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Race Report 13^th June

Cadwell Park 

Rowans wins secon race in  as many meetings

12 Minis made the trip South to Lincolnshire and what a treat they were in for. If you ask anyone who has raced at Cadwell Park their opinion on the circuit, they will come out with the following adjectives; tight, technical, fast, unforgiving, difficult, exciting … It lives up to all of them. The setting is stunning with big gradient changes on a narrow track through beautiful woodland with none or little run off area and not even a hint of a gravel trap. A proper old school racing circuit.

Race 1

Thirlwall continued his great run of form to out it on Pole and claim the bonus point, Rowan was 2^nd with Sleigh and Knox making up row 2. Covey and Dryden rounded out the top 6. Rowan made the better start and edged past Rowan going into the fast 2^nd corner. Covey’s car bogged down at the start and Dryden nipped up to 5^th and Crocker (Who was driving the Guest car) also squeezed past Covey. On the second lap Willie Struth lost control going into the first corner and hit the barriers hard ending his race weekend. With the circuit being so tight there was very little space for overtaking so the top 4 drivers were playing a waiting game. On Lap 5 Dryden took too much kerb at the Mountain section and popped a driveshaft ending his race. Covey managed to pass Crocker finally and quickly pulled clear from him but he was not able to make an impression on the front quartet. Rowan drove a good defensive race and was awarded with his second victory of the season; Thirlwall was 2^nd, Sleigh 3^rd, Knox 4^th, Covey 5^th and Crocker 6^th. Rowan also picked up the fastest lap and bonus point for that.

Race 2

The reverse grid saw Gronkowski on pole with the fast improving Manio Loia 2^nd, Crocker 3^rd and Covey 4^th, Knox 5^th, Sleigh 6^th Thirlwall 7^th and Rowan back in 8^th. They got away from the lights well and got through the first section of corners but all hell was about break loose at the next corner when Finlay Crocker lost it going into the 4^th corner and spun in front of the whole pack. Thirlwall took to the infield grass only to find a big ditch which fired him into the air and on landing he removed his radiator and drive shafts he retired at the next corner. Sleigh took to the outside grass but rejoined unscathed. The safety car was deployed to clear up the mess and it was Loia who was heading the pack for the restart. Dryden had made it up from 12^th on the grid up to 7^th in just one lap and Waugh was in the pits trying to get a puncture repaired in time to rejoin before the safety car went in (very Days of Thunder) which they managed to do! At the restart Loia held on well and was not giving up any place easily. Knox got passed and Loia ran wide which allowed Covey and Rowan through. Sleigh caught Loia at the mountain and got passed at the top of the mountain but Loia tried to retake Sleigh at the hairpin. This pushed Sleigh wide and Dryden nipped passed Sleigh before the last corner. Dryden then pressed Loia hard and it paid off as Loia ran wide at turn 3. Dryden was able to make the pass on the exit of the corner. Knox was out in front but Covey and Rowan were not far behind. Dryden caught and passed Gronkowski to move up to 4^th on the last lap. Knox held on for the win, Covey nearly threw it away on the last corner running very wide and sideways but gathered it up to finish 2^nd, Rowan 3^rd and fastest lap, 4^th was Dryden , 5^th Gronkowski and 6^th went to Loia.

May 31

Knockhill 

The Sun shines for Michael Rowan…at last!  

Scorching sunshine, some really close and competitive racing was the order of the day at Knockhill on Sunday. 

Qualifying was once again really tight with Kenneth Thirlwall using every inch of the track and more to clock up the first ever sub 63 second lap. Behind him and a place he was to get used to today was Chris Knox. Dryden and Rowan who were trying to make amends for a slow start to the season both qualified well in 3^rd and 4^th. Sleigh and Gronkowski filled row 3 with last years champion Vic Covey lining up alongside Manio Loia on Row 4. 

Race 1 

Thirlwall got away cleanly from Knox in 2^nd with Dryden pushing him hard. Meanwhile Rowan had lost a place to the fast starting Sleigh and Gronkowski also managed passed Rowan. Knox harried Thirlwall but he was not for giving up the lead. Dryden took the watching brief in 3^rd. Rowan re took Gronkowski and set the fastest lap of the race chasing down Sleigh. Thirlwall took the victory with Knox nailed to his boot lid and Dryden was equally nailed to Knox’s. Sleigh was 4^th with Rowan in close attendance. Gronkowski was 6^th and Covey closed out the top 7 with mystery driver Skid Marxs coming in 8^th. 

