Tag: MINI CHALLENGE JCW

TOCA support bill delivers Oulton Park scorcher

Oulton Park played host to a blockbuster two days of TOCA support championship action this past weekend (June 22/23) as the 2024 campaign reached the half-way point in typically dramatic fashion.

Sharing the bill with the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship in Cheshire, four one-make categories wrote the latest spectacular chapter of their seasons as they delivered an array of thrills and spills for the bumper crowd that was in attendance.

Nathan Edwards enjoyed a dream weekend in the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE JCW as he reigned supreme, starting both races from pole position and then duly following it up with two impressive wins. 

Race one around the 2.26-mile circuit saw Edwards produce a clinical display as he converted his front row start into a maiden victory. Nailing the launch as the lights went out, the EXCELR8 driver held firm out front to triumph despite coming under pressure from Nelson King and Tom Ovenden.

Edwards then repeated the feat in race two as he again didn’t put a wheel wrong out front to emerge victorious, with Ovenden this time leading home King after a fraught battle for the remaining podium honours.

The Porsche Sprint Challenge Great Britain saw Thomas Bradshaw make a welcome return to the winners enclosure as he took the fight to Sebastian Hopkins in the overall battle for the coveted championship crown.

Hopkins picked up where he left off at the last round and scored victory in the weekend’s opening contest however he could do nothing to stop Bradshaw in his Toro Verde GT machine from romping to the top step of the podium in the remaining two races.

Some of the closest on-track battles over the course of the weekend came in the Vertex Caterham Seven UK Championship, which was making its first appearance of the season on the support bill of the UK’s premier motorsport series. 

All three races ended with just a handful of seconds covering the lead protagonists; something that has become a staple of Caterham racing down the years. Paul Donkin triumphed in the weekend’s opening race before Lewis Thompson then struck back – twice.

Returning to the BTCC support package was also the all-action Hagerty Radical Cup UK – having last featured at Snetterton in late May – where an ultra-competitive grid served up three captivating contests.

As he has done on countless occasions already this year, Chris Lulham was the driver to beat as he snared pole position and he then streaked clear of the chasing pack to claim a commanding hat-trick of race wins. 

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Oulton Park, CLICK HERE.

Sun shines on TOCA support championships at Brands Hatch

Brands Hatch played host to a spectacular two days of TOCA support championship action this past weekend (May 11/12) as four categories continued their 2024 campaigns in style around the challenging Indy circuit.

Taking centre stage alongside the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at the Kent venue, a bumper trackside crowd – as well as many more watching on ITV4 – were treated to a feast of thrills and spills in scorching weather conditions.

History was made in the ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA as Rodin Motorsport’s Abbi Pulling became the first-ever female driver to win a race in the highly competitive single-seater series.

Just a few days on from claiming a double F1 Academy win at the Miami Grand Prix, Pulling didn’t put a wheel wrong in the reverse grid contest as she converted pole position into a flawless lights-to-flag victory. 

Championship leader Deagan Fairclough emerged victorious in the remaining two British F4 contests, strengthening his advantage at the summit of the standings in the process. 

Fairclough edged out Alex Ninovic and Rowan Campbell-Pilling to overall spoils in race one before he then led a Hitech Pulse-Eight 1-2-3 in the finale, as Mika Abrahams and Reza Seewooruthun completed the podium. 

There was plenty of entertainment in the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain too, which staged three races over the course of the meeting – one of which was the postponed bout from Donington Park last month. 

Angus Whiteside withstood a torrent of pressure to win the rescheduled race however he went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows as in race two he was tipped into a scary barrel roll exiting Druids. Thankfully he was able to walk away unharmed from the incident.

Following a lengthy red flag stoppage, Hugo Ellis produced a superlative performance to claim victory when the race restarted ahead of Charles Rainford and James Wallis before Will Martin reigned supreme in style in the final race.

Maximus Hall enjoyed a near-perfect weekend in the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE JCW as he firmly announced himself as one to watch, clinching pole position in qualifying before then going on to score two impressive wins. 

The EXCELR8 Motorsport driver was on the pace during Friday practice and ultimately never looked back. In race one he made a late lunge at Druids to wrestle the lead from Zelos to win and then he held the double champion off throughout race three to triumph again.

Zelos would have his moment on the top step of the podium however as he claimed victory in race two, which allowed him to extend his advantage at the top of the standings.

