Author: Stephen Colbran

Seats and harnesses – Zandvoort update

We return to Zandvoort on 14-16 July, and it’s going to be an unforgettable weekend of Mini racing action.

To clarify the seat requirements for the race weekend at Zandvoort this year, the following information will apply;

Seats

The seat must be FIA homologated and should have a label displaying the homologation number and, either a date of manufacture or a “not valid after” date. The three current seat standards are: 8855-1999, 8862-2009 and 8855-2021

The requirement is that the seat must be no more than 10 years old, so if your seat has the date of manufacture displayed then just add 10 years onto that date and make sure your seat is within that 10 years.

If your seat has a “not valid after” date displayed then take five years off, giving you the manufacture date, and then add 10 years back on. It may be necessary to provide evidence of this at the circuit.

Harnesses

With regards harnesses, the current standard is 8853-2016, the “not valid after” date displayed on the label can be extended for five years.

The older standard, 8853-1998 will expire on the date shown on the label.

Provisional 2022 Champions Crowned

Congratulations to our provisional 2022 champions! After a hard-fought 16-round season from March to October, for the majority of titles, it went down to the very last weekend at Silverstone.

Our championship finishers;

Mini Miglia

1st – Rupert Deeth, 246 points

2nd – Aaron Smith, 245 points

3rd – Andrew Jordan, 232 points

Mini Libre

1st – Richard Colburn, 102 points

2nd – Dan Lewis, 79 points

3rd – Les Stanton, 77 points

 

Mini Se7en

1st – Connor O’Brien, 260 points

2nd – Mike Jordan, 238 points

3rd – Joe Thompson, 222 points

 

Mini Se7en S-Class

1st – Damien Harrington, 243 points

2nd – Matt Ayes, 241 points

3rd – Frazer Hack, 232 points

Winter Series – Miglia

1st – Rupert Deeth, 97 points

2nd – Jeff Smith, 90 points

3rd – Colin Peacock, 82 points

 

Winter Series – Libre

1st – Dan Lewis, 35 points

2nd – Huw Turner, 35 points

3rd – Andy Sh0re, 24 points

 

Winter Series – Se7en

1st – Connor O’Brien, 101 points

2nd – Tina Cooper, 84 points

3rd – Jordan Sims, 81 points

Winter Series – Se7en S-Class

1st – Michael Winkworth, 104 points

2nd – Matt Ayres, 93 points

3rd – Frazer Hack, 90 points

Brands Hatch Preview

With four races completed in the 7-round Winter Mini Challenge, this weekend’s grand finale looks set to be a nail-biting climax as a multitude of drivers are all in with a chance of winning overall series honours plus the separate ‘0-Plate’ trophies for the three races across Saturday and Sunday, not to mention the Mini 7 Racing Club’s long-standing Sevenoaks Cups for all points tallied at Brands Hatch in a season.

So with all four Mini classes running together off the same grid the on-track permutations will certainly keep the lap charters and calculators busy!

MINI MIGLIA

In the performance-packed 1293cc Miglia category, the top six in the standings are all former class champions, with former BTCC titleist Andrew Jordan atop the entry by just 1 point from Rupert Deeth and Aaron Smith, with the likes of Jeff Smith, Kane Astin and Colin Peacock all in with a shout too. Either way, expect nothing less than dizzying pace from these frontrunning Mini masters.

MINI LIBRE

Dan Lewis and Huw Thomas head the invitation Libre cars, their respective 8-port and 16-valve A-Series variations having been at home on the longer straights of Silverstone, although around the tighter, undulating Brands bowl expect to see the 5-porters closer to the pace, Richard Colburn having already secured the main National title in his example.

MINI SE7EN

For the longest-established Se7ens which originally started out as 850cc in 1966, it might seem that a 20 point advantage for recent ‘National’ title winner Connor O’Brien will be insurmountable, but with only 5 of the 7 rounds to count then that gap could easily be closed if others in the now 1.0-litre ‘Heritage’ class can score the big points.

Mike Jordan for one will be aiming to leapfrog the series leader having lost out overall to O’Brien in the main Challenge, while the likes of Joe Thompson, Glen Woodbridge, Spencer Wanstall and newcomer Tom Mills all have the potential to upset the rankings.

