MATT HAMMOND BIDS TO WRAP UP SECOND

Former champion Matt Hammond says his focus is on wrapping up second in the Quaife MINI CHALLENGE Trophy standings on the back of his best weekend of the year at Donington Park.

Although the EXCELR8 driver had finished inside the top ten in every race bar one, Hammond headed to Donington Park having failed to make it onto the top step of the podium in 2022; missing out on victory at Snetterton when the final race was red-flagged whilst he was out front.

Hammond lay down a marker in qualifying for the penultimate weekend of the season as he secured a third pole position of the campaign, and he followed it up with victory in the opening race ahead of Nelson King.

Although he then lost out to Joe Wiggin in race two, Hammond grabbed emerged from a hard-fought dice at the front in the final race with another win to leave him in a solid second in the points going into the season finale at Brands Hatch.

The double win also ensured that Hammond will take the Directors Cup award for the season for a second successive year.

“That’s the kind of weekend I’ve been hoping for all year,” he said. “The last race in particular was mega with loads of overtaking, and races like that are what we are all here for. When you’re at the front of the pack like that, you can really get involved in some good battles and to come out with the win is fantastic.

“Brands Hatch is a circuit that’s been kind to me in the past but the reality is that even though I’ve closed the gap at the front, something will have to happen to Nelson for him to lose the title, which you don’t really want to see happen to a driver.

“We’ll see what happens, but the aim for me is a strong weekend to wrap up second spot.”