Concluding the weekend’s action were six races from the 5/8 scale pocket rockets of the Legends Cars Championship, which was continuing its popular Elite Cup campaign after kicking off their season at Donington Park a few weeks back.

Reigning champion Will Gibson and now new championship leader Jack Parker claimed two wins apiece while there were also victories for Oli Schlup and Robert Barrable.

To view the full classification of results from all TOCA support sessions at Brands Hatch, CLICK HERE.

Snetterton provides the next stop on the calendar for a number of championship in less than two weeks’ time on May 25/26.

TOCA support package begins new season with all-out action

Donington Park provided the setting for a pulsating 2024 season-opener on the TOCA support bill this past weekend (April 27-28) as a total of five championships blasted into life in typically action-packed style. 

Taking centre stage alongside the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at the Leicestershire venue, the bumper crowd in attendance was treated to two days of blockbuster entertainment in at times challenging conditions. 

Saturday saw light showers briefly hit the track however action remained to time; something that wasn’t to be the case on Sunday as heavy downpours caused lengthy delays and a number of races having to be cancelled.

The Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain – which this year boasts one of its most competitive entry lists in recent memory – was one of the categories to run just one race however it made a flying start to the new campaign with Will Martin claiming a hard-fought win.

Matthew Rees had looked on course to covert his pole position into victory however a moment at the Old Hairpin allowed Martin to sneak by and once out front he wasn’t to be challenged as he claimed a memorable win.

Behind Martin, former BTCC race winner George Gamble battled a number of car issues to snare second place ahead of the charging Angus Whiteside, who had produced a sensational drive up the order. 

The ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA began its search for the next possible star of Formula 1 by staging two hotly contested single-seater races.

Pre-season title favourite Deagen Fairclough lived up to all expectations in the opening bout as he converted his blistering start from the second row into a flawless lights-to-flag victory ahead of James Higgins and Alex Ninovic. 

Fairclough could do nothing to stop his Hitech Pulse-Eight team-mate Mika Abrahams from triumphing in race two as he shadowed on-the-road leader Alex Berg to the chequered flag. Unfortunately for Berg, a time penalty for exceeding track limits dropped him from first to third. 

Dan Zelos began the defence of his Vertu MINI CHALLENGE JCW title in formidable form as he scooped a win and a second place to claim the early bragging rights in the championship standings. 

Zelos joined fellow former champion Ant Whorton-Eales in serving up a captivating battle for the win in the opening contest with Whorton-Eales initially triumphing. That was before officials deemed he had gained an unfair advantage and hit him with a time penalty.

Race two belonged to NAPA Racing UK’s Lewis Selby as his inspired move to switch to slick tyres while everyone else was on wets saw him go from dead-last to the top step of the podium, as he led home Zelos and last year’s Cooper champion Tom Ovenden.

The Legends Cars Championship garnered plenty of attention when it featured on the UK’s premier motorsport package in 2023 and the 5/8 scale machines are back for more this year, with a bumper grid all vying for glory in its Elite Cup.

Celebrating its 30th Anniversary season, the trio of Andy Bird, Jack Parker and Will Gibson reigned supreme on the opening day of track action before Gibson and Parker then added to their tallies 24 hours later.

Concluding the weekend’s action were two races from the Radical Challenge, which was another series to return to the BTCC bill after enjoying an impressive debut last year.

Tipped by many as one to watch prior to the weekend beginning, Chris Lulham duly lived up to all expectations as he powered his way to a brace of victories. 

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Donington Park, CLICK HERE.

Brands Hatch provides the next step on the calendar – where everything but the Radical Challenge will be in action – on May 11-12.

MINI CHALLENGE to run sustainable fuel development car

Organisers of the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE have announced that a special guest car will join its grid for the 2024 season to help develop new sustainable fuels as the series aims to transition to 100% sustainable fuels by 2028.

The car, which will run in the new JCW Sport category, will be used for ongoing development of sustainable fuels for use in the series, with a gradually increasing proportion of the fuel to be used in the car coming from a sustainable source.

The long term strategy for the series is to have all competing cars powered by 100 per cent sustainable fuels by the 2028 season, with a phased reduction in the amount of traditional fossil fuels used for race machinery from 2025 onwards.

