Motorsport Vision Racing (MSVR) returned to Oulton Park on Saturday to run its Mini Festival. As well as the Mini Challenge races there were events for 7 Race Series (Caterhams) and Heritage Formula Ford.
Top of the bill were the Mini JCW with two 20-minute races. On pole for race one was Rob Smith with David Robinson alongside.
Smith took the lead at the start from Robinson and a fast starting, former touring car racer, Ant Whorton-Eales who came through from row three.
Although this was the order at the chequered flag the top three spent the whole race battling for position and crossed the line with less than a second between them.
The top eight were reversed to form the grid for race two which put Lewis Brown on pole with Rory Cuff alongside.
On row two were was another ex touring car driver Paul O’Neill, and Jordan Collard – son of current touring car driver Rob who was starting at the back of the grid due to a clutch failure in race one.
Whorton-Eales got a great start once again from row three and finished up third behind O’Neill and Brown in the lead.
Before the end of lap one Cuff was up to second and then got involved in an incident with Brown which relegated them both to the back of the field.
O’Neill dropped to fifth on lap two which left Whorton-Eales in the lead from Jordan Collard and Nathan Harrison.
Collard took the lead crossing the line at the start of lap four. With ten minutes of the race gone there was only one point eight seconds between first and O’Neill in sixth.
Collard developed a mechanical problem at the end of lap eight dropping him out of contention. This let Whorton-Eales back into the lead from Harrison, David Robinson, Rob Smith and O’Neill, these five battling all the way to the flag, Robinson passing Harrison for second place on the line.
In other events there were wins for Will Fairclough and Tom Halliwell in the Mini Cooper S races, Robbie Dalgleish and Kyle Reid took a win apiece in the Mini Cooper Pro/AM, the two Heritage Formula Ford races were won by Oliver White and Danny Winstanley won both Toyo Tires 7 Race Series races.
Christina Maple, from Cheadle in Stockport, battled hard for a fifth and sixth place on her return to the Toyo Tires 7 Race Series.
“Oulton Park never fails to disappoint, it’s great to be back behind the wheel at my home track. And I’m even more excited to for my next races of the season at Portimao and Estoril,” said Christina.
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