As the third round of the Vertu Motors Mini Challenge unfolded at Snetterton, Nelson King was determined to reclaim his position at the forefront after a challenging start to the season. Extensive work between rounds at Brands Hatch and Snetterton led to a significant breakthrough in resolving the power issues that had been impeding Nelson's performance.
The weekend began on a high note with Nelson topping the speed traps during FP1, indicating a marked improvement. His pace remained robust in FP2, even on old tires, which bolstered his confidence heading into qualifying.
Qualifying saw a dramatic turnaround from his earlier struggles. Despite a rain-shortened session, Nelson secured 2nd place for Saturday’s race and 3rd for Sunday, a stark contrast to his previous back-of-the-grid starts. Post-qualifying, Nelson expressed his satisfaction:
"It feels great to be back at the front. The car has 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."
An incident-packed rescheduled Round 2 saw Nelson starting in 8th place due to his earlier qualifying position at Donnington. An early error led to a collision and a stalled engine, but he managed to recover to 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 about the incident.
The first official race of the weekend provided dry conditions, allowing Nelson to demonstrate his improved pace. Starting well, he quickly moved into 3rd and pursued the leaders. After intense battles and overtaking manoeuvres, Nelson secured 2nd place. Reflecting on his performance, he noted:
"That was a good, hard race. We showed great pace, and I think if we'd gotten 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, after starting from 4th due to the reverse grid, Nelson advanced to 2nd. He spent much of the race contending for the lead, eventually finishing in the same position following a strategic decision not to contest Dan Zelos too fiercely, allowing him to challenge the leader.
"I'll take P2; my front tyres weren't giving me the grip I needed. Max and Dan had the advantage of 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 commented after the race.
The weekend's final race was affected by rain, undermining Nelson's tyre strategy. He started 3rd but struggled in the wet conditions, finishing 4th. Nelson concluded:
"Overall, it’s been a positive weekend. We’ve been competitive and had the car to win races. The tyre gamble in Race 2 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."
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