Andy Langley secured two wins in the Mini Challenge Clubsport at a rainy Snetterton

Photo credit: Sophie Mayes

It was an intense day of racing for the fourth round of the Mini Challenge Clubsport at Snetterton, with all three races taking place in just one day due to schedule delays.

The weather intensified proceedings too, with heavy downpours and standing water on track making for challenging conditions. But that didn’t deter any fight from the drivers.

It was a battle between Oli Willmott, Zac Blackwell and Freddy Hewitt in race one. After both Willmott and Hewitt got away well from the starting line, an overtake from Blackwell on the second row pushed Willmott into second and Hewitt into third.

After an opportunity to overtake Blackwell arose on the approach to the Montreal hairpin, Hewitt and Willmott got ahead. Despite Blackwell coming back with an attack in lap four, Langley got the advantage and went on to take second spot from Hewitt after a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits. Unfortunately for Blackwell, his race weekend came to an end two laps from the chequered flag after his car ground to a halt.

By race two the drivers were up against very damp conditions, but that didn’t stop Langley. Despite sharing the front row with Willmott on the starting grid, Langley took the lead on the field, escaping the drama that unfolded behind as both Hewitt and Freya Belk came off track. But a pause in proceedings didn’t dampen Langley’s spirits, as he managed to take a lead of nearly six seconds on the first lap. He went on to finish the race 25 seconds clear and achieved a best lap five seconds faster than any other competitor.

Willmott finished race two second on the podium, and received top honours in the R56 class.

By race three, track conditions were even more treacherous after heavy rainfall, leaving standing water in several areas. Langley’s mission once again was to create distance from Willmott, but a close call heading into the Bentley straight almost saw him come off track as he made contact with one wheel on the grass, but he managed to regain control and retain his lead, ultimately finishing over 10 seconds clear.

Willmott’s efforts weren’t in vain though, as he still secured maximum points in the R56 class in second place. Hewitt was on track to secure a place in the top six from the back of the grid, but his unfortunate run into the gravel forced him to retire.

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