The fuel development car will be run in-house by a MINI CHALLENGE UK team and will be available to drivers who want to not only sample the new JCW Sport category, but also have a desire to help make motorsport in the UK more sustainable going forwards.

“Sustainable fuels are going to be key part of the landscape in motorsport in the coming years, particularly at national level,” series promoter Antony Williams said.

“Our goal as a championship is to work towards having all cars running on 100% sustainable fuels in the next three to four years, and certainly by the start of the 2028 season.

“The first stage of this is the development car that we will run in the JCW Sport class this season, which will start the year running on a significant proportion of sustainable fuels. Over the year, we will then reduce the amount of fossil fuels required and work on introducing the new fuel for 2025 as development work continues.”

The first driver who will get behind the wheel of the car is Hannah Chapman, who has previously competed in both the Cooper and JCW categories.

Dan Zelos, Louis Sharp & Steve Bemrose top list of special accolade winners at BARC Awards

The British Automobile Racing Club’s annual Awards Evening didn’t just see the championship winners of 2023 celebrated on Saturday (February 3) as a number of other special accolades were bestowed upon hugely deserving winners too.

Leading the list of prestigious recipients was newly-crowned double MINI CHALLENGE JCW champion Dan Zelos who claimed The President’s Cup; which is awarded to the most successful BARC member competing under international level.

Becoming the first driver in the modern era of the ultra-competitive tin top series to clinch the coveted crown for a second time, Zelos chalked up an impressive ten victories and a further two podiums on his way to championship superstardom.

Zelos lauded: “It was totally unexpected and a complete honour to pick it up. We had an amazing year in 2023 and sometimes when your in the middle of getting deals together in the off season you forgot how much you may have achieved – so to be rewarded with a trophy like this has left me lost for words.

“Me, my Dad and the rest of the family have and continue to work incredibly hard to go racing and this is a fantastic accolade to receive. I think I’ve been part of the BARC for more than a decade now too.”

One of the biggest raptures of applause deservedly went the way of this year’s BARC Marshal of the Year, Steve Bemrose. In memory of Dennis Harris and designed to recognise the dedication and special efforts of the Club’s marshals, Bemrose was worthy winner after being selected by the Marshals Core Group.

Attending a multitude of race meetings over the course of last year, his actions in particular at the BTCC season-opener at Donington Park played their part in saving the life of a driver following a high-speed accident.

“It is a complete shock I must admit,” he said. “I’ve always been a fan of motorsport and I remember reading a review about being a marshal, what it entails and I never really comprehended how close you could get to the action, etc. 

“After I had done my taster day my love for it grew and I’ve never looked back. The marshal community is incredibly tight-knit and if there is anyone out thinking about getting involved then do it, because it is just fantastic.”

Elsewhere, Junior Saloon Car Championship and Track Action Coordinator Dave Beecroft saw his diverse and distinguished motorsport career be celebrated as he scooped The Gerry Marshall Trophy, having epitomised the philosophy for motorsport that Gerry once had.

He said: “This award really means a lot to me because Gerry Marshall was a childhood hero of mine; I remember watching him at Oulton Park and was fortunate enough to meet him several times – so it was touching to be this year’s recipient.

“I love everything about this industry and its nice to be kicking off the year like this; especially because we’ll be celebrating our 10th anniversary in the Junior Saloon Car Championship, which is an incredible achievement.”

For the second year in succession, The Densley Trophy – which is bestowed upon the female in the Club that has been deemed to have a successful year – was handed out, with the Classic Touring Car Racing Club’s Sonia Gibbons claiming the prize. 

“I never ever expected to be given this award,” she admitted. “I didn’t even think I would be up for it so I am extremely proud to have won. At the Classic Touring Car Racing Club we are all volunteers but it is a real family. It’s a wonderful Club and I’m honoured to be a part of it.”

Louis Sharp’s charge to the ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA title didn’t go unnoticed as he was honoured with The Peter Collins Trophy, which is awarded to the most promising junior drive competing in a BARC championship.

After enjoying a hugely encouraging debut campaign in 2022, the New Zealander lived up to the mantel of being a title favourite by edging out Will Macintyre to the single-seater crown in the final race of the season.

“It came as a complete surprise to me and it’s a massive privilege to receive it so thank you to the BARC for recognising me – it was a nice end to a really special night,” he said. “This award is a fantastic reward for everyone that has supported me. 

