ALEX KEENS WRAPS UP COOPER TITLE WITH BRANDS HATCH WIN

Alex Keens provisionally secured the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy title in fine style with a dominant victory in the second race of the weekend at Brands Hatch.

Keens went into the race knowing that he would lift the title by finishing ahead of main rival Alfie Garford, and had the benefit of starting from the front row of the grid alongside his Graves Motorsport team-mate Monroe Rennard.

Getting the jump when the lights went out, Keens immediately hit the front going through Paddock Hill Bend and was able to build a lead over the pack behind, which was initially headed by Rennard as he maintained second spot.

Even when Rennard was shuffled back down the order, not helped by a trip across the grass at Surtees, Graves had built a handy advantage at the front and was able to control things from the front as he secured his third win of the campaign – albeit having not previously taken the chequered flag first.

“It’s a first win on the road so it’s job done for that one, and also for the title,” he said. “All season I thought it was going to go down to the wire, and to have done it with a race to spare is absolutely amazing.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve been the fastest driver this season although we’ve shown glimpses of our pace, but we’ve made sure that every weekend we’ve been consistent and have been there picking up points.

“It means so much to win this title and have the season we’ve had with minimal support – although it’s great to have welcomed Silverlake on for the finale. It’s not bad for a car built on a driveway by two people who have never built one before!”

Despite drawing ten for the reverse grid draw, it was race one winner Rhys Hurd who maintained his rich run of form to battle his way through the field to take second spot having fought his way ahead of Olivier Algieri just after the mid-way point.

Keens was too far ahead to be caught as Hurd had to keep Algieri at bay for the remainder of the race, with the result allowing the Westbourne Motorsport man to close in on second place in the standings.

That was helped in part by a tough race for Alfie Garford, who was forced onto the outside line whilst dicing with Algieri early on and dropped down the order and would cross the line back in tenth spot having lost a spot to Josh Wilby on the run to the line.

Garford was aided in championship terms by the fact that Jenson Mason took the fastest lap away from Hurd three laps from the end, which means Garford will take a three point advantage over Hurd into the final race in the battle for second.

On track, Mason took fourth place ahead of Louie Capozzoli, with the top six being completed by Steven Chandler.

However, the trio were all promoted a spot post race when Algieri was handed a three-place penalty for crowding Garford as they diced for position during the race.

The delayed Rennard would be forced to settle for seventh place, with Marinoni Osborne, Wilby and Garford rounding out the top ten.

That result for Wilby meant he can no longer be caught in the battle for the Graduate Cup, with Garford also provisionally taking an unassailable lead in the Rookie Cup thanks to the dropped score he still holds going into the finale.