How The Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE Trophy Title Was Won

Matt Salisbury
Matt SalisburySenior Content & PR Manager
Race car driver in red racing suit and white Goodyear cap kneeling beside a white and red Mini racing car with sponsor logos including Goodyear, Sunoco, Forge, and Diamondbrite. The car has a red front bumper with a plate that reads 'MINI BRAKING WITH T'. The driver is celebrating with raised fists on a race track, with other Mini cars visible in the background, highlighting a scene related to used cars and new cars in a motorsport context.
Race car driver in red racing suit and white Goodyear cap kneeling beside a white and red Mini racing car with sponsor logos including Goodyear, Sunoco, Forge, and Diamondbrite. The car has a red front bumper with a plate that reads 'MINI BRAKING WITH T'. The driver is celebrating with raised fists on a race track, with other Mini cars visible in the background, highlighting a scene related to used cars and new cars in a motorsport context.

Whilst the fight to secure top honours in the JCW category of the 2023 Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE proved to be a two-way affair, things were much more open amongst a bumper field of drivers dicing for the Cooper class crown.

Half a dozen drivers would find themselves in contention going into the business end of the season, with EXCELR8 driver Tom Ovenden attempting to fend off a strong list of rivals - headed by the ultra-consistent Nicky Taylor and his Graves Motorsport team-mates Alex Solley and Jack Byrne.

Ovenden would ultimately prevail to secure the title in his third season in the series, wrapping up the championship during the final meeting of the campaign at Brands Hatch

The graphic below shows how the championship battle ebbed and flowed across the season from race to race, with Ovenden taking the early lead before being forced to fight his way back ahead of Solley, and Taylor running the eventual winner close before dropped scored were taken into account.

It also shows how Nathan Edwards ended the year as the form driver in the series, rocketing up the standings thanks to a strong second half of the campaign.

The final totals for each driver after Round 20 incorporate any dropped scores, and points lost to championship penalties.

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