ALFIE GARFORD SECURES JCW SPORT CROWN

Alfie Garford has provisionally clinched the JCW Sport title in the Power Maxed MINI CHALLENGE after battling his way to another victory in the second race of the weekend at Silverstone.

The Wera Alliance Racing Academy driver has been the man to beat in the class all season, and went into the race having taken victory in every race bar one having graduated from the Cooper class over the winter.

Lining up behind team-mate Murray Richardson on the grid, Garford grabbed the lead at the start and when Richardson went off at Copse on the third lap, it meant Garford only needed to finish the race to take the crown.

Staying out of trouble, Garford duly took the flag for his 15th class victory of the year and can now no longer be caught with four races left to run to give him his first MINI CHALLENGE crown.

“It’s been a busy year with a lot of learning,” he said, “and to come out with the championship this early is a nice feeling. It means I can just relax a bit and focus on the final races of the season, and make sure we end the year on a high.

“It’s a shame that we haven’t had the numbers in JCW Sport this season because the car is great and I actually think its harder to drive than the JCW car because we have the H-pattern gearbox to deal with and heel and toe, which the others don’t have.

“It’s also made things difficult because if you don’t finish a race, your rival can take a maximum score which is a huge difference, and then from race-to-race, if you are running first and second you don’t take many points off each other.

“That also made it more a challenge than if we’d had more cars, so to come out on top is great.”