Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy Campaign Kicks Off At Snetterton
Westbourne Motorsport were the big winners from the opening weekend of the 2024 Vertu MINI CHALLENGE season as the Cooper class headed for Snetterton for the opening three races of the year.
A field of 25 cars headed to the longest circuit on the calendar and it was second year racer Sam Gornall who led the way in qualifying, smashing the previous lap record as he romped to pole position in his Westbourne-run car ahead of Alex Solley and Harry Hickton.
That set the grid for the final race of the weekend until a new format for this season, with the grid for race one being set on the second fastest time posted by each driver in the session.
Gornall’s second fastest lap was also enough to earn him pole for that race and he converted it into a maiden victory ahead of team-mate Hickton, with the pair able to race away from the pack behind.
That pack was headed by James Black, as the Graves Motorsport man emerged from a huge fight for third spot with his first podium finish ahead of Jamie Keates and top rookie Ronnie Smith.
The reverse grid for race two saw the top ten switched on its head and left Gornall with work Tokyo to do if he wanted to double up.
Unfortunately for the race one winner, a clutch issue on his car meant he retired early on, with team-mate Hickton instead storming through the field to take the lead by the second lap.
Once out front, Hickton was untroubled in the lead as he joined Gornall in scoring a maiden victory in the series, with the fight for second going right down to the wire.
Gabe Fairbrother had looked set to take the runner-up slot but exiting the final corner of the race, Keates drew alongside and just nosed ahead to steal the position and his best result in the series so far.
Fairbrother would have to settle for third as Black and Smith chased them home; the latter having looked good for a podium until mid-way through the final lap when slight contact knocked his car out of gear.
Despite being on pole for race three, Gornall’s victory chances would be ended by an ABS issue that saw him slip back into the pack, as Hickton instead raced his way to a second win of the weekend, despite being kept honest throughout by Solley - who himself had faced ABS dramas earlier in the weekend.
As a number of drivers got involved in on-track skirmishes, Reece Lycett was able to stay out of trouble to take third place and his first podium finish in the series, with Smith taking the flag in fourth to round out a strong debut weekend.
Smith was handed a time penalty for exceeding track limits however, which dropped him behind Alex Keens and Gornall in the final results.
The next meeting for the Cooper grid comes at Pembrey in Wales on the weekend of 18-19 May, with the JCW and JCW Sport classes kicking off at Donington Park at the end of the month.