NICKY GAUCI INHERITS FIRST JCW SPORT WIN

Nicky Gauci secured a first win in the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE after a dramatic second race of the weekend at Oulton Park that included a penalty for championship leader Henry Howarth.

The race was held in challenging wet conditions as rain fell before the start, although the entire Sport field would elect to stick with slick tyres in the hope of conditions improving.

Chris Mackenzie led the field away at the start but it was Gauci who hit the front on the opening lap as Howarth and Archie Johnson both ran wide at the hairpin on the opening lap – just before the race went under caution to allow a stricken JCW car to be removed from the gravel at turn one.

On the restart, Howarth was on a change and overhauled Ben Crossley and Mackenzie to take second place before making a bid for the lead going into Hislops on the fifth lap, with slight contact seeing Gauci slide sideways as the championship leader moved ahead.

Behind meanwhile, Mackenzie was forced across the exit road in avoidance before rejoining in second behind Howarth, with Gauci having been demoted back to third.

Howarth remained out front until a second caution period caused by Crossley going off into the gravel at Druids, with three laps of racing remaining when the action got back underway.

Gauci had reclaimed second from Mackenzie just before the yellow flags came out, and over the closing laps, the Maltese driver tried to find a way ahead but the pair would ultimately be split on track by the recovering JCW car of Owen Hillman – who had gone off track earlier on.

It meant Howarth secured the race win but post-race, he was handed a penalty that dropped him back behind Gauci in the results due to the contact between the pair.

As a result, Gauci emerged with his first win in the series ahead of Howarth, although the latter was able to extend his lead in the standings out to more than 60 points as a result of Crossley’s retirement, and a trip across the grass for Archie Johnson that resulted in him being forced into the pits to have grass removed from the radiator.

Mackenzie would take third place and the additional bonus points for fastest lap, with Will Crooks just two seconds off the podium in fourth.

Johnson then completed the five finishers, albeit two laps down after his stop, and having taken a shortcut through the Fosters circuit to return to the pits to have the grass removed.