RACE REPORT: MINI Challenge Rd4 - Brands Hatch

All words & photos David Young Photography and MINI Challenge

MINI Challenge at the Brands Hatch Mini Festival
27-28^th June

After a very wet Silverstone the MINI Challenge was to play a major starring role at this year's Mini Festival on the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit.

I ventured down to Brands on the Friday to catch up with all the drivers and teams whilst they set up their cars on a track day.  What a sight to see Classic pre-66 Appendix K and the new F56 side-by-side on the track, 50 years apart in design and technology.  An Appendix K pre-66 Mini costing considerably more than an F56 race car too.

The MINI Challenge played the starring role by occupying the pit garages, having a pit walk on Sunday morning with all the cars lined up outside the garages and the grid walk prior to the F56-JCW on Sunday morning. The grid being formed by all the MINI Challenge cars and all classes.  Just a shame that they could not all race together, 39 cars being a bit over the limit of Brands' capacity.

Qualifying on Saturday was missed by yours truly with the wedding of the MCR chairman’s (my brother) daughter, complete with a Garden Party on par with the Queen's Garden Party. It had to be done!  

Suffice it to say the F56 grid for the first race was led by William Phillips, Ryan Rhode and Rob Smith, the JCWs had, Neil Newstead, Hamish Brandon and Jono Brown in front.  Lawrence Davey at last getting the win he has been after all year with fastest lap as well, 2^nd and 3^rd went to Ryan Rhode and William Phillips.  

JCWs had Jono Brown in the Sussex Road & Race car of Craig Freeman beating Neil Newstead to the chequered flag followed by team mate Steve Ruxton-Cocker in their Oakfield Motorsport Cars.  All this after a red flag and restart due to an incident at Paddock Bend on the opening lap.  Neil surviving with a much dented passenger door after a tussle with EVO’s Dan Prosser and the two F56’s of Mark Steward and Luke Reade playing in the beach!  Neil was very fortunate in that he scored maximum points as Jono has not entered the Championship this year and subsequently he did not score any points. Neil also came away with a start at the back of the JCW grid (10 places) penalty and points on his licence.

The Cooper qualifying had the usual suspects all in with chance of pole, eventually Max Leaver and Ricky Page had the front row followed by the Coastal team of Martin Poole and Nathan Harrison.  The 1^st race had Nathan Harrison, Max Bladon and Martin Poole finishing 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd in a very tight pack. Ricky Page being overtaken after locking his brakes up into Clearways allowing the three cars through.  ABS issues on Ricky’s car!

Sunday morning and the MINI Festival got into its stride.  What a sight, all the MINI Challenge cars, beautifully turned out, all lined up outside the pit garages for the public to see.  With a few glamour opportunities for the Power Maxed grid girls to pose for you!  Don’t go there!

The opening Cooper race was the race of the weekend with Nathan Harrison and Ricky Page at for 21 laps.  What a sight, Nathan Harrison pipping Ricky at the finish line by 0.019! With Mark Wakefield just waiting for a mistake to happen, he finished 3^rd in their slipstream!  One of the closest and best races of the season, with no JCWs or F56s to contend with.

Up next was the Grid Walk of the MINI Challenge cars, followed by a few drops of rain and the promise of a great race.  The F56 cars sound amazing, they had changed the exhaust system as the cats were all getting blocked, the end result was spectacular flames and pops on the overrun, which with the sound of the straight cut sequential boxes makes for great sounding cars, mini BTCC style.  The race had Lawrence Davey in his Cooper Tunbridge Wells/First4Vans supported car leading form flag to lights, scoring win number two of the weekend, and after three years without a win! Ryan Rhode was 2^nd followed by Rob Smith. JCWs had Neil Newstead overcoming his grid penalty to take the win from Hamish Brandon and Steve Ruxton-Cocker. 23 laps of pure fun racing and great to watch.

The Coopers were up next at 4.20.  This time Ricky Page got in front and stayed there.  This was after a red flag with two cars in the kitty litter, one on its roof! All made it to restart, some from the pit lane after removing broken glass and H&S checks!  Ricky was over the moon with his win.  Nathan was happy with the Championship lead and Max Leaver secured 3^rd.  Henry Neal nearly getting his 1^st podium. (Dad was away playing with the BTCC at Croft).

Final race of the day was the last F56/JCW race at 20mins to six!  Very close to the curfew at 6.30.  Great start with David Grady and Lawrence Davey sprinting off into the sunset, the usual overexuberance into Paddock on cold tyres had cars going everywhere.  Safety Car deployed, and round and round they all went all while Mark Steward’s car was recovered.  Safety car in, off they went, again Grady and Davey sprinted off with the others close behind.   

The JCW class was being keenly fought with Hamish Brandon on fresher tyres just holding Neil and Steve off.  Next lap and Lee Pattison carrying too much speed into paddock in pursuit of Grady and Davey had his car roll, after a few laps behind the safety car the race was red flagged and the end of great MINI Festival albeit a disappointing end.

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