Hucknall racer Ruben Hage pleased with impressive Ginetta debut

Hucknall racer Ruben Hage was extremely positive and upbeat after a brilliant debut in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge during Easter weekend.

The 16-year-old has stepped up from the Junior Saloon Car Championship (JSCC) for 2022 and impressed with two top six finishes from the three races at Oulton Park in Cheshire.

Speaking exclusively to Hucknall Nub News, he said: "It went really well, we were on the pace straight away. The car was spot on all weekend, team were good. I had a new mechanic this weekend, and he was really on the ball."

After impressing in testing on the Friday (15 April) with the third and sixth fastest times in the two sessions, Hage endured a tough qualifying which was punctuated by red flags and saw him lose one time for exceeding track limits. This left him eighth and ninth on the grid for the first two races.

"I was quite disappointed with qualifying actually. Coming into the weekend if you'd told me I was going to be lining up eighth and ninth I would have been really happy with that but just with the potential in practice and then the traffic in qualifying was an absolute nightmare."

However, Ruben quickly shook this disappointment off by making progress through the pack to cross the line fifth at the chequered flag and set the fastest lap of the race in the process.

"I don't think I've ever had a fastest lap in the race actually. I didn't know I'd set it either until I came back in; really happy with that one," he said.

The second race on the morning of Easter Monday (18 April) saw Hage make a poor start and drop back on the first lap. He was then stuck behind Ignazio Zanon and Dave Sutton which meant he lost touch with the leading pack. However, he was patient and eventually put two clean moves on them to move himself into eighth. He quickly gapped them and set off after the frontrunners. He managed to catch the tail of the pack at the flag and was rewarded as two drivers received time penalties for exceeding track limits during the race which promoted Ruben to sixth.

Of the result, he said: "It's really easy when you've got a bit of air in front of you and behind which I did in that race, to step back a little bit and just bring the car home. Obviously in that situation it was the right thing to do to just keep pushing on because you never know what's going to happen up front. I had no idea those two had penalties either. We received the rewards from that one."

The final race of the weekend didn't quite go to plan as Hage was pitched into a spin on the run to the first corner. He managed to only brush the barrier and was able to continue at the rear of the field. He was prevented from having enough time to pick his way through the field as the race was red flagged after just two racing laps due to another incident. The race could not be restarted due to the track curfew which meant Ruben had to settle for 17th.

The three results means he sits seventh in the drivers' championship after three races.

Reflecting on the weekend, he said: "I think it's a really good way to start the season. Top ten was the aim coming into it and that was just to finish top ten in one of the three races definitely not to be top ten coming out in the championship. To box two top tens off racewise and then to be comfortably in the top ten in the championship I definitely can't complain. Even though race three didn't go to plan there's a lot to learn from it so hopefully that won't happen again. Hopefully we can iron these mistakes out early in the season."

There is a quick turnaround as the series continues this weekend (23/24 April), supporting the British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park.

With an estimated 40,000 fans expected trackside this weekend and with some of the coverage being broadcast live on ITV4 on Sunday, this will be a completely new experience for Ruben.

"I think it was 20.9 million viewers they got collectively last year so to be out racing in front of that many eyes is not a bad thing. For one reason to get people to know who you are but also for the sponsors, it'll be great to showcase them in front of that many people, it's kind of one of the key selling points of the championship."

Ruben's final race of the weekend will be live on ITV4 at 3:55pm on Sunday (24 April).