RACE REPORT: MINI Challenge Rd2 - Rockingham

Words and photos David Young Photography

MINI Challenge

Rockingham 23/24 May for Coopers

The MINI Challenge had not been to Rockingham for at 5 years. This time the high speed circuit was ready for a pack of 15 MINI Coopers, with most drivers not having driven here before.  The main straight and Bend 1 are for all basically flat out, braking nicely onto a very wide hairpin with an ample run off space if you leave braking a little too late.  The infield is full of curves, hairpins and the odd straight followed by a chicane before you go back onto the oval.

See what I mean?  The surface of the track is a very abrasive tarmac and is hard on tyres. The track is the fastest in Europe!  Well the Coopers had a few problems, running out of brakes, peddles going soft.  Testing on the Friday had one car written off and the front of 2 cars being a bit modified. Fortunately no one was hurt and the car damage was spread amongst most of the teams.

Qualifying on Saturday was mid-morning, this had the usual contenders, Nathan Harrison, Martin Pole and Ricky Page in P1-3 respectively.  A promise of a great race later on in the afternoon.  Race 1 had Nathan, Ricky and Mark Wakefield running round the circuit glued together, most of time Ricky was in the lead, but in the last couple of laps he succumbed to the pressure and was overtaken by late braking of Nathan, these 2 than pulled away from the rest. Mark Wakefield, Adam Davey and Adrian Norman took the next few place.

With such and early finish to the Saturday racing the organisers took the opportunity to fully scrutinise some of the leading Coopers, Ricky Page, Simon Walton, Nathan Harrison all had to have the cars Heads removed allowing pistons, bore and camshafts to be inspected and engines sealed.  Probably something that should have been done last year, with the benefit of hindsight.

All the cars checked were given a clean bill of health!

The races on Sunday had a high expectation of more neck and neck racing, as my pictures will clearly show.  Incredibly exciting with some of the closest racing I have ever seen. Nathan Harrison won the first race of the day followed home by Mark Wakefield and Ricky Page. Ricky had again lead for most of the race only to be overtaken by late braking up the inside going into the infield. Star of the race had to be Grace Williams who was using Craig Freemans car, (with a straightened bonnet), she finished 6^th. Darren Chatt, the one with the very bent car managed a very creditable 5^th, in his 1^st year of motor racing too. Well he did have Oakfield Motorsport and Bill Sollis helping!

Final race for the Coopers was again a very close run battle between Ricky Page and Mark Wakefield , this time Ricky was overtaken on the last lap by Mark, Mark’s dad was shouting and screaming, as well as jumping up and down on the pit wall.  Henry Neal had his Dad, Mat, (of BTCC fame) and the Dynamic’s Motorsport team screaming on the roof of the pits, another proud Dad!

The greatest surprise was for Adrian Norman, he finished in 3^rd place, his 1^st podium and a very well deserved one for him.  Rob Sims racing had his car running perfectly all weekend and Adrian just kept his head down.  He told me how surprised he was when the Marshalls asked him to go down the podium line in the Paddock.  Well-deserved and a great way to end a good weekend.

Race 1	P1	Nathan Harrison
	P2	Ricky Page
	P3	Mark Wakefield
Race 2	P1	Nathan Harrison
	P2	Mark Wakfield
	P3	Ricky Page
Race  3	P1	Mark Wakefield
	P2	Ricky Page
	P3	Adrian Norman

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