JAMIE OSBORNE SCORES OPENING JCW WIN OF 2025

Jamie Osborne scored the first win of the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE season with a controlled drive in the opening race of the weekend at Donington Park.

The NAPA Racing UK driver had started the race from second on the grid after a closely-fought qualifying session earlier in the day but was able to jump into the lead on the run to Redgate for the first time when polesitter Tom Ovenden bogged down off the line.

That allowed Lewis Selby to also move ahead of Ovenden into second, with the poleman ultimately dropping all the way back to sixth by the end of the opening tour.

An off for debutant Ned Antony at McLeans resulted in the safety car being deployed until lap five, with Osborne holding on at the front ahead of Selby and the EXCELR8-run car of Josh Porter with positions towards the sharp end remaining static as battles raged further down the field.

One of those saw Harry Hickton trying to find a way ahead of Ovenden into the top six, but the current Cooper champion suffered a spin on the exit of the final chicane that saw him go into the barriers on the inside of the circuit having appeared to suffer a right rear puncture.

With Hickton’s car needing to be recovered, and damage to the tyre wall, the race was red-flagged before the grid lined up for an eight minute long restart.

Osborne led the field away ahead of Selby when the lights went out, with Marlo Cordell now holding third after Porter took a trip across the gravel and was forced to bring his car in to retire shortly before the action had been halted.

As the two NAPA Racing cars broke away at the front, Cordell was forced to take up a defensive role to keep Ovenden at bay, although the pressure on him was eased somewhat when Ovenden then had to contend with Edwards trying to overhaul him for fourth.

Osborne however was in a class of his own at the front and emerged from the race with the first victory of the year to secure the early championship lead.

“What a great way to start,” he said. “I alway seems to get a mega start and when I had Lewis behind me, I couldn’t really have asked for more as he is the ideal wingman.

“We were comfortable before the red flag and then on the restart it was a case of trying to do it all again and keep the lead, which is exactly what we managed to do.”

Selby looked set to make it a 1-2 for the team, but a five second penalty for exceeding track limits instead dropped him down the order and handed Cordell an unexpected second spot, despite the fact he is running in the ex-Bradley Gravett car as opposed to his own race machine following a winter switch to EXCELR8.

“I didn’t expect that after qualifying, but we sat for ages looking at the data to see where we could improve and I can’t thank the guys at EXCELR8 enough,” he said. “I thought it would be good if we got into the top five so I really can’t complain at a P2, which is a great way to start.

“It was all a bit last minute to be in this car and I’m not sure if I’ll stay it or be back in my own for round two, but it’s done a good job for me here.”

Post race however, an investigation into the circumstances of the time penalty handed to Selby saw the five seconds rescinded, which moved him back into second spot and demoted Cordell back into third.

It left Edwards fourth ahead of birthday boy Ovenden and behind the squabbling EXCELR8 pair, Jacob Hodgkiss came through to take an impressive sixth and the first Rookie Cup victory of the campaign on his debut with Race Car Consultants.

Cameron Richardson took seventh, with Max Edmundson, Albert Webster and Steven Chandler rounding out the top ten; the trio having spent much of the race going wheel-to-wheel for position.

Alex Solley, Harry Campey and Owen Hillman rounded out the finishers.