NATHAN EDWARDS BACK ON FORM WITH CROFT POLE

Nathan Edwards put a challenging opening half of the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE season firmly behind him with a record-breaking run to pole position at Croft.

Edwards had faced a myriad of issues in the opening meetings of the campaign that leave him outside the top ten in the championship standings going into the weekend, but was the man to beat across qualifying in his EXCELR8-run car.

Wasting little time in going under the previous qualifying lap record to snare provisional pole, Edwards then bettered his time as he ended up more than two-tenths of a second quicker than anyone else.

Despite being the only driver to lose a time to track limits in a session that was twice red-flagged, Edwards also set the best second fastest time in the field which ensures he will line up at the front for both races this weekend.

“It’s not been the season we wanted or planned, but this shows that resilience gets you to the top,” he said. “We’ve had the pace but there are various things that have held me back, and it’s nice to get pole here at my favourite track.

“I love this circuit but have never had good results here aside from one time in the Coopers. Maybe I’ve turned the tide today…”

Points leader Jamie Osborne would end up setting the second quickest time having also dipped below the previous qualifying lap record, with Tom Ovenden – polesitter last season – slotting into third.

Ovenden’s second quickest time would be good enough to put him on the front row for the opening race, where Osborne will start back in fourth.

Top rookie in qualifying would be Charlie Hand who impressive for Mannpower Motorsport to take fourth spot ahead of fellow rookie Albert Webster, with the top six being completed by Lewis Selby.

The two red flags in the session would both be caused by JCW cars, with the first occurring early on when Alex Solley went into the gravel at turn one. Although the NAPA Racing team got him back out on track, Solley would fail to set a quick time and will therefore start from the back of the field.

Marlo Cordell also found the gravel at turn one late on, which leaves him in tenth spot.
In JCW Sport, Chris Mackenzie followed up pole position at Oulton Park with a double pole for Bitcoin Racing as he outpaced Jamsport pair Archie Johnson and Henry Howarth at the front.

As with Edwards, Mackenzie broke the qualifying record for the class and will now look to try and convert it into victory in the two weekend races.

“I’m feeling good with a first double pole,” he said. “After Oulton Park, I’m really clicking with the car and hopefully we can push for both wins this weekend.”