Nelson King Roars Back at Snetterton!
Nelson King made a memorable comeback in the third round of the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE at Snetterton, determined to reclaim his position as a front runner after a challenging start to the season. Extensive work to his car between Brands Hatch and Snetterton paid off, resolving the power issues that had been plaguing his performance.
Kicking off the weekend, Nelson dominated FP1, showcasing significant improvement by topping the speed traps. His strong pace continued in FP2, even on worn tires, boosting his confidence heading into qualifying. In a rain-shortened qualifying session, Nelson secured P2 for Saturday’s race and P3 for Sunday. "It feels great to be back at the front," Nelson said. "The car is totally transformed since Brands Hatch, and it's rewarding to see our hard work pay off. The team has done an incredible job, and I’m looking forward to a strong Race 1."
Before the scheduled Snetterton rounds however, there was the rescheduled Round 2 from Donington to be raced. This had Nelson starting 8th due to his earlier qualifying position at Donington meet. An early mistake led to a collision and a stalled engine, but he managed to recover and finish 10th. "That wasn’t the best start to the day. I locked up and made contact with Brad, luckily without affecting his race too much," Nelson recounted.
The first official race of the weekend saw dry conditions, perfect for Nelson to showcase his improved pace. Starting strong, he quickly moved into 3rd and fiercely chased the leaders. After intense battles, he clinched 2nd place. "That was a good, hard race. We showed great pace, and I think if we'd pushed through to the front sooner, we could have taken it. I'm a bit frustrated I didn't apply more pressure on Dan earlier, but I'm pleased with P2—our best result this year."
On Sunday for Race 2, Nelson started 4th due to the reverse grid and advanced to 2nd, spending much of the race in contention for the lead. He eventually finished 2nd, making a strategic decision not to push too hard against Dan Zelos, saving his tyres for the final race. "I'll take P2; my front tyres weren't giving me the grip I needed. Max and Dan had new tyres, but we opted to save ours for the final race, so I'm happy to still be in contention for the win," he said.
The weekend's final race was marred by rain, disrupting Nelson's tyre strategy. Starting 3rd, he struggled in the wet conditions, finishing 4th. From Nelson: "Overall, it’s been a positive weekend. We’ve been competitive and had the car to win races. The tyre gamble in Race 3 didn't pay off due to the unpredictable weather, but at least we have two new tyres for Oulton Park. I owe a massive thanks to my team—Chris and Charlie have worked tirelessly, and I'm thrilled to reward them with a couple of trophies."
