[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.17.0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ background_enable_image=”off” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ header_font=”|||on|||||” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ header_font=”|||on|||||” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” module_alignment=”left” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Dan Zelos maintained his impressive record of qualifying on pole for every round of the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE with the fastest time in challenging conditions at Knockhill.<\/p>\n
The EXCELR8 driver put in his fastest lap in the early stages of the session with rain still falling and at one point, had an advantage of more than a second over the chasing pack.<\/p>\n
As others improved, the gap to P2 gradually came down and although Zelos wasn\u2019t able to better his time, he was still able to secure pole by the relatively comfortable margin of two-tenths of a second.<\/p>\n
In fact, whilst he didn\u2019t beat his best time, Zelos would set no fewer than six laps that would have been good enough for pole.<\/p>\n
As well as a fifth straight pole, Zelos also picked up the additional six bonus points to extend his lead at the top.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s nice to keep the streak going,” he said. “I didn\u2019t know if we\u2019d keep that as we set the lap early and then everyone else started to improve and we didn\u2019t. However, we had the gap and the extra six points is another good boost.<\/em><\/p>\n “P1 is the best place to be to try and stay out of trouble, and this is a circuit that I love so hopefully we can give it a good go in race one.”<\/em><\/p>\n Behind Zelos, Nelson King emerged as best of the rest in his Graves Motorsport-run car, running in Laser Tools Racing colours for the first time this weekend.<\/p>\n King\u2019s best lap would come on his second run in the session as he secured his best qualifying result of the year to date – having not previously started higher than sixth.<\/p>\n “I wasn\u2019t sure what to expect in the wet, but I think we did well,” he said. “I think we could maybe have got P1 if we\u2019d done the lap early like Dan, as the track got quite greasy as the session wore on and it was harder to get the lap in.<\/em><\/p>\n “However, a front row is a great way to start my first weekend in Laser Tools colours.”<\/em><\/p>\n Jamie Osborne also scored his best qualifying result of the session to secure third spot as he looks to build on his win last time out at Oulton Park, with the NAPA Racing driver able to overcome visibility issues caused by his car fogging up to leave him alongside Will Orton on the grid.<\/p>\n Local hero Joe Tanner will line up in fifth spot having lapped just 0.054s slower than his Hybrid Tune team-mate, with the top six rounded out by Jamsport\u2019s Marlo Cordell – another driver to emerge from the session with a new qualifying best.<\/p>\n Dominic Wheatley, Thomas Jack Lee, Oliver Meadows and Lydia Walmsley rounded out the top ten.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, both Jamie and Daniel Petters – in twelfth and 14th place – were able to also secure new personal best qualifying results.<\/p>\n Heading into race one, Jordan Kerridge and Lewis Selby will both start from the pits as a result of their penalties from Oulton Park.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_enable_image=”off” background_size=”contain” background_position=”center_left” custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.minichallenge.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Zelos.jpeg” title_text=”Zelos” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.minichallenge.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/King.jpeg” title_text=”King” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.minichallenge.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Osborne.jpeg” title_text=”Osborne” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dan Zelos maintained his impressive record of qualifying on pole for every round of the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE with the fastest time in challenging conditions at Knockhill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":23298,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1462,1465],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-jcw"],"yoast_head":"\n