“My ambition is to one day get to Formula 1 and while it has been a good start to that journey I’m well aware that there is a long way to go and that it will continue to get more competitive. I’m loving the challenge though and can’t wait to see what is next!”

Rounding out the list of special award winners was Adam Weeden, who completed the most volunteering days to lift The Sir Clive Bossom Trophy, and Zena Wooller who was named BARC Trainee Marshal of the Year.

“I’m delighted,” said Weeden. “This award goes to show how much marshals are appreciated because we give our time, which is very precious to us, to show support to the drivers and the championship.”

Albert Webster wins inaugural Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Scholarship

Albert Webster has been named the inaugural winner of the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Scholarship – taking the top prize worth more than ÂŁ50,000.

The 18-year-old saw off the challenge of more than 100 drivers across the three stages of the competition, earning him prize that includes an entry, car hire, fuel, brakes and tyres for the all-new JCW Sport class that is being introduced for 2024.

Capital Karts in London provided the backdrop to stage one of the competition prior to Christmas before those chosen to progress to stage two descended on Croft Circuit where they able to get to grips with a MINI CHALLENGE Trophy car.

A total of 20 drivers were chosen to compete in the final a day later and sample the new JCW Sport car before judges adjourned to pick their winner, with Webster ultimately coming out on top. 

“I didn’t believe it when my name was called as there were loads of good drivers here, and I expected someone else to win,” said Webster.

“I’ve got a long drive home so it might sink in by then, but this is a great opportunity for anyone. It sounds awesome to be named as the Scholarship winner and I can’t wait to get going.”

While Webster claimed the top prize, Harri Reynolds secured runner-up laurels and with it netted a £7,000 contribution to his 2024 racing programme courtesy off Alliance Racing and NAPA Racing UK. 

MINI CHALLENGE opens entry process for 2025 Scholarship

Organisers of the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE have confirmed that entries for the 2025 Scholarship programme have opened – two months before a winner for the 2024 competition has even been selected.

Launching its inaugural Scholarship in September of this year, the popular one-make series welcomed more than 100 drivers to battle for a host of prizes, with the winner being awarded a package worth ÂŁ50,000 towards a season in the new JCW Sport class.

Such has been the popularity of the 2024 Scholarship, series organisers have moved quickly to finalise plans for the 2025 edition to provide potential entrants with as much time as possible to secure their place.

The 2025 competition will run across two days and will be run exclusively at one of the leading race circuits in the UK. Stage 1 will comprise of on-track activities alongside a motorsport quiz and media interviews; Stage 2 will then include the opportunity to drive a MINI CHALLENGE race car.

“Given the interest we had in the 2024 Scholarship, we were keen to push ahead with plans to bring it back and are delighted to now be launching entries for 2025,” said Rhea Beauchamp, Championship Co-Ordinator.

“As we did this time around, we are packing in plenty of activities as we look to uncover new talent and help them make it onto the race track.

“Seeing the way people competing in the 2024 Scholarship embraced the opening stage of the ongoing competition, we look forward to making things even bigger and better for 2025 and providing people with the opportunity to battle for a place on the grid as part of the MINI CHALLENGE family.”

The competition will run in August 2024 with the winner securing the top prize of a package worth ÂŁ50,000 to compete in the JCW Sport category during the 2025 season.

CLICK HERE to enter the 2025 Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Scholarship.

More details revealed about new MINI CHALLENGE JCW Sport class

Organisers of the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE have confirmed more details on the new JCW Sport class that will debut next season, with entries having now opened for 2024 for both the new category and the headline JCW class.

Introduced to act as a steeping stone for drivers that are looking to graduate from the entry-level Cooper grid, the JCW Sport category will run alongside the headline JCW class at seven British Touring Car Championship rounds next year.

Cars will be based on the F56 variant of the MINI Hatch and although visually similar, the front-wheel-drive machine will feature a number of revisions under the skins that are all designed to reduce cost whilst maintaining the identity of the series. 

Running slightly lower levels of power – 225bhp in total – to their JCW counterparts, JCW Sport cars will also be fitted with a genuine OE-pattern six-speed gearbox. There will be tighter restrictions on the use of tyres and control parts; again to reduce the budgets required to compete.

