DYLAN HOTCHIN STORMS THROUGH TO CROFT VICTORY

Dylan Hotchin bounced back from a difficult qualifying session to score the JCW Sport class win in the opening race as the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE season resumed at Croft.

Hotchin had found himself at the back of the pack after a ball joint failure in qualifying consigned him to the bottom of the timesheets, although he would line up on the grid ahead of Chris MacKenzie after the Bitcoin Racing man was excluded from qualifying for running an unregistered tyre.

Albert Webster had lined up on pole having set the best of the second quickest times in qualifying, and held the lead through the opening lap, with Hotchin charging his way through into second spot by the time the field headed into the lap two.

Whilst Webster remained out front for the opening few laps, Hotchin moved ahead on the run to Tower on lap three and a number of quick laps saw him move clear of his rival and close in on the rear of the JCW pack.

Webster was overhauled by Cameron Richardson as the NAPA Racing man took second, and would close in on Hotchin in the final stages of the race – bringing Webster with him to make it a three-way fight for the win.

Hotchin however held on to secure the victory and extend his lead in the standings, with Richardson and Webster chasing him home as the top three were covered by less than a second.

“The car was great,” JamSport man Hotchin said. “I had a rubbish day yesterday in testing when I ended up in the wall yesterday and then had the issue in qualifying, but the team got the car out and we got the job done.

“I saw chances to make up ground and was able to make the most from having fresher tyres, given I’d done less laps in qualifying. At one point, the JCW cars were actually holding me up but this is a great result to start the weekend.”

Ben Crossley would take fourth spot having been unable to keep pace with the leading trio, although he had more than enough in hand to stay ahead of MacKenzie, who took the start from the pit lane but battled ahead of guest entry Stephen Harrison early on.

Driving the Invitational Sustainable Fuel Development car, Harrison was able to stay out of trouble to take the flag in sixth spot.