Jamie Osborne Extends Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Advantage
27/05/2025 12:55
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Jamie Osborne Extends Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Advantage
Jamie Osborne has extended his lead at the head of the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE standings on the back of two wins from three at Snetterton.
Osborne headed into the second meeting of the year in the points lead after scoring a hat-trick of wins in the opening rounds at Donington Park, and qualified on pole for the first time ahead of closest rival Tom Ovenden.
Ovenden however lined up on pole for race one, where the grid is determined by second quickest qualifying times, and was able to fend off Osborne’s challenge to score the victory.
The points leader did briefly manage to grab the lead mid-way through the race but would ultimately come under attack from behind from rookie Max Edmundson.
Edmundson saw his chance to nip ahead when Osborne was focused on trying to grab the lead, and dived through at the hairpin to steal the position.
That allowed Edmundson to bag his best result to date in the series, as well as the Rookie Cup win, with Osborne having to settle for third.
Charlie Hand, Lewis Selby and Albert Webster rounded out the top six, with the latter drawn on pole for race two.
It was Osborne however who emerged on top on the reverse grid race, taking less than two laps to work his way to the front and opening up a slender lead over the pack behind to take his fourth victory of the season.
With Ovenden spinning off early on and finishing down the order, it allowed Osborne to extend his advantage in the standings as Edmundson once again finished as runner-up to maintain his impressive form across the weekend.
Josh Porter would round out the top three for his first podium finish in the JCW category, having previously been a race winner in the Cooper class.
Hand and Harry Hickton took fourth and fifth for the Mannpower Motorsport squad, with Selby in sixth.
A storming opening lap in race three would be key to Osborne taking his second win of the weekend – helped by Edmundson and Ovenden battling hard behind over the runner-up spot.
That battle would ultimately go the way of Ovenden as he secured second, with Edmundson having to settle for third – wrapping up a hat-trick of Rookie Cup wins in the process.
Selby was fourth – albeit more than eleven seconds away from the podium – with the top six rounded out by Hickton and Porter.
In the JCW Sport class, the wins were shared between three drivers, with Chris Mackenzie taking honours in race one before points leader Henry Howarth saw off team-mate Archie Johnson to win race two.
The weekend finale would see Ben Crossley dominate from pole for a first win of the campaign.