Whilst teams and drivers will be able to build new JCW Sport cars from scratch if they wish, existing JCW cars available in the marketplace can be down-specced to meet the required specifications, thereby removing the need to invest in a brand-new car to compete in the class.

Cars can then be converted back to full JCW specification should a driver wish to move up a level in future.

“We’ve had a lot of interest in JCW Sport both from drivers who have been competing in the Cooper class but haven’t had the budget to move straight up into JCWs, and also from drivers who have been competing elsewhere,” said Antony Williams, Championship Director. 

“We’re pleased to now be able to release more information about the specification of the car, which we are confident will provide fantastic racing on track when the 2024 season rolls around.

“With a lot of people also interested in being part of the main JCW grid, we are looking forward to a strong season for the MINI CHALLENGE in 2024 and would urge anyone looking to compete to register their interest to fully benefit from the early bird discounts in place.”

Champions triumph on TOCA support bill at Brands Hatch

Champions weren’t just crowned in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch this past weekend (October 8/9), as titles were also decided across the four support championships that make up the TOCA support bill. 

On what turned out to be an action-packed finale around the famous Grand Prix circuit, the bumper crowd in attendance were treated to a feast of wheel-to-wheel thrills as the battle for supremacy across each of the one-make categories reached an exciting crescendo. 

In the ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA, teenage sensation Louis Sharp took a huge step towards fulfilling his Formula 1 dreams by becoming the latest champion of the single-seater series.

Entering the final meeting of the year holding a one-point advantage over Will Macintyre, the Rodin Carlin driver clinched the crown in impressive fashion, starting by blasting to pole position in qualifying and subsequently converting it into a lights-to-flag victory. 

Starting towards the back for the reverse grid race, Sharp made as much progress as he could however Macintyre’s superior result meant that his lead was once again cut – leaving him with a slender points buffer heading into the finale. 

Needing only to finish ahead of Macintyre to secure the title, the Kiwi was happy to shadow fellow front row starter Deagan Fairclough throughout the final race of the season, with MacIntyre hot on his heels but unable to make up the ground he required to deny him.

Dan Zelos wrote his name into the history books of the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE JCW as he was crowned champion of the ultra-competitive tin top series for a second time in three years. 

Having been the driver to beat for much of the season, the EXCELR8 Motorsport driver arrived at Brands Hatch with a commanding 101-point lead and he wasted no time in wrapping things up as he followed winner Sam Smith to the chequered flag in race one. 

With the title in the bag, the pressure was off Zelos for the remainder of the event however he was unable to curtail his season with one more victory. The remaining spoils instead went the way of Smith and last year’s champion Sam Weller. 

Having been the cream of the crop for much of the year, Team Parker Racing’s Joe Warhurst savoured title success as he emerged victorious in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Great Britain.

Arriving at the Kent circuit in the pound seat, the rising star was wheel-perfect in races one and two, taking commanding victories, which in-turn proved to be enough to see him crowned champion. 

Warhurst came oh-so close to making it a coronation to remember as he narrowly missing out on a third win to Steve Roberts by just under two tenths of a second. 

The Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain might have already been decided prior to Brands Hatch but that didn’t stop the monstrous field of rear-wheel-drive 911 cars from putting on a show for one last time this year. 

Rosland Gold by Century Motorsport’s James Kellett secured second in the overall championship as he stormed to victory in the opening encounter and then, fittingly, newly crowned champion Adam Smalley reigned supreme in race two to end the year on the top step of the podium. 

To view the full classification of results from all TOCA support championships, as well as the final standings for each, CLICK HERE.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and TOCA support package will return in 2024, with the new season scheduled to get underway at Donington Park on April 27/28.

TOCA support championships serve up Silverstone spectacular

The battle for supremacy on the support package of the British Touring Car Championship intensified at Silverstone this past weekend (September 16/17) to set up what promises to be a grandstand finish at Brands Hatch in less than two weeks’ time. 

Taking centre stage at the Home of British Motor Racing, thrills and spills played out across a total of four support categories, with one title – the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain – being wrapped up with a round to spare.

Having been the form driver for much of the season, Team Parker Racing’s Adam Smalley converted his commanding advantage at the top of the standings into an unassailable lead after producing an exemplary performance. 

Narrowly missing out on pole position in qualifying, the Porsche GB Junior driver shadowed NAPA Racing UK’s Gus Burton in the opening race – which was hit by mixed weather conditions – to put himself on the cusp of glory.

