Mighty Mini race report Brands Hatch

Rounds 3 & 4 of the Mighty Mini Championship were held at the Brands Hatch, Kent as part of the annual Mini Festival. Team CRS Risk have worked hard over the last few weeks and the Mini is looking great after being rebuilt following the damage from Silverstone.

Here is Caroline’s report:

There is always a small amount of trepidation when racing at Brands having rolled my car there a few years ago at Paddock Hill! The slightly damp conditions in qualifying didn’t help and it was a disappointing 18^th place I would be starting from in race 1.

The start line at Brands has quite a big slope to it so you have to either use the hand brake or hold the car on the biting point, both of which make it tricky for a good start. It was a very quick light sequence in race 1 which almost caught me out as I was still deciding whether to use the hand brake!!  Despite this I made a fairly good start and made a couple of places off the start. As the cars came round into Paddock Hill for the first time I was boxed in with nowhere to go, the places I’d made now lost.

The front packs broke away and I found myself racing with Darren Nightingale again. I followed Daz for a few laps and had a couple of attempts to pass him thwarted. Eventually I made dive up the inside at Paddock Hill catching Daz by surprise and taking the place from him. I set about catching the cars in front but there was not enough laps left and I finished 17^th out of 27.

The second race was later on Sunday afternoon. I started from the same row but opposite side of the grid, having decided earlier this time to use the handbrake I was ready for the lights!!! I made another reasonable get away overtaking cars on the start again.. With slightly more room to get round Paddock  I held onto them this time.

There were 5 cars in the pack I was racing in and a couple of laps into the race I had to take evasive action as Penny Jones in the car in front lost control at Clearways and spun the car sideways in front of me. The next cars, Daz and Ella had pulled a small gap due to me breaking to avoid Penny. Within a couple of laps I was on the back of them and quickly set about passing Daz through Clearway and onto the main straight and then a couple of laps later a cheeky move at Druids allowed me to pass Ella. I started pulling away from Daz and Ella until the race was red flagged a few laps early due to Penny braking down in a dangerous position. I finished 14th out of 27 the fastest Lady racer for round 4.

The next rounds are being held at Zolder, Belgium on the 7/8 June but unfortunately we have decided to miss this one round. Team CRS next race will be in action at rounds 7 & 8 of the championship at Oulton Park on the 4^th of July.