[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=”4.27.4″ 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=”4.27.4″ header_font=”|||on|||||” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
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Nathan Edwards says he feels revisions to the regulations around race distances in the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE mean that the season opener this weekend at Donington Park will be a step into the unknown.<\/strong><\/p>\n Although the opening two races of the weekend are still scheduled to run for 20 minutes, the final race will run for an extended period of 25 minutes this weekend – as it will at a number of meetings during the season.<\/p>\n The opening race could also run to a longer period of time if the safety car is deployed, which will automatically add five minutes to the race distance.<\/p>\n The fact that the longest race will come at the end of the weekend means drivers will have to be particularly wary about tyre wear and Edwards – who qualified third on the grid for the opening meeting – said it be interesting to see how drivers approached proceedings.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s proper tight in the times which we knew it was going to be, but I had a good car and now we\u2019ll see what we can do in the races,\u201d he said.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to be all about making sure you keep the tyres alive, and that\u2019s going to be even more important when we get to tomorrow and the third race.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t sound like a lot, but an extra five minutes is going to mean a lot of looking after the car to keep it alive. We might get a 25 minute race if the safety car comes out today and it will already be tricky with the temperatures, so it\u2019s going to be a bit of a journey into the unknown.\u201d<\/em><\/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\/2025\/04\/MINI-CHALLENGE-6.jpg” title_text=”MINI CHALLENGE” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.minichallenge.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/MINI-CHALLENGE2-3.jpg” title_text=”MINI CHALLENGE2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nathan Edwards says he feels revisions to the regulations around race distances in the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE mean that the season opener this weekend at Donington Park will be a step into the unknown.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":28356,"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-28354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-jcw"],"yoast_head":"\n