SILVERSTONE SET TO SERVE UP MORE COOPER TWISTS
A busy run of race meetings for the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy draws to a close this weekend at Silverstone as the Cooper drivers descend on the circuit for their penultimate meeting of the campaign.
Following a dramatic race weekend at Donington alongside the BTCC saw Harry Hickton emerge with a slender lead in the championship, Westbourne Motorsport team-mate Sam Gornall moved to the front of the pack – once dropped scores are taken into account – during the MINI Festival meeting at Croft two weeks ago.
When Hickton was forced to retire from the opening race, it was advantage Gornall in the standings as he raced to a podium finish, but Gornall’s own DNF in the final race of the weekend – where Hickton scored a top three result – saw the gap between the pair come down to just four points.
The tight fight between the pair is set to continue at the home of British Motorsport, but the pressure from behind continues to grow, with only six races left to run across this weekend and then at Brands Hatch in early November for the traditional finale.
Whilst the Westbourne pair sit out front in the standings, Alex Solley, James Black and Gabe Fairbrother are the trio giving chase in the standings and will be eager to try and close the gap at the front.
Solley remains third in the standings after picking up his fifth podium of the campaign last time out in North Yorkshire, whilst Graves Motorsport team-mate Black picked up a brace of top three finishes to remain fourth – with a breakthrough win being his target for the weekend ahead.
Fairbrother was the big winner in the standings a Croft as he scored his maiden car racing victory, and quickly followed it up with a second a matter of hours later.
That double success means he has closed in on his rivals ahead, with the EXCELR8 driver eager to try and maintain his strong form at a circuit where he scored his first series podium twelve months ago.
Alex Keens bagged his best result of the season at Croft to retain sixth in the standings heading to Silverstone and has been a consistent top ten runner this season, whilst Ronnie Smith heads a tight three-car fight for seventh that sees a trio of drivers covered by just two points.
Chandler Motorsport team-mate Rhys Hurd grabbed a fourth win of the year to continue his rise back up the standings and is another driver who has run well at Silverstone in the past, whilst Luca Marinoni Osborne is level on points in ninth spot. The top ten is rounded out by Reece Lycett, who lost ground in the standings with a tough weekend at Croft.
Outside the top ten, a hat-trick of class wins for Paul Manning means he has taken the lead of the Directors Cup battle, whilst this weekend sees the addition of JCW Sport racer Cameron Richardson in a guest role with NAPA Racing.
