Minor Returns to Victory Circle in VIR Race One!

The sun shining bright, temperatures have risen into the high eighties here at VIR, but for the most part track conditions are ideal. Tim Minor, perhaps surprised nobody by taking pole position and resetting the lap record, but Brandon Dixon surely has a trick or two up his sleeve.

The green flag waved and the racers barreled into turn one. Minor played it perfectly and he held the first spot tightly. Dixon faired the worse of the two, he fell to third, and then fourth. Reece Everard got by and into second, Steve Jenks into third.

Everard is looking strong in his mustache winged Van Diemen. Tim Minor leads, but the gaps is under a half second. Dixon got back by Jenks and has started giving chase. Corey Milne holds fifth, Nick Palacio is sixth.

Twelve laps are left to run, plenty of race to go, Tim Minor narrowly gaps Everard. Less than a second remains between the two. Dixon is starting to turn up the wick, sure enough, he catches Everard and makes the move into turn one. Dixon now has the fastest lap of the race. Steve Jenks as fallen back almost four full seconds, though he too improves his best time, he’s actually faster than Everard and Minor at this junction.

Nine laps left to travel, Tim Minor is stretching his lead over Brandon Dixon, the gap is now almost two full seconds. Reece Everard continues to push but he lacks about two tenths of a second that the top two drivers seem to have. Steven Jenks remains in fourth, and Corey Milne is fifth.

Reece Everard’s hard work is starting to pay off, he’s now matching Dixon lap for lap. He’s just one second adrift, surely a bit of draft will aid his efforts more. It’s not to be though, a small drop in pace lets Dixon out of range. Meanwhile, the track continues to improve, three of the top four all improve their lap time, Everard the one who was left out of the fun.

With six laps to go, the track continues to improve, just about every driver on the track is setting personal best times. Two laps later, it’s Jenks to run the fastest lap of the race, in doing so he is reeling in Everard. Minor out front, is safe from Dixon, and Dixon has gapped Everard three full seconds. Everard isn’t without fight though, and he runs his own personal best and slows Jenks’ march. The battle between the two rages on!

Only two laps left to complete, Everard again ups his ante, but it is Steve Jenks who’s really pushing. He runs a 1:51.7, easily the fastest lap of the race, and is knocking on resetting the race lap record. The gap from Everard to Jenks is under a second now. Time is running out, Jenks will have to make good on his superior pace almost immediately.

The checker flag is waving, Minor cruises to the win with a two second gap, Dixon just as comfortable in second, Everard manages to hold off the charging Jenks, Milne finishes fifth.