Wilby shines as Mini rivals endure wildly fluctuating fortunes at Brands Hatch

The wildly contrasting fortunes for the Mini Challenge Trophy contenders continued into the category’s second event at Brands Hatch last weekend while the consistency of Josh Wilby propelled him into the points lead.

Pre-event top two Leo Purches and Ashley Gregory were both in the wars early on. Gregory’s woes started before racing began with a qualifying kerb strike causing her Cooper’s rear suspension to collapse and she lost a wheel. Several other teams helped the privateer get out for race one but her car was only repaired in time for her to start from the pitlane, ending up 18th.

Purches, meanwhile, was in strife after tangling with Rhys Hurd, who was stubbornly defending fourth place. “It was just unfortunate, it bent our alignment out at Clearways,” said Purches, who had therefore ‘used’ his one permitted dropped score. “It’s disappointing but a lot of people around us in the championship have also dropped one at Snetterton.”

Instead the battle at the front was between Gabe Fairbrother, Ronnie Smith and Wilby. Fairbrother moved into the lead early on before he was then demoted by Wilby around the outside of Druids on lap five of 21. The Team Avago driver faced constant pressure for the rest of the race but resisted all attacks and Fairbrother slipped behind Smith on the final lap at Druids.

Fairbrother was again in the thick of the action in race two and repeatedly challenged early leader Hurd. He looked to have made the move around the outside of Paddock Hill Bend on lap 10 but slight contact between the pair left Fairbrother’s Excelr8 Mini in the gravel. Hurd – who felt the tangle was a racing incident – managed the safety car restart to win on the road but was later given a 10-second penalty for the incident, which dropped him all the way down to 17th. Alex Keens was therefore promoted to the win from Alfie Garford and Wilby.

Olivier Algieri was another of the pacesetters enduring a tough event as engine problems put him out when running third. But he rewarded his Westbourne team’s efforts to change the motor by winning the finale. Algieri grabbed the lead after spending over half a lap alongside Fairbrother, finally sealing the move at Druids. The race was then stopped after Monroe Rennard clouted the barriers hard after spinning out of Paddock Hill Bend. But Algieri was unchallenged over the six-minute restart to end his weekend on a high.

Wilby was third behind Fairbrother and his hat-trick of podiums sent him rocketing up to the summit of the standings, from 12th prior to the weekend, having avoided the topsy-turvy fortunes many of his rivals faced.

Senior is top of the Caterham class after thrillers

It would be easier to count the number of laps where the Caterham Seven Championship UK lead did not change at Paddock Hill Bend than those when it did after three non-stop slipstreaming thrillers.

The pick of the bunch was the televised race three – described by race-two winner Harry Senior as the category’s Monaco Grand Prix equivalent, being the contest all the drivers wanted to win. It began in familiar fashion with Senior’s PT Motorsport Caterham constantly swapping places with Matt Armstrong’s Team Parker-run 420R.

“In a Caterham, the only thing that matters is the last lap,” said Senior. “The first lap of a race is important and the next 15 minutes is about maintaining position and keeping in contention.”

That is exactly what Senior did, although things were complicated by Henry Heaton splitting the duelling leaders on lap 16 of 25. Heaton did briefly hit the front but Armstrong began the final lap in first, only for Heaton to brilliantly pass his two rivals around the outside at Paddock Hill Bend. But Senior was not finished and mounted one final attack exiting Clark Curve and powered ahead by 0.017 seconds across the line.

Armstrong had earlier won the opener with Heaton second on the road, only for a track-limits penalty to push him back to sixth. Armstrong and Senior then broke clear from the pack to enjoy their own private battle in race two, which Senior topped to help ensure he left the championship’s sole guest British Touring Car appearance at the head of the pile.

Trice and Bradshaw continue their Cayman contest

Trice bagged another two wins but Bradshaw was a constant presence in his mirrors

Photo by: JEP

The Donington Park opener suggested an intriguing title fight between Toby Trice and Tom Bradshaw could be on the cards for Porsche Sprint Challenge GB glory. And last weekend’s round at Brands Hatch provided a wealth of further evidence for that.

The duo were the undisputed class of the field in Kent and never really looked like being seriously challenged by any of their rivals. As at Donington, it was Toro Verde’s Bradshaw who drew first blood. He set the fastest time in qualifying and duly converted that into the opening victory. Trice did put his foe under pressure for a spell mid-race but faded to three seconds behind at the flag.

Roles were reversed in race two with Trice this time leading from lights to flag from pole, although he did have Bradshaw very close in his wheeltracks. And Trice cleaned up again in the finale, the gap to Bradshaw fluctuating as the pair navigated backmarkers.

Elsewhere, it was a tough weekend for Mini Challenge conqueror Dan Zelos as he continued to get to grips with the Cayman. He only managed 14th in qualifying and was then completely unsighted when Reece Somerfield and Matthew Kyle-Henney tangled at McLaren. Zelos achieved a best result of eighth in the other two bouts.

Bradshaw heads the Cayman crocodile in race one

Photo by: JEP