Race 2 

The front 4 drivers all made good starts and held position but Rowan was not so fortunate, he lost a place to the fast starting Gronkowski. The front four pulled a bit of a gap but it wasn’t too long before Rowan got the better of Gronkowski. He then set his sights on Sleigh and after some great close racing, Rowan was through again. The front 3 were battling hard and Thirlwall was making Knox use the slower lines for most corners. Dryden and Knox both tried moves but they didn’t come off. This allowed the fast approaching Rowan in for a last ditch effort at the last corner. Sadly for Michael Rowan this didn’t turn out too well as the front 3 had braked late already and Rowan just couldn’t get the car slowed down. Dryden let him up the inside and he piled into Knox taking away all his momentum with it. Knox recovered to 2^nd and Dryden retook the near stationary Rowan for 3^rd. Rowan held 4^th with Sleigh 5^th and Gronkowski was 6^th. Skid Marxs held off the struggling Vic Covey who had a gear box problem for 7^th place. Rowan again picked up the point for fastest lap. 

Race 3  

The gird was reversed back to 5^th place which put Sleigh on pole with Rowan beside him, Dryden took up his usual 3^rd place spot, Knox was alongside him in 4^th with Thirlwall in 5^th and Gronkowski 6^th. Sleigh made a good start and led Rowan into the first corner. Knox and Dryden were level through Duffes and Knox lent on Dryden who had the inside line for Scotmans, after the contact Knox just squeezed through into 3^rd. Knox then passed Rowan at the hairpin and set about chasing down Sleigh. Knox tried an ambitious move up the inside of Sleigh at Carlube which resulted in contact and Sleigh running wide and dropping back 4 places. Knox took the lead but Rowan was making him work hard for it. Knox looked to have out braked himself at the hairpin and Rowan nipped up the inside to take the lead. Dryden and Thirlwall were also having a battle royal with Thirlwall passing Dryden at the exit of the chicane when Dryden ran wide. Dryden(pictured)not settling for this fought back and retook Thirlwall at Scotsman. Thirlwall made a great move at Clarks to pass Dryden but on the last lap Dryden went up the inside of Thirlwall and nipped the place on the line by 9 thousandths. It was Rowan who took the chequered flag though and Michael was thrilled to take his first win in the series after 2 seasons trying. Knox’s move on Sleigh was deemed to be unfair and he was served with a 10sec penalty which dropped him back to 8^th place. This elevated Dryden to 2^nd and Thirlwall to 3^rd Sleigh recovered and picked up 4^th with Gronkowski 5^th and Skid Marxs finished ahead of Covey in 6^th. Thirlwall picked up the fastest lap point.

Words: Mark Dryden  pics Richard Pascal 11/56 Motorsport

Knockhill 28^th April 

Rounds 3,4 and 5

Knox 2, Thirlwall takes a 1, 2 and3

The Mini returned to their Scottish base of Knockhill for rounds 3, 4 & 5 of their Championship. It was great to see so many new drivers making their debut in the series too. But it was Chris Knox who took most of the glory with two wins. Ken Thirlwall meanwhile stood on every step of the podium, leaving the best to last by winning the third race of the day.

Qualifying was very competitive as always and some blistering times were being set. In fact the top 4 drivers were under last years lap record! It looked like that record was not going to last the day. Chris Knox put it on pole with a stunning 1:03.286 with Thirlwall just over a tenth behind in 2^nd, Covey was 3^rd and Gronkowski was just a 100^th off him on 4^th, Dryden was 5^th and Sleigh closed out the top six. 

Round 1: 

The race was going to be dry but, as always, at Knockhill the threat of rain was never far away. Knox and Thirlwall made good starts but Covey was sluggish away from the line. This allowed the fast starting Sleigh through who also over took Gronkowski and Dryden and he was 3^rd by end of Leslies. Dryden tried to go around Covey through Duffes but ran out of track and opted for the off road route and bounced across the infield but held onto 5^th place. Thirlwall pressured Knox but he seemed unflappable out front, further back Covey took Gronkowski up the inside of the hairpin and Dryden followed him through. Further down the grid Molinaro slid sideways in front of Waugh who was out in the Minis for the first time. Waugh had nowhere to go and turned him around and the helpless Molinaro was collected by another Mini newcomer Brandon. This ended both Molinaro’s and Brandon’s weekends. Meanwhile, Sleigh took the watching brief in 3^rd and got a great lap in to take the outright and newcomers Lap Record in a time of 1:03.063. He then got up the inside of Thirlwall at the hairpin to take 2^nd  but Thirlwall snatched it back round the outside at Duffes with a really brave move which just came off and no more. Then disaster struck for rookie Waugh in his first ever race. He had climbed from 14^th on the grid up to a really respectable 9^th before spinning backwards from Leslies and hitting the tyres which resulting in the number 14 car ending up on his roof. Sadly that was the end of his weekend. The race was red flagged and the positions from the previous lap were awarded. 1^st Knox, 2^nd Sleigh, 3^rd Thirwall, 4^th Covey, 5^th Dryden, 6^th Gronkowski. 

