DOMINIC WHEATLEY OPENS JCW WIN ACCOUNT

Dominic Wheatley led from start-to-finish in the opening race of the weekend at Knockhill to score his maiden win in the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE.

The EXCELR8 Motorsport driver had scored four podium finishes in the JCW class in the past but was still searching for a first win – with pole position providing him with the ideal opportunity to chase victory from the front.

Wheatley made the best start when the lights went out to lead the field into turn one for the first time ahead of Max Hall, with a fast-starting Lewis Selby getting ahead of both Dan Zelos and Nathan Edwards into third.

As Wheatley tried to shake off Hall behind, Edwards dropped down the order when he ran across the grass going down Duffus Dip whilst dicing for position to drop down to seventh.

Hall refused to let Wheatley get away at the front, and his bid to try and claim the lead took greater urgency when Zelos managed to find a way ahead of Selby at the hairpin on lap three before setting off after the top two ahead.

The defending champion had almost made it a three-way fight for the lead when Hall tried to make a move on Wheatley for the lead at the hairpin, only to lose momentum that instead saw him drop into the clutches of Zelos behind.

As Wheatley broke away at the front, Zelos battled hard to find a way ahead of Hall into second spot and got ahead at the hairpin just before being handed a five second penalty for exceeding track limits.

That promoted Hall back into second place, but Wheatley was well clear at the front to score his maiden win by five seconds.

Selby was set to take third spot but was chased down by team-mate Osborne, who managed to get ahead but was unable to get ahead of Hall before the flag and had to settle for third.

Zelos would end up in fourth following his time penalty ahead of Selby, with Tom Ovenden coming through to take sixth.

Seventh went to Marlo Cordell but only after a race long battle with Lydia Walmsley and Josh Porter that went right to the wire.

Walmsley spent most of the race trying to get ahead of Cordell, but on the final lap, Porter was able to dive through at the hairpin to grab eighth and leave Walmsley to take the flag in ninth.

Debutant Gerry Brady took the flag in tenth spot despite a five second time penalty, with fellow newcomer Brent Bowie finishing eleventh in class having spent much of the race battling with the JCW Sport field.

Following his earlier trip across the grass, Edwards was forced to pit after a puncture that dropped him five laps down, whilst Nelson King would also be forced into the pits late on with a puncture whilst running in sixth spot that dropped him off the lead lap and meant he finished in twelfth.