MINI-7 S-CLASS

Entries in the 1275cc feeder S-Class have rocketed in recent times, so expect a strong line-up here too.

Last year’s ‘National’ champion Michael Winkworth starts as favourite and holds a narrow advantage over Damien Harrington, the latter having taken the main 2022 Challenge title, while last season’s Winter champion Ryan Taylor will be hoping to defend his crown but faces the likes of Matt Ayres, Fraser Hack and Chris Prior who have all been on top form this season.

 

 

LAP RECORDS (1.2079-mile ‘Indy’ circuit)

Miglia:             Endaf Owens               0:54.221          80.20 mph       22 August 2021

Libre:               David Franks               0:54.800          79.35 mph       25 August 2018

Se7en:             Jeff Smith                    0:58.727          74.04 mph       13 November 2021

S-Class:            Damien Harrington     0:59.597          72.96 mph       7 August 2022

 

2023 Calendar Announced – Featuring BTCC!

As the dust settles from the championship finale at Silverstone in October, when three titles went down to the very last race, plans are already in place for 2023.

Next year will see club racers contest 17-rounds of the Mini Spares-supported National championship, from March to October, plus seven Winter rounds, four of which form part of the main season.

Within the club there are four individual classes to suit different budgets and experience, and entry numbers traditionally hover around 50-60 drivers, occasionally even more for the most popular events.

On 18-19 March, the season will kick off to the sound of straight-cut gears and Weber carbs at Silverstone on the full GP Circuit. For rounds three and four, 15-16 April, the club will head to Donington Park for the popular National Circuit layout.

Next up will be the Snetterton 300 Circuit on 13-14 May, before the Minis set to thrill their largest crowds of the year, in support of the BTCC at Thruxton on 3-4 June.

A hop across the channel will follow on 14-16 July, as the M7RC’s first visit to Zandvoort since the circuit was completely upgraded in 2021. 5-6 August will see the Minis take centre stage at the popular annual Brands Hatch Mini Festival for rounds 12-13.

Moving to 16-17 September, the club will head north east to Croft, where action is always guaranteed, before rounding off the National season at Silverstone on 7-8 October. A second visit to the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit on the weekend of 21-22 October will complete rounds five, six and seven of the Winter series.

The Mini 7 Racing Club is proudly supported by Mini Spares, Dunlop, Piper Cams, Spax and Curley Specialised Mouldings. See www.mini7.co.uk for more information.

COASTAL COMMAND

In early September the Mini 7 Racing Club paid a long-overdue inaugural visit to the wonderfully scenic Trac Môn circuit, nestled on Anglesey off of North Wales, and once there produced some epic performances during the penultimate National rounds

Series leader in the 1.3-litre Miglias going into the Welsh weekend, Rupert Deeth maintained his points advantage despite Andrew Jordan twice heading him past the chequered flag, light rain beginning to fall towards the end of Saturday’s opener making track conditions very tricky, while Sunday morning’s rerun played out under near Mediterranean skies and stunning backdrop of Irish Sea and Snowdonia mountains. Behind the leading pair, Kane Astin and Ben Colburn took a 3rd place apiece in the respective Saturday/Sunday encounters.

It was ‘honours even’ in the 1.0-litre Mini Se7ens, Jordan’s father Mike sharing the spoils with title rival Connor O’Brien, the latter benefitting from leader Joe Thompson’s hairpin over-shoot to inherit Saturday’s wet encounter, with Jordan in the final podium spot ahead of Lee ‘rainmaster’ Roberts. Jordan finished two places higher on Sunday, clawing back O’Connor’s early advantage to take the series lead, followed by Ross Billison who held off Glen Woodbridge and Thompson for the final podium trophy (special commemorative awards, crafted from Welsh slate incidentally!)

In the 1275cc S-Class, Chris Prior triumphed on ‘home’ soil in the first race, dukeing it out with fellow novice Frazer Hack to win by a narrow margin after a terrific dice. Hack reversed the score the following day but only after Prior had to pit with a misfire, and Saturday’s 3rd-place class finisher Arnold Duncan had lost ground with a brief ‘off’, recovering to 4th behind Dave Rees, with overall class points leader Damien Harrington in the runner-up slot.