Round 2:  

Finishing positions from race 1 were the grid order but the weather had taken a major change and it was now very cold and wet. Knox made another good start but this time Sleigh lost out to Thirlwall. Dryden passed Covey off the line and slotted in behind Sleigh. The track was really greasy and all were having a real job keeping the cars on the black stuff. Covey got a run on Dryden coming through the chicane and retook 4^th at Clarks. Dryden then lost the back end at Scotsmans and dropped 2 places to 7^th. Rowan and Gronkowski were involved in their own private battle with Gronkowski getting the position. Meanwhile Thirlwall was all over the back of the Knox but again Knox was not for caving in under the pressure and he took his second victory of the day. Thirwall got the point for fastest lap and was 2^nd, Sleigh 3^rd, Covey 4^th, Gronkowski 5^th and Rowan 6^th.

Round 3: 

The grid reversal was determined by a draw out of a hat and it was the top 5 that got reversed. This put Gronkowski on pole with Covey alongside, Sleigh in 3^rd, Thirlwall 4^th, Knox 5^th and Rowan 6^th. The racing that followed was full of drama and excitement with a great dice between Gronkowski and Covey who went 3 a breast at the top of Duffes with Thirlwall, but it was Thirlwall who pulled off the move of the day to pass both of them through the curves to take the lead. Knox was certainly trying but he found the traffic harder to get through but got up to 4^th before out-braking himself at the Hairpin. This relegated him down to 7^th but he did get the fastest lap in the process.  Sleigh and Rowan came together at Clarks with Sleigh turning left instead of right due to some contact between the 2 cars. Sleigh rejoined in 10^th. This promoted Dryden and Rookie Kenneth Brewster up to 5^th and 6^th respectively. Thirlwall got the win and his 3^rd podium of the day, Covey grabbed a good 2^nd from Gronkowski 3^rd, Rowan 4^th, Dryden 5^th and Kenneth Brewster 6^th.

Words Mark Dryden -  pics Richard Pascal 11/56 Motorsport

Rounds 1&2

Kirkistown 28th March 2009 

Qualifying was fiercely competitive with Current Champion Vic Covey starting where he left of last year with a great Pole position followed by Kenneth Thirlwall 2nd, Mark Dryden 3rd and Chris Knox 4th.  

Round 1: 

Everyone got away fairly cleanly but Vic Covey made a poor start. Dryden and Knox both made good starts and passed Covey before the first corner. Thirlwall, Knox and Dryden then battled hard for the first few laps with Dryden picking up fastest lap and a lap record on lap 4. Dryden tried an ambitious move round the outside of both Thirlwall and Knox who were both on the defensive line but he out braked himself and under steered wide dropping a couple of seconds back. Covey then sparked back into life and he and Dryden then went about swapping places with some excellent racing.

There was plenty contact for the lead though with Knox and Thirlwall trading paint on a number of occasions. The lead battle settled down towards the end of the race and Thirlwall ending up with the overall win with Knox 1.1 secs behind him. Covey led Dryden in the final lap right up to the final corner where Dryden used the cut back to just steal 3rd on the line. Gronkowski was all alone in 5th with David Sleigh getting a respectable 6th in his first Mini outing. Chris Pearson was 7th with Rowan 8th.

Round 2: 

A reversal of the top 8 positions was the order of the day for the Minis so that put Michael Rowan on pole with Novice Chris Pearson alongside him. Again Knox made a great start from 7th place and was leading by the end of lap 1 after passing Rowan at the hairpin, Chris Pearson had been muscled out the way on the way to the chicane and lost a lot of places up the back straight. Dryden also made a good start but missed his braking point into Fishersmans and lost the back end and ends up in the infield but rejoins 8th. Thirlwall was also making good progress through the pack and had a good dice with Covey and Gronkowski, the latter out braked himself at the Hairpin and that left him down in 7th. Knox took his first win of the Season with Kenneth 2nd who took a further 2 hundredths off the lap record, the ever present Covey was 3rd, Michael rowan 4th, David Sleigh 5th, Dryden 6th Gronkowski 7th and Pearson 8th .

Words Mark Dryden -  pics  www.motorsportphotographic.com