Nathan Edwards, Josh Porter and Max Edmundson scored a win apiece as the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE made its annual trip to Scotland for the fifth meeting of the season at Knockhill.
Whilst Edwards and Edmundson took to the top step of the podium for the second time in 2025, victory for Porter in race two marked the first time he had emerged victorious since making the move up into the premier JCW category at the start of 2023.
Edwards topped the times in qualifying to grab a double pole position and was able to control the opening race of the weekend from the front having kept championship leader Jamie Osborne at bay when the lights went out at the start.
It marked a second successive win for the EXCELR8 driver after a victory at Croft two weeks earlier, with Osborne’s second place allowing him to extend his advantage at the top of the points ahead of Tom Ovenden – who would finish back in sixth place.
Osborne’s team-mate Lewis Selby rounded out the podium spots ahead of the battle for Rookie Cup honours which would eventually go the way of Harry Hickton, who took the flag just a tenth of a second clear of Owen Hillman.
The top nine drivers were reversed on the grid for race two, which meant Cameron Richardson lined up on pole ahead of Porter.
Richardson bogged down at the start which allowed Porter to grab the lead before the safety car was called out following a clash between Edwards and Selby at the chicane that left Edwards stuck in the gravel.
Once racing got underway in earnest, Porter led from the front and held on to score his maiden win despite pressure throughout from behind – initially from Richardson before he dropped back after a mistake and then from another NAPA Racing UK driver Alex Solley.
Solley however was carrying a ten second penalty for a false start that dropped him down the standings and instead allowed Osborne to take second after an impressive drive through the field with Ovenden rounding out the podium in third.
This time around, it was Hillman who bagged the Rookie Cup win after taking advantage of an error from Hickton to grab fourth on the road.
Edwards was back at the front of the field for the start of race three but was beaten off the line by Osborne only for contact between the pair to leave Osborne off the road on the grass, dropping him down the order and promoting Selby and Hickton into second and third.
Hickton produced a stunning move at turn one to overtake both the drivers ahead as they diced for position and looked in a strong position to battle for a first JCW win before contact from Edwards at the hairpin saw him lose ground, and put Edwards into retirement.
Selby therefore inherited the lead of the race ahead of Hillman and Edmundson, with the two Pro Alloys Racing drivers swapping position to allow Edmundson to go off after the leader.
As the pair battled through traffic, Edmundson pounced to grab the lead and went on to score his second win of the year ahead of Selby, with Hillman taking his maiden podium in third spot.
Ovenden took fourth to reclaim some of the ground lost to Osborne in the earlier races after he was forced to pit to have a punctured tyre replaced.
In the JCW Sport class, Jamsport pairing Henry Howarth and Archie Johnson shared the wins as they continued with their season long battle for the championship crown.
Johnson was quickest in qualifying and converted pole into victory in the opening race of the weekend with a controlled drive at the front, with Howarth bouncing back to take top honours in race two.
Not for the first time this season, the pair would clash on track in the final race of the weekend with Howarth taking the flag first before a post-race reversal of the positions gave victory to Johnson.
It means Howarth leads the standings by just nine points with two rounds remaining.
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