There was something quite remarkable about the podium for the second Mini Challenge race of the Snetterton weekend. For winner Charlie Hand and runner-up Sam Gornall, their strong results represented a triumph over adversity.
In the case of Hand, his strife came a month beforehand at the Donington Park season-opener. There he was involved in a sizeable crash that briefly left him unconscious, his BPC Motorsport car badly damaged and his participation in the rest of the season uncertain. Yet he was able to bounce back by taking a podium at the subsequent Brands Hatch event and completed a remarkable turnaround in fortunes with his Norfolk triumph.
Yes, Hand benefitted from starting on the reversed-grid pole, but it was still a masterful display and he had to contend with a closing Gornall in the latter stages as well as a fuel surge problem on the final tour.
“It means everything, especially after my crash at Donington Park,” smiled Hand. “It was touch and go whether we would make it back out after that, so to bring it home is unbelievable. Bringing a bit of silverware for the team, they’ve worked so hard.”
Gornall’s second place was also remarkable, for very different reasons. His Pro Alloys Racing car was chucked out of Snetterton qualifying after failing the ride-height checks and he therefore started the opener from the back, climbing to 12th. From there he was on a mission in race two, picking off Minis left, right and centre to eventually seal second by going around the outside of Henry Howarth at Turn 3 with two laps to go.
“Another two laps and I might’ve had Charlie,” Gornall enthused, unaware of Hand’s late trouble. “The car was spot on, and the team did a great job. With the hot weather, I knew it was important to try to pass everyone as soon as possible and keep the momentum.”
Even for third-placed Howarth, the result was notable as it was the Jamsport racer’s first podium after graduating from the JCW Sport class.
The undisputed star of the other two bouts, however, was Excelr8’s Josh Porter as championship contenders Tom Ovenden and Max Edmundson were reduced to bit-part roles. Porter stormed to two wins from pole, his five-second winning margin in the first being the category’s largest for almost two years.
Edmundson was runner-up in race one but was roughed up a little in the finale and fell to eighth, while second spot for Ovenden meant he extended his points lead. But they were not the focus of attention this weekend as some feel-good stories instead unfolded for drivers not so used to the spotlight.
Coopers add to the Mini Carnival fun
There was a double dose of Mini madness at Snetterton last weekend as the Coopers of the Mini Challenge Trophy joined their JCW counterparts at the same British Touring Car event for the first time and produced a thrilling finale.
Luca Marinoni Osborne, Matt Luff and Josh Wilby had an entertaining scrap for the lead that gradually more and more cars also engaged with. It all came down to the final lap with Marinoni Osborne beginning the ninth tour in front, but reigning champion Alex Keens then grabbed the lead on the inside at Riches. However, as they continued to squabble, Wilby pounced at Wilson, only for Keens to creep back in front at Turn 3.
Wilby then challenged again around the outside of Brundle before the front trio ran three abreast through the Bombhole. Wilby finally muscled ahead into Murrays to seemingly grab the spoils with the top seven split by just seven tenths. However, there was more drama to come. It was already known that Keens and Luff would receive track-limits sanctions but it later emerged Wilby had also transgressed and therefore Marinoni Osborne inherited the win with Ashley Gregory second.
Westbourne driver Marinoni Osborne earlier claimed his maiden triumph in a far more straightforward first race as he led throughout. Team Avago man Wilby demoted Graves Motorsport driver Luff with two laps to go for second, while Keens dropped out of the lead group with electrical woes and finished 11th.
Those gremlins proved useful for the Graves driver in race two as he was drawn on the front row of the partially-reversed grid. He jumped into the lead at the start and was just able to repel Josh Selvadorai’s attacks when the race was red-flagged after Ellena Reece rolled and sister Beanie’s car caught fire.
Wherrell waltzes into British F4 title picture
Two more podiums for McLaren junior Dries Van Langendonck enabled him to extend his British Formula 4 points lead at Snetterton last weekend, but Lewis Wherrell marked himself out as one to watch after twice triumphing.
In a 30-strong field packed with F1 juniors and established single-seater aces, Wherrell perhaps was not a likely name to star in the early phases of the season. But a couple of wins on cameo Saudi Arabian F4 outings over the winter indicated his potential and the JHR Developments driver was top dog in Norfolk, converting a brace of poles into wins.
He was largely untroubled in the first, aside from bunching the pack up a little too much on a safety car restart, but had Adam Al Azhari’s Hitech machine in his wheeltracks for much of the finale. A wild moment at Hamilton over the kerbs meant Al Azhari threatened into Oggies, but the Briton just stayed ahead. “I was alongside Adam and knew that was the only chance I had to keep the win and just about held on,” he said.
There was more success for JHR in the reversed-grid race as Timo Jungling scored another lights-to-flag win for the squad, while solid points for Wherrell in seventh mean he is now Van Langendonck’s closest challenger.
Voisin continues to star in Carrera Cup
Callum Voisin’s march towards Porsche Carrera Cup GB glory continued at Snetterton last weekend, even if he admitted to not quite feeling at his best.
The Century Motorsport ace came under threat from Team Parker’s Will Jenkins at the start of the first race and that allowed polesitter Sid Smith to keep his lead. But it was not long before Voisin was on the attack, having a look into the Esses on lap three. Smith was able to resist the Porsche GB Junior for another five tours before the Graves Motorsport driver was a little wide at Oggies and Voisin pounced into Williams, then scampering two seconds clear.
Smith was left tussling with Jack Sherwood down the Bentley Straight and Jenkins sensed an opportunity, boldly going around the outside of both of them into Brundle to secure runner-up spot.
Polesitter Jenkins went one better in the sequel as he led throughout to triumph. Voisin passed the fast-starting Stephen Jelley at Agostini to grab second – Isaac Phelps also demoted Jelley to fourth later – but was unable to challenge Jenkins and left Norfolk six points ahead of his key rival.
