Edmundson stars in Minis as the BTCC supports entertain at Brands Hatch

Last year’s Mini Challenge runner-up Max Edmundson opened his account for 2026 with a Brands Hatch brace, while Donington Park hat-trick hero Tom Ovenden produced an impressive fightback to take the middle stanza.

Having kicked off his title defence in sublime style last month, Ovenden faced an altogether tougher challenge in Kent. It began well, with qualifying times good enough for two second-row starts. But an administrative error with Excelr8 Motorsport’s tyre nominations sent Ovenden and team-mates Nathan Edwards and Josh Porter to the back of the grid for the weekend’s first and third races – denying Porter a maiden pole position in the process.

Harry Hickton (Mannpower Motorsport) – himself frustrated to miss a shot at pole when baulked after setting the fastest first sector – and Pro Alloys Racing’s Edmundson therefore inherited the front row. Hickton made the better getaway but Edmundson was determined to strike while his tyres were at their best and dived inside at Paddock Hill Bend a lap later. The leading pair held station until the chequered flag, with Charlie Hand (BPC Motorsport) bouncing back from his hefty Donington smash to finish third.

The main action came behind as the disqualified trio sought to climb high enough to benefit from race two’s reversed-grid. Ovenden and Porter were successful, reaching eighth and ninth at the flag, which became sixth and seventh thanks to others’ penalties. But Edwards, 11th, fell just short when Edmundson selected ball 10 from the draw.

Porter made a fine start from row two but could find no way through, as Ovenden went around the outside and slotted into second behind team-mate Olivier Algieri exiting Druids. Ovenden tried to prise an opening for several laps, without success, and found himself back in third when Porter charged around him. But the champion hit back at Clearways, then dived past Algieri at the start of the final tour.

“I braked that little bit later and my foot was literally on the floor of the car trying to make the car stop,” said Ovenden. “That was one of the best races I’ve had in a JCW, ever. From a disappointing quali yesterday, after the disqualification, I did not think I’d be stood here today getting another win.

“We knew yesterday was the most important race because, if we weren’t in that reversed-grid draw, the whole weekend was going to be done. I was proud of myself, proud of the team for picking ourselves back up.”

Edmundson, third from row five, was back in charge for the wet finale, taking a comfortable victory from team-mate Sam Gornall. The second Pro Alloys driver bounced back from a difficult Saturday ruined by a broken engine mount, climbing from sixth to beat Algieri.

This time Ovenden could only reach ninth after getting caught behind another driver’s wild moment. Coupled with Edmundson’s success, what had been a 47-point championship lead now stands at 11.

“After what happened in qualifying yesterday, I knew I had to capitalise,” said two-time Civic Cup champion Edmundson. Despite Ovenden’s fine drives, that’s exactly what he did.

Mercedes and McLaren juniors continue their F4 battle

Mercedes-backed Jeff-Hall was delighted to be number one in race one

Photo by: JEP

Mercedes junior Ethan Jeff-Hall overhauled McLaren-backed rival Dries Van Langendonck’s points lead with victory in the British Formula 4 opener, only for Van Langendonck to respond via an inspired tyre call in the wet finale.

With his only previous F4 victory in a reversed-grid race, Jeff-Hall was delighted to record his “first proper win”. The Argenti Motorsport driver rounded polesitter Adam Al Azhari (Hitech) almost unintentionally in the restarted race.

“I had a bit of a tricky start off the line and then hit the [rev] limiter into the first corner, but just came alongside the others and carried the speed round the outside,” he explained. “I was quite surprised!”

It helped that Al Azhari had been nudged by the fast-starting Tommy Harfield (Chris Dittmann Racing), making him more cautious. Another strong getaway aided Harfield to fourth in the reversed-grid race, which was dominated by Virtuosi Racing’s Jarrett Clark from pole position. Meanwhile, a slightly subdued Van Langendonck (Rodin) could manage only a pair of seventh places.

That would change when the heavens opened on Sunday afternoon. As the cars gridded, a dry line was forming, with Harfield and Van Langendonck among those to roll the dice and pit for slicks. Harfield blew his victory hopes by damaging his front wing while negotiating traffic, but Van Langendonck kept his nose clean and scythed through to victory. “It was really difficult to navigate the wet-rubber runners, but it was a great race,” he smiled. Harfield still managed fifth while polesitter Al Azhari (eighth) and Jeff-Hall (13th) plummeted.

Voisin’s golden Carrera Cup display

There was no stopping a storming Voisin at Brands

Photo by: JEP

It appeared nobody told Callum Voisin that it’s meant to be difficult to overtake in downforce-laden cars on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit. The Porsche Carrera Cup GB Junior and one-time FIA Formula 3 race winner made light work of a dominant double.

As polesitter Will Jenkins (Team Parker Racing) led away, Voisin’s Century Motorsport car dropped from second to fourth behind former British Touring Car drivers Stephen Jelley and Max Coates. But, after an early safety car, Voisin dived past Coates at Paddock Hill Bend then swooped around Jelley in an audacious move at the Druids hairpin a lap later. He quickly reeled in Jenkins then repeated his earlier Paddock pass before cantering to a seven-second victory.

With Carrera Cup adopting its new solus weekend rules for the first time, race two’s grid was not based on a reversal of the earlier results but its own quick-fire qualifying session.

But, despite securing pole, another startline mishap could have proved costly for Voisin. Lining up beyond his grid box attracted a 5s penalty – but it hardly mattered as Voisin crossed the line 9s clear of a hard-charging Sid Smith (Graves Motorsport) who climbed from 10th.

“I was confident that I could pull the gap [required], but I was very worried about it,” admitted Voisin.

Caterhams entertain as 310R series makes first BTCC appearance

Wyllys marked his return after two years on the sidelines with a brace of wins

Photo by: JEP

Caterham’s second-tier 310R category made its first appearance on the BTCC bill and entertained with busy grids of more than 30 cars. Non-scoring guest Tom Wyllys won the first two races ahead of William Chadwick but fell victim to wet conditions in the finale as Chadwick scored a maiden triumph.

A small mistake from Chadwick as they approached the start of the final lap prevented a grandstand finish in the opener as Wyllys made a successful return to racing after nearly two years on the sidelines.

Wyllys appeared to benefit from Chadwick becoming embroiled in a battle with Ryan Wilby and early-season points leader Will Harris in the rematch. But he was reeled back in over the closing laps after Wilby and Harris retired – an unfortunate legacy of rear-ending Chadwick’s car when he selected the wrong gear exiting Druids – and held on by just 0.029s.

Prodigious pace in the wet earned Wyllys a 2.7s lead in the first two laps of race three. Then it all went wrong as he sailed off at Druids. Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB racer Chadwick held off Paul Goldstein to earn his first win in cars after the resulting safety car.

Huge grid of 310Rs assembled for category’s first outing on the BTCC support bill

Photo by: JEP

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