Englishman Shane Stoney has extended his lead in this years Pirelli-supported MINI Challenge following a sensational double victory at Castle Combe last weekend. In the turbo-charged John Cooper Works Class, Chris Smiley and Chris Smith both took one victory apiece.

The Cooper Class attracted the largest grid of the year so far with 14 MINIs battling it out on the Wiltshire-based circuit. Stoney got off to a strong start on race one but the safety car interlude resulted in a four-way scrap for the win.

The rain made things really difficult and I got a lot of understeer, explained 18-year-old Stoney who eventually went on to win the race. I turned in for Camp and the front didnt grip so I ended up all over the grass. I had a scare earlier in the race too when the engine warning light came on in the collecting area. I switched the engine off and it cured itself on the grid luckily.

In the JCW Class, 23-year-old Chris Smiley secured a dominant race one victory. Jake Packun took second place, with Jono Brown coming home in third.

I saw the rain but Ive done a lot of laps in the wet on Pirelli slicks at Combe before so I was still confident, explained JCW race winner, Smiley. The track here has an almost eggshell surface so in the wet its actually quite grippy. I just kept the throttle steady and controlled the sliding.

After adopting a conservative driving approach during the first race, Chris Smith stepped it up a gear on race two to clinch the victory. Smiths win meant he has successful held onto his JCW class lead but with Smiley only 11 points behind him, it will be all to play for in The Netherlands next month.

The team has such a good wet setup, we soften everything off and the balance just feels great, said JCW race two winner, Smith. The start was the key. I knew I had to clear the cars in front of me quickly so I could get away before the others got through, that way I could maintain a gap. Its been a long wait to win again, and it feels good. Its a great result for the championship too.

Pirelli UK Motorsport Operations Manager, Matthew Corby, concluded: The British weather was typically unpredictable at the weekend and as a result we had both Pirelli wets and slicks on offer. Despite the slippery conditions, the drivers did a good job of keeping their MINIs under control and managing their tyres on a circuit which can be quite abrasive in areas. Stoney is doing an exceptional job this year, and its even more impressive considering hes just 18 years of age. After one victory each last weekend and only two rounds remaining, theres just 11 points separating Smith and Smiley in the JCW class so its all to play for. It will be interesting to see how the MINI Challenge drivers fare when the championship makes its first visit to the continent in six years next month.

The penultimate round of this years MINI Challenge will take place on Dutch soil as the crews prepare to compete in Zandvoort from 7-8 September.