HARRY HICKTON TARGETS TITLE ON COOPER RETURN

Harry Hickton says his focus for the 2024 season is on challenging for overall honours when he returns to the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy for a second year.

Hickton was one of several rookie drivers in the field last season having stepped up from the Junior Saloon Car Championship, where he finished second in the standings in 2022.

Racing with series newcomers Westbourne Motorsport, the teenager grabbed his maiden podium finish during the second meeting of the campaign at Snetterton, marking him out as one to watch in the battle for the Rookie Cup.

However a huge shunt in the following event at Thruxton, which saw his car roll at the final chicane before being collected by several following cars, put the rest of his season in doubt.

A month-long break before the next event at Croft would prove to be key as the team was able to build a new car to keep Hickton on track, and he would go on to secure two further podium finishes at Donington Park and Silverstone before the season drew to a close.

Hickton ended the season tenth in the overall standings, and fifth in the Rookie Cup, and will now look to consistently run towards the front of the field as he embarks on his second year in the category.

The teenager will remain with the same Westbourne squad as last season and expressed confidence in his ability to launch a championship challenge.

“I was able to learn an awful lot last season,” he said. “We had some good results but also had plenty of misfortune, which affected where we were at the end of the season.

“However, you learn from both the good and the bad days, and I want to take everything that I did learn in 2023 and use it to push for both the Graduate Cup and the overall championship title.

“Snetterton last season was a really good weekend for me with a podium finish and a lap record, so I think that is the perfect place for me to get my campaign underway this time around.

“Hopefully when we go there in April, I can have a strong weekend to start things off and then that will provide me with plenty of momentum to take into the events that follow.”