Weekend Drama at Croft Delivers Thrills and Surprises in Mini Challenge

Following the summer break, Mini Challenge returned to racing with the JCW and JCW Sport classes at Croft Circuit over the weekend and it certainly did not disappoint.

The weekend kicked off with high drama as the qualifying session was twice interrupted by red flags—first for Alex Solley early on, then for Marlo Cordell, both of whom found themselves in the gravel. Despite the disruptions, Nathan Edwards and Chris Mackenzie rose to the occasion, shattering qualifying records in their respective classes and securing double pole positions.

Nathan Edwards, who races with EXCELR8 Motorsport, has endured a rocky start to the season, plagued by incidents and mechanical issues. However, at Croft, it appears he has finally turned his fortunes around, delivering a blistering lap that put him over two-tenths clear of the JCW Class field. Championship leader Jamie Osborne (NAPA Racing) qualified 2nd and 4th, while his closest challenger, Tom Ovenden, secured 3rd and 2nd—keeping the title fight razor-sharp.

Mini Challenge JCW and JCW Sport – Race 1 Report

Much like qualifying, Race 1 delivered plenty of drama and incident. Starting from pole, Nathan Edwards had a sluggish getaway, dropping to fourth behind his EXCELR8 teammate Tom Ovenden and the NAPA Racing pair of Jamie Osborne and Lewis Selby. However, Edwards wasted no time mounting a comeback, charging back to second within a lap by overtaking both Osborne and Selby with determined moves.

Although Ovenden was first across the line, a 5-second penalty for exceeding track limits handed the win to Edwards—his first of the weekend. Osborne also received a 5-second penalty for the same offence, which dropped him to fifth and promoted his teammate Selby to the final step of the podium in third.

In the Rookie Cup, Harry Hickton claimed the win by staying clear of trouble. Local driver and Rookie Cup leader Max Edmundson was forced to retire after an incident involving Marlo Cordell. Meanwhile, Albert Webster—second in the Rookie Cup standings—also fell foul of track limits and became the third driver to receive a time penalty.

In the Sport Class, Chris Mackenzie took his second victory of the season with a lightning start, building a significant gap over second-place starter Archie Johnson. Despite sustaining early damage from contact with his teammate Henry Howarth, Johnson mounted an impressive recovery and closed in on Mackenzie, launching an ambitious move for the lead. However, he ran wide during the attempt, allowing Howarth to slip past and take second. The battle for the podium gave Mackenzie the breathing space he needed to cruise to victory, finishing nearly three seconds clear of Howarth.

Nathan Edwards’ triumph in Race 1 was short-lived after a dramatic post-race twist. Following a review of the evidence alongside the Judge of Fact, the Clerk of the Course made the decision to overturn all three track limits penalties issued during the race. As a result, Tom Ovenden was reinstated as the official winner.

Race 1 – Final Top 10 Results JCW Class:

Tom Ovenden
Nathan Edwards
Jamie Osborne
Lewis Selby
Harry Hickton
Albert Webster
Jacob Hodgkiss
Alex Solley
Josh Porter
Harry Campey

Race 1 – Final Results JCW Sport Class:

Chris Mackenzie
Henry Howarth
Archie Johnson
Nicky Gauci
Ben Crossley
Will Crooks

Mini Challenge JCW and JCW Sport – Race 2 Report

The opening lap of Race 2 on Sunday was marked by chaos when Ned Anthony spun and was collected by Alex Solley, ending both of their races and triggering a Safety Car. Recovery efforts extended the caution period for eight laps, significantly delaying any real racing action.

After another sluggish start, Nathan Edwards was overtaken by Jamie Osborne, who led for much of the race. However, on lap eleven, Edwards reclaimed the lead with a decisive move into Turn 1 and managed to keep Osborne behind for the remainder of the race. It was a satisfying redemption for Edwards, following the disappointment of losing Saturday’s win due to the reversal of track limits penalties.

Despite finishing second, Osborne retains his lead in the overall standings heading into Knockhill, with Tom Ovenden still in close pursuit. In the Rookie Cup, Harry Hickton once again came out on top, securing back-to-back class wins and moving up to sixth in the standings.

Marlo Cordell’s streak of bad luck continued in Race 2, as another incident forced him to retire with just half a lap to go—leaving him still searching for a change in fortune.

Following his Race 1 victory, Chris Mackenzie faced a tougher challenge in Race 2 after Archie Johnson snatched the lead on the second lap. Mackenzie then found himself in a fierce battle with Henry Howarth for second place, until Howarth’s car was launched over a bump at Sunny Out, breaking his driveshaft and forcing him to retire.

With Howarth out of contention, Nicky Gauci capitalised on the opportunity to challenge Mackenzie, eventually overtaking him to claim second place and pushing Mackenzie down to third. Despite his DNF, Howarth still retains the lead in the JCW Sport Class standings.