NATHAN EDWARDS RETAINS EXCELR8 SEAT FOR JCW TITLE CHALLENGE
Nathan Edwards will remain with the EXCELR8 team for a third successive season after confirming his return to the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE grid for the 2025 campaign.
Edwards first raced for the team back in 2020 in the entry-level Cooper class and then returned to the line-up in mid-2022; immediately marking himself out as a top ten contender.
After an impressive 2023 season that saw him fight his way to four victories in the last seven races, Edwards stepped up into the headline JCW category last year, with his focus firmly on gaining experience after the late nature of the deal left little time for pre-season testing.
Edwards wasted little time in getting to grips with the more powerful JCW machine, with a rookie win at the second round, but really hit form at Oulton Park – scoring pole position before fighting his way to a stunning double victory to kick-off the second half of the campaign.
Although Croft would then be a weekend to forget with unfortunate mechanical gremlins, Edwards would return to form in the final two meetings of the campaign as he bagged pole at both Knockhill and Brands Hatch and won three of the final four races.
It meant his ‘learning year’ in the series ended with an impressive third place in the championship standings, having grabbed a place on the end-of-year podium during the final meeting of the season.
Fresh from his stunning rookie campaign, Edwards now returns to the JCW field for a second year as the man to beat in the title race, with the 26-year-old being the highest placed driver from 2024 to return this season.
With a year of experience behind him, Edwards will kick off his season at Donington Park in late April seeking to lay down an early marker in the title race against what looks set to be a highly competitive field in the BTCC support series.
A multi-year campaign in JCWs was always the plan, so I’m delighted to be back with EXCELR8 for 2025,” he said. “Our performance last season – taking the most pole positions and the second-highest number of wins – far exceeded expectations, and to finish third in the overall championship in my rookie season was the icing on the cake. But now, the aim is to go two places better.
“After a winter of hard work, I’ll be doing everything I can to repay the faith shown in me by my partners – without whom, I simply wouldn’t be racing. This is one of the toughest championships in the country to win races in, and going for the title will be an even greater challenge.
“The level of competition, both from teams and drivers, is seriously high – but I’m in the best place I’ve ever been, and I’m ready to give it everything. It’s always been an honour to race for EXCELR8, but to win for them is an even better feeling.
“Every single member of the team works incredibly hard, and it’s my job to repay that with results. I’m proud to represent the team on and off the track, and I’ll be pushing with everything I’ve got to stand on the top step in 2025.”
Team Owner Justina Williams expressed her confidence that Edwards would be able to help EXCELR8 to challenge for what would be a third successive JCW title.
“Nathan has been a valued member of our MINI CHALLENGE driver line-up in recent seasons, and we’re delighted that he will be back to help our title challenge this year,” she said.
“It’s a big step for a driver to go from the Cooper class into JCWs, and Nathan took it in his stride last year. After a tricky start, his performances and results across the second half of the season were exceptional and really showed what he is capable of as a driver.
“If Nathan can carry that form into 2025, then there is no reason why he can’t fight for the championship title, and we are confident that he’ll be in contention when we get to the business end of the season.”
