After the delays caused by the Covid 19 pandemic,  Alex Nevill’s racing season finally gets underway this weekend.

On Saturday at Oulton Park in Cheshire, the Kent racer takes on the second round of the EnduroKA series in preparation for his campaign in the Mini Challenge Cooper Trophy this season.

Established in 2019 EnduroKA is a one make series for MK1 Ford KA’s. Designed as a cost effective and accessible form of Motorsport, the cars are mostly standard (aside from safety upgrades) which results in close and intense racing.

Race lengths vary from 20 minute sprints to 12 hour endurance marathons, with this weekend’s round featuring a 5 hour endurance race.

Though the performance of the vehicle isn’t particularly comparable to his normal Mini Challenge racer, the amount of track time the race provides to Alex and his Graves Motorsport teammates Bradley Gravett & Alfie Glenie will be hugely valuable.

Providing them with a chance to gain considerable experience of the challenging and undulating Oulton Park circuit before they return in two weeks time for the first round of their championship, which will be a supporting act to the British Touring Car Championship. It’s an opportunity for practice that Alex is looking forward to.

Speaking ahead of the weekends racing, Nevill said: “Oulton Park is an incredibly difficult circuit, and although I’ve done well there in the past (including a race win in the Cooper Am class in 2018) it’s the kind of place where you can never get enough laps.

“Thanks to the lockdown this will also be my first race in 10 months, and whilst we’ve been testing there’s no substitute for racing. It’ll be a great chance to get race fit before our championship starts in a couple of weeks, and I’m excited to take on a slightly different challenge in what is a very competitive series.”

Image courtesy of Clive Marchant