Dominic Wheatley makes EXCELR8 switch for 2024 MINI CHALLENGE campaign
Dominic Wheatley makes EXCELR8 switch for 2024 MINI CHALLENGE campaign
Former Cooper Champion Dominic Wheatley will return to the JCW category of the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE for a third successive season in 2024 after inking a deal to join forces with defending Champions EXCELR8.
Wheatley first competed in the MINI CHALLENGE’s headline class in 2022 on the back of a hugely successful spell in the Cooper category, which started with a run to the Rookie Cup title in his debut season in 2019.
Finishing inside the top three overall, Wheatley was a multiple race winner in 2020 as he finished as runner-up, before eventually securing the overall championship crown in 2021.
That was even though the Hartlepool-based racer failed to win a race throughout the season, instead taking the title thanks to his impressive consistency after picking up a total of seven podium finishes.
Graduating into the JCW class, Wheatley picked up a pair of top ten finishes in his rookie season before a fine 2023 saw him secure two podium finishes en-route to ninth in the championship standings.
Wheatley would also be embroiled in a huge battle for the Graduate Cup that went all the way to the season finale at Brands Hatch before he narrowly missed out by 18 points.
Now joining forces with EXCELR8, Wheatley heads into his third year in the category with his focus firmly on turning podium finishes into race wins – with the ultimate goal of joining a select list of drivers to win titles across multiple MINI CHALLENGE classes.
Dominic Wheatley said:
“I’m really excited to be joining forces with EXCELR8 for the new season, and I feel better prepared than ever before to try and challenge for the JCW title. The team has been so successful in the series in the past, and given the race wins and championship titles that they have won, I know they can give me everything that I need to achieve my goals this year.
When I first joined the JCW grid, I always said that the first year was all about learning the car and then year two would be chasing podiums and year three would be pushing for wins. That means I’m where I hoped to be going into 2024, and I know that there could have been more silverware last season with a bit more luck on my side.
With two years under my belt, I’m aiming to regularly push for the podium places, and try to fight for the title.”
Justina Williams, Team Owner, said:
“Dominic is a driver who has proven to be stiff competition for us for a number of seasons, and we’re delighted that we now have the chance to welcome him into the team for the 2024 season.
From the moment he first joined the Cooper grid, he showed himself to be a very quick driver, and his title win was particularly impressive considering that it came in a season where the field was particularly strong.
Since moving into the JCWs, he has shown that he is more than capable of running at the front at a higher level and he is a driver who will only strengthen our line-up during the year ahead. We’re confident that we can have a very successful season together.”
