WERA ALLIANCE RACING ACADEMY MAKES MINI CHALLENGE MOVE
The Wera Alliance Racing Academy will join the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy for the 2025 season having confirmed a multi-car entry into the Cooper class.
The team will run two cars for the full season in the highly-competitive one-make series with an all-rookie line-up joining the grid for the first time.
A third car will then contest selected rounds during the season.
Jenson Mason will embark on his third season of car racing after two years in the Fiesta Junior Championship, scoring two wins last season on his way to a top five championship finish.
“I am extremely proud to be a part of the Wera Alliance Racing Academy again in 2025, and to receive their continued support is both a huge honour, and testament to what we have achieved together so far,” he said.
“My target for this season as I move up to the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy is to consistently compete at the front end of the field and challenge for race wins. The partnership between Wera Tools and Alliance Racing is simply the best, and I feel extremely privileged to be a part of the Wera Alliance Racing Academy for this new challenge.”
Alfie Garford will once again partner Mason having joined the Fiesta grid last year on the back of an astonishing 2023 that saw him become the youngest ever Senior British Karting Champion at the age of just 14.
Garford won at Silverstone en-route to fourth in the points and now joins his team-mate in stepping up to senior car racing for the first time.
“I’m excited and proud to say that I will be continuing my partnership with the Wera Tools Alliance Academy for 2025,” he said. “Working with them for a fourth year is fantastic and to have their support and expertise on my journey up the motorsport ladder has been invaluable.
“This season will see me step up into the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy and having picked up plenty of silverware in 2024, I’m aiming for more of the same this year. With big grids, nose-to-tail racing and a lot of experienced drivers, it will be a challenging season but I’m ready and raring to get racing.”
Garford and Mason will be joined in the Wera Alliance Racing Academy MINI line-up by Murray Richardson, who is set to take part in events at Brands Hatch, Thruxton and Donington Park.
Richardson will be embarking on his first season of competition as he looks to follow in the footsteps of older brother Cameron, who competed in the Cooper class himself back in 2023 and has since graduated into the headline JCW category.
“I am under no illusions that I have a lot to learn, but being in the Wera Alliance Racing Academy gives me a lot of confidence and I’m really excited to get going,” he said.
“I know I can learn from those around me who have already been in my position and have the experience. It’s a fantastic team to be a part of and I’m really looking forward to starting my test programme soon and getting out in the race car to prepare for my first race.”
