Jack Mitchell returned to the top step of the of the Quaife MINI CHALLENGE podium for the first time since Brands Hatch with a relatively straight-forward victory in the final of the weekend at Snetterton.

 

The JW Bird Motorsport driver had been drawn on pole after his fourth place finish in race one, and lined up alongside Ronan Pearson at the start, getting a better start than the Scot to lead the way into turn one.

 

Behind, Jason Lockwood managed to nip ahead of Pearson to grab second going into Riches, with Alex Denning and Dan Zelos also clearing the EXCELR8 race before the end of lap one.

 

Zelos briefly took third spot from Denning before the Irish racer got back ahead, but the two leaders had broken clear, with Mitchell holding a slender advantage over Lockwood behind.

 

Mitchell would maintain his advantage right to the end to grab win number three of the campaign with Lockwood maintaining his strong recent form with second spot – although there was drama behind.

 

Starting the penultimate lap, Denning’s front left wheel departed from his car as he went into turn one, putting him out of the race on the spot and promoting Zelos up into third place.

 

Pearson also hit problems late on with a tyre failure three laps from the end putting him into retirement and allowing Jack Davidson to round out his weekend with fourth spot after a solid run for the LUX Motorsport man.

 

Points leader Sam Weller was never in the mix for the podium places as he took fifth place – although he grabbed the bonus points for fastest lap – with Hybrid Tune partner Joe Tanner taking sixth.

 

Tanner had got ahead of Weller at one stage before the places were reversed on the final lap, with the Scot grabbing Directors Cup honours at the end of a weekend where illness had ruled him out of the opening race.

 

Geri Racz took Rookie Cup honours for the first time in seventh ahead of a personal best for Dominic Wheatley in eighth, with the top ten rounded out by Robbie Dalgleish and Joshua Jackson.