MINI Challenge Race Report: Oulton Park

MINI Challenge Race Report:

Oulton Park MINI Festival 20th August

Words & Photos: David Young

The annual trip up north to visit one of MSVR's greatest circuits, so picturesque, grass areas beautifully kept, loads of parking, modern facilities, a great track offering a number of configurations and great spectators areas - I could go on. Just take it from me it is a brilliant circuit.  

The only issue I have about it is that it is limited by our Town and Country planers to just a handful of Sunday events a year and racing must stop at 18.30hrs BST.  So that means that this meeting has to be run over a single day and there is very little leeway to catch up on any race delays.  Having said that, it is still worth the 5-hour plus trip to get there. A21, M25, M40, M56, M6 and country lanes all had delays on this year’s Friday trip, it actually took over 8 hours to get there, with delays at every exit and entry point to our wonderful motorway system, not to mention road works, accidents, breakdowns etc.  Now to the racing.

Early start, no breakfast, blue sky (could the weather man get it wrong?). Rain was forecast sometime during the day; due to the high winds they could not forecast when that would be. So on with the Nikon waterproof covers, where they stayed all day!

The Coopers in the Assembly Area

First out were the MINI Coopers and S’s. Qualifying was declared wet due to standing water and a very fine mist of rain in the air. Carlito Miracco is his R56 was quickest of the S’s Simon Walton was quickest of the Coopers and Stuart Lane was quickest of the Open class.

Stuart Lane at Lodge Corner in qualifying

JCW qualifying was a wet affair with the rain stopping as the cars took to the track.  Some teams were playing a strategy that hoped that the circuit would dry and the quickest time would be at the end of the 20-minute period with a drying track. This only works if the rain has actually stopped. Well it did and it started and stopped again.  A few cars took to the track in the dying minutes to put in a quick time with slicks at the front or all round, others, including reigning champ Charlie Butler-Henderson, who had been quickest so far, had to accept a mid-field start. He stayed on wets whilst team mate Rob Smith was on pole and used slicks on the front.

The initial running of the first Cooper and S race was red flagged with 5 cars strewn across the circuit in various states of repair.  To keep the race programme running to time the organiser had no other option than to also show the chequered flag as the time taken to recover the cars grew.
Next up would be the F56 JCWs race that followed a grid walk.

Jono Brown at the Grid Walk with Corbeau seats

This is a very popular part of the MINI Festivals, it allows the spectators to get up close to the cars, teams and drivers. Collect the odd autograph and take pictures of the grid girls, (I mean cars).
 

Mark Wakefield with the Mini Girls

With all the cars on the grid, the coopers had to return to the garages and the F56s did their green flag lap. The race saw Jeff Smith (Eurotech) claim his maiden win. However, the first race was more about the enormous crash at the start. What happened? Well the whole mid field thought it could squeeze its way into Old Hall Corner. Sometimes you can get 3 a breast and with a dry circuit it usually works, with a wet circuit and a very wet track side, it was always going to be a problem.

Charlie was hit from behind, this pushed him into a slower car that he was overtaking, they all spun onto the grass, zero grip, as cars were on slicks, wheels dug in to the soft grass and over and over he went, totally destroying his car. Due to the strength of the roll cage, Charlie was sort of OK and managed to scramble out of the passenger’s door with the driver’s door being jammed tight. Clearly dazed and sore, he walked away un-aided. A five-point harnesses can be a little painful in the groin area when used to restrain you in a Corbeau race seat, which is also very rigid and is like a safety cage if you are held in it tight. Charlie is now walking around like John Wayne! Enough said.

The race continued with the safety car being deployed, it came in after 3 laps and racing commenced.  Halfway through the 5th lap the heavens opened up and the Clerk of the Course decided to Red flagged the race as all the cars were on slicks with little or no grip.  As the cars returned to the post Scrutineering area, the rain stopped and the Sun came out (Insey Winsey Spider came out to race again). Hindsight is a wonderful thing with most of the drivers complaining about the Clerks decision, but if the rain had stayed I am sure they would be saying what a great guy he is. Jeff Smith was confirmed the winner followed by David Grady, Luke Caudle and Jono Brown. Clearly Jono and David’s championships were improved with good scores for them and nil point for Charlie.

Next up was a re-run of the first Cooper Race. This again saw Carlito Miracco storm off into the lead keeping Scott Jeffs behind. Carlito was all over the place with wets of the rear and slick on the front, while Scott was on slicks all round. Carlito has a rather big slide which let Scott overtake him, but Carlito re-took him before yet another bid slide but managed to stay in front this time until the chequered flag, Scot Adam was 3rd in the race. In the Cooper Class Max Bladon’s winning streak finally came to an end only managing a 2nd place! Well he had won all 11 races up until now. Kyle Reid took the win in his Coastal racing run Cooper.

Kyle Reid fending off Max Bladon

Max tried in vain to take Kyle with a last minute dive into the chicane, where he out braked himself rather that Kyle.

Max Bladon out braking himself at the Chicane at Hislops

Brad Hutchinson completed the podium. Simon Clarke secured a win in the Open 180 class narrowly pipping Keith Issatt, Richard Mills was 3rd. Rob Austin was on track for a 3rd place but had a slower Cooper Class car turn into him as he was being lapped at Hislops, nearly took me out too!

The 2nd JCW race followed the Cooper and S race with what was now a race against time to get the last Cooper race in before the Curfew at 18.30.

As the cars entered the track from the Assembly area the heavens opened up again, this saw a lot of the cars dive into the pits to put on a full set of wets, a few stayed out with slicks. Team Dynamic turned Henry Neal’s car quick as did Eurotech with Brett Smith.

Eurotech in action

A great race ensured with the front runners on slicks sliding off all over the place while the Wet shod cars who had to start from the pit lane reeled them in at a rapid pace, they had so much grip on the very wet but drying track. Neil Newstead lead at one time on slicks

Neil Newstead leading the slick shod brigade

The line of those on wets starting from the pit lane shod cars

Henry Neal was having the drive of his life, getting to the front and trying to keep Brett at bay on wet tyres, Alas it was not be his maiden JCW win.

Brett Smith passing Henry Neal into Hislops Chicane

Rob Smith was happy to follow them to the chequered flag.  The race was stopped short as they needed just a few minutes to get the last Cooper and S race underway.  A great shame as the track was drying and those on slicks, who were still running, were being to get grip back. Brett won from Henry and Rob, Lawrence Davey, Luke Read and James Turkington who all had their best results of the year following them home.

Jono Brown (Slicks)trying to keep Henry Neal (Wets)away

The last race of the day was the shortened to a 5 lap Cooper and S race. We even had a couple of safety car laps

Scot Adam took the win from Carlito Miracco, Scott Jeffs and Tim Porter. Jonathan Davis took the Open180 class from Richard Mills and Simon Clark. Martin Poole got his long overdue win followed by, you’ve guessed it Max Bladon, Sam Weller, Kyle Reid and Josh Gollin.

Martin Poole, Max Bladon & Sam Weller in the last race

The victory wind down

Share this: