot on the final lap of race three, fifth was still a great result to end the weekend. There’s still a lot to learn, but I’ve got a good platform to build on going forwards. I loved every second this weekend and can’t wait to go racing again in a couple of weeks.”
There’s only a two week gap until the next round of the 2021 Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 SuperCup season, with three races around the Brands Hatch Indy circuit in Kent on 26/27 June.
Image from Jakob Ebrey Photography.
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