Youngsters Star As Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Resumes
Rookies Max Hall and Tom Ovenden scored a win apiece as the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE season resumed at Croft with the latest two races for both the JCW and JCW Sport categories.
Heading into the weekend, defending champion Dan Zelos held a healthy lead in the point standings, but it was Jamie Osborne who was the man to beat in qualifying as he stormed to pole position – with his second quickest time ensuring he topped the times for both races.
A grid penalty carried over from Oulton Park prevented the NAPA Racing UK man from lining up at the front for race one, meaning it was Ovenden who instead lined up at the head of the pack for Saturday’s opener.
The EXCELR8 driver looked to be en-route to his maiden win in the class as he led the field from the front but he suddenly slowed late on with a driveshaft failure that forced him to bring his car back into the pits to retire.
That instead handed the win to Hall, who had recovered well from a poor start to fight his way back to the front and survived late contact from Osborne as he tried to find a way through at the hairpin.
That contact allowed Zelos to close in behind, and whilst Hall was able to hold on to take the win, Zelos managed to nip ahead of Osborne to make it an EXCELR8 1-2, with Nelson King, Dominic Wheatley and Lewis Selby rounding out the top six.
JCW Sport honours went the way of points leader Dylan Hotchin, who bounced back from issues in qualifying to race his way to the head of the class and emerge victorious ahead of Cameron Richardson and Albert Webster.
Osborne took his place on pole for race two of the weekend but didn’t last long at the front as he was overhauled by Ovenden on lap five following an early safety car period.
Once at the front, Ovenden was able to race clear of Osborne to grab victory by more than four seconds, with Hall rounding out the podium after a late move on Selby – who looked set to inherit the place after Zelos picked up a puncture.
Hall however would be handed a penalty after the race after he was deemed to have gained an unfair advantage whilst battling with Wheatley earlier on, dropping him back down to sixth and promoting Selby, Lydia Walmsley and Wheatley up a position.
Despite his puncture, Zelos retains a healthy lead in the points going into the next event at Knockhill.
In JCW Sport, Webster scored his sixth win of the campaign having seen off the race-long challenge of Richardson at the front, with third going the way of invitational racer Stephen Harrison in the Sustainable Fuel Development car.
Hotchin failed to finish with a gearbox issue but retains the lead in the standings.