A few hours later, Smalley clinched things with a measured drive onto the third step of the podium whilst his team-mate Harry Foster led home Huge Ellis to take victory.

Dan Zelos edged ever-closer to becoming a multiple champion in the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE JCW as he guided his EXCELR8 Motorsport machine to a commanding pair of race wins around the 1.64-mile National circuit. 

Blasting to pole position in qualifying, Zelos could do nothing to stop Will Orton from reigning supreme in the weekend’s opening bout before he struck back in style during Sunday’s two action-packed races.

Team Parker Racing’s Joe Warhurst was perfection personified in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Great Britain as he claimed a stunning hat-trick of race wins to open up a five-point lead at the head of the championship standings. 

Proving to be the driver to beat from the get-go, Warhurst hustled his rear-wheel-drive machine onto pole position in qualifying and from there he didn’t put a wheel wrong to claim a remarkable clean sweep. 

Rounding out the weekend’s track action – and making its first-ever appearance on the BTCC support bill – were three races from the Avon Tyres Caterham Seven UK Championship. 

Concluding their campaign with what was arguably one of the biggest events in the series’ history, the all-action one-make category had the bumper crowd on their collective feet as they served up a feast of wheel-to-wheel entertainment. 

Just 0.064s separated Gordon Sawyer and Stephen Lyall in a frenetic opening contest before Aaron Head came to the fore in race two, prevailing from an almighty battle for outright honours which included Jake Swann and Angus Maclaine.

Head was declared the winner in the weekend’s shortened third and final contest too following a sizeable accident just six laps in. 

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Silverstone, CLICK HERE.

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – September 23/24

The end is in sight for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and it is all to play for at Silverstone this weekend as Rounds 25, 26 & 27 of the 2023 campaign take centre stage at the Home of British Motor Racing.

With just two events remaining, the battle for supremacy for the biggest prize in UK motorsport is intensifying and it’s all to play for as the series hits the National layout.

Support race action from the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Porsche Sprint Challenge GB, Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE JCW and Avon Tyres Caterham Seven Championship UK will also feature over the course of the weekend. 

Below is all the information you’ll need to know to keep up-to-date with all the action that is being broadcast:

Saturday 23rd September // 15:30 – WATCH HERE

Sunday 24th September // 11:00 – WATCH HERE

To find out more information about this weekend’s race meetings, CLICK HERE.

New MINI CHALLENGE Scholarship to offer 2024 prize drive

Organisers of the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE have announced the launch of a new Scholarship programme that will see one lucky person win the chance to compete in 2024, scooping a top prize worth in excess of £50,000. 

The overall winner will secure a package that includes an entry, car hire, fuel and tyres in order to compete in an all-new class being introduced into the MINI CHALLENGE next season. 

Additional prizes will be handed out to drivers who make it through the final with a 25% reduction in entry fees should they join the grid for 2024 – worth in the region of ÂŁ4,000 per driver.

Stage 1 of the MINI CHALLENGE Scholarship will see competitors head for Capital Karts in Canary Wharf, London in late October to showcase their skills around the fastest indoor kart circuit in the UK. 

Once Stage 1 is complete, those chosen to progress will travel to Croft early next year for Stage 2, where they will take to the circuit alongside a trained instructor to see if their karting skills can translate into a car. 

The top 20 performers from Stage 2 will then go through to the Grand Final to determine who secures the ultimate prize, and the chance to join the MINI CHALLENGE grid.

Antony Williams, Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE Championship Promoter, said: “For more than 20 years, the MINI CHALLENGE has been a ‘go-to’ series for people looking to make it in the motorsport world and we are hugely proud of the way in which we have grown to become one of the best one-make championships in the UK competing on the biggest stage in British Motorsport.

“We are beyond excited to be in a position where we can now launch the MINI CHALLENGE Scholarship for 2024, which will open the door for new talent to join our grid and experience everything we have to offer as a championship – with packed grids and all-action racing throughout the season.

“This initiative is something we have considered for a while, but with the launch of a new class coming for next season, this seemed like the perfect time to make the plans become reality. We look forward to unearthing some new talent, and giving them the chance to show what they can do on track.”

Further details on the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE Scholarship can be found by visiting https://www.minichallenge.co.uk/.Â