Rounds 7 and 8 of The Vertu Motors Mini Challenge took place in Cheshire, as the series returned to the lovely Oulton Park circuit in support of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.
The Qualifying Session on the 2.23-mile circuit saw Jamie’s Mini JCW Sport suffer an electrical fault, which left him starting the opening race of the weekend at the back of the grid.
“We had a problem in qualifying and, by the time we did get out, someone had a small crash which saw the session red-flagged. So, we had to start at the back.”
Race One (Round 7)
It would be Max Edmundson in his Pro Alloys Racing UK Team Mini JCW Sport who won the opener, with an excellent drive from sixth place.
Meanwhile, Jamie endured a tough race which ended up seeing him penalised for being out of position at the start. However, his race saw him battle hard before dropping out of contention for a top ten finish when his Napa Racing UK Mini JCW Sport suffered a gearbox issue. This resulted in him being stuck in sixth gear, which meant he ended up back behind the leading runners in the results.
“It was a fight for survival really, with mixed weather conditions. We all took a gamble with the slick tyres, and it was total war out there! Hopefully, we can salvage some good points in race two.
“We’ve had great pace this weekend, but just had one of those unlucky races. We’ve had a great start to the year and are going to points-haul from now on. We’re going to try to figure out some new strategies, and focus on winning the championship.”
Race Two (Round 8)
With the second Vertu Motors Mini Challenge race being declared a wet race in front of the ITV4 cameras on Sunday, all drivers started on the wet tyres.
Jamie got a great launch from sixteenth at the start, as he jumped up no fewer than nine places on the opening lap! He was in 7th position by the time teammate Alex Solley crashed out, forcing a safety car intervention.
The racing restarted with less than 18 minutes left to run, but Albert Webster (JRW Motorsport) and Harry Campey (EXCELR8 Motorsport) collided at the first corner, promoting Jamie up into fifth.
He had a real ding-dong with Josh Porter’s EXCELR8 Driver Development Programme Mini, before Nathan Edwards (also of EXCELR8 Driver Development Programme) ran wide to promote the duo behind up another position.
Title rival, Tom Ovenden (EXCELR8 Driver Development Programme) dropped down a few places, which promoted Jamie onto the bottom step of the podium, before the Napa Racing UK driver got by Porter to make it a 1-2 with teammate Lewis Selby on the sixth lap.
Marlo Cordell and Max Edmundson collided to bring out the safety car once again on the seventh lap, which ran until racing resumed with less than five minutes to run on the clock.
Jamie registered two fasted laps throughout the race, one of which took place as he sat glued to Selby’s rear bumper. However, he made a small mistake and ran wide onto the damp curb on the following lap, which gave his teammate the breathing space he needed.
The two Napa Racing UK Mini JCW Sports saw the chequered flag in what was a photo finish, with Jamie bringing the number 77 home in a fine second place.
His weekend’s exploits ensured that Jamie remained at the top of the Vertu Motors Mini Challenge Drivers’ Championship table with 369 points, 44 clear of rival Tom Ovenden.
“It was a great race and I’d have probably risked it a bit more, if it wasn’t my teammate in front!” Jamie told ITV4 after the race.
“The car was on it from start to finish, and we made the most of it. I made a few little mistakes here and there while trying to get by my teammate, but ultimately, the best man won.
“We’ve had an unlucky weekend, but the boys at Napa Racing UK have done another fantastic job to get us back on the podium.”
