A West Cumbrian motorsport team has had an encouraging start in the Ginette Junior Championship.
RABsport Racing made its debut at Donington this weekend.
South African drivers Mahlori and Ntiyiso Mabunda, both managed by ICAN Motorsport Management, returned to the grid with renewed focus following a
limited 2024 campaign, eager to build momentum in their first full season.
The event marked RABsport’s official entry into the prestigious Ginetta Junior paddock, with the team fielding two of its three drivers.
Luviwe Sambudla was unavailable for Round 1 but is expected to make his season debut later this year.
In qualifying, in a competitive field of 27 drivers, Ntiyiso posted a best time of 1:57.43, placing 22nd, while Mahlori clocked 1:57.95 to line up 23rd.
Race one saw both drivers keep calm heads during opening lap chaos. Ntiyiso gained an early position and settled into the mid-pack.
After a brief safety car period, he continued to apply pressure, running competitive times in the low 1:57s and finishing P21. Mahlori was equally composed, making
steady progress to cross the line in P20 – his best finish of the weekend.
Race two offered even more progress. Ntiyiso launched from P21, climbing as high as P14 before crossing the line in a strong P14 after intense midfield battles. He showed particular strength in clear air, setting his fastest lap of the weekend: 1:55.66. Mahlori also battled through a disrupted midfield, running as high as P18 before finishing P20 after some close contact in the closing stages.
The final race saw Ntiyiso make a blistering start, leaping from P14 to challenge for a top 10 spot.
However, contact early on in the opening lap caused rear-end damage, and he was forced to retire after lap 5. Up to that point, he had posted a best lap of 2:00.79, despite the damage.
Mahlori once again impressed with consistency, running a clean race and bringing the car home in P16.
Team principal Richard Barnard said: “It’s been a pleasing first weekend for the team in the championship. While challenging, we’ve made great progress toward the future potential of both team and drivers. I’m proud of Mahlori’s consistency and Ntiyiso’s pace — and confident that lessons from this weekend will make us stronger going forward.”