Credit is due to the Libre category too, with all five starters battling – and finishing – closely together throughout both races, with Richard Colburn securing the class title thanks to another double victory, although Les Stanton came the closest yet to a debut win in the slippery opener, following that up with a near-dead-heat with Phil Harvey for 2nd on Sunday – excellent entertainment fully appreciated by spectators and marshals alike.

Next up, a return to Silverstone International which plays host to the championship finals on 15-16 October for, ironically, Rounds 15 & 16 in the Dunlop Mini Challenges supported by Mini Spares, as well as the continuation of the 0-Plate Winter Challenge. With three ‘National’ titles to be decided, it is a weekend not to be missed!

RESULTS:            Trac Môn/Ty Croes, Anglesey                         3-4 September 2022

 

Round 13            Miglia / Libre            16 laps

1st            1            A Jordan

2nd            23            R Deeth

3rd            11            K Astin

9th            219            R Colburn – L

 

Round 13            Se7en / S-Class            13 laps

1st            87            C O’Brien

2nd            80            J Thompson

3rd            88            M Jordan

7th            714            C Prior – S

 

Round 14            Miglia / Libre            16 laps

1st            1            A Jordan

2nd            23            R Deeth

3rd            55            B Colburn

11th            219            R Colburn – L

 

Round 14            Se7en / S-Class            15 laps

1st            88            M Jordan

2nd            87            C O’Brien

3rd            49            R Billison

9th            725            F Hack – S

 

Fastest laps established for 1.5500-mile ‘Coastal’ circuit:

Miglia                        R Deeth                        1:17.787 – 71.73 mph

Libre                        R Colburn                        1:20.840 – 69.02 mph

Se7en                        M Jordan                        1:24.685 – 65.89 mph

S-Class            F Hack                        1:26.712 – 64.35 mph

 

 

 

 

Words: Rich Williamson

 

FESTIVAL OF FUN

The annual Mini Festival at Brands Hatch in Kent celebrated its 10th Anniversary in early August and a landmark feature were the inaugural stand-alone races for Mini-7 S-Class which were arguably the star performers of the meeting.

With qualifying done-and-dusted on the Saturday, the 1275cc S-Class feeder series kicked off the race action on Sunday morning, and from ‘lights out’ it was anybody’s prize as up to half-a-dozen cars vied for the lead. After multiple changes in the running order and with yellow flags bunching the cars towards the end it was series leader Matt Ayres who sneaked ahead when it mattered from Damien Harrington, Michael Winkworth, Frazer Hack and Jonathan Page.

It was pretty much a repeat performance for the afternoon sequel, Harrington reversing the positions with Ayres at the chequered flag once the other three challengers had all succumbed to knocks in the heat of battle, allowing reverse grid polesitter Ben Seyfried to edge out Dave Rees for the remaining podium place.

The 1000cc Mini Se7en heritage formula proved to be a ‘double-or-quits’ scenario for the leading title duo Mike Jordan and Connor O’Brien, with the former stroking home in the first race after the latter dropped out early with mechanical gremlins, the same outcome in the later event although on this occasion Joe Thompson ran the leader close all the way.

Ross Billison and Glen Woodbridge battled frenetically for the runner-up spot in the first, the latter then doubling his podium tally in the second.

A packed grid of Miglias and Libres produced their usual ground-shaking performance, the opening encounter seeing a huge train of 1.3-litre machines dicing around the Indy bowl before Jeff Smith nosed in front when it mattered, ahead of Aaron Smith, Andrew Jordan, series returnee Nick Padmore and points leader Rupert Deeth, with Endaf Owens the unlucky one to ‘fall off’ when lapping a backmarker.

The last race of the day was sadly truncated by several incidents, firstly a red flag for a multi-car shunt into the first corner, and then in the restart for a safety car while ‘beached’ cars were moved out of harm’s way. Through it all however came Jordan to claim his fourth win of the season, ahead of a tightly-bunched train of cars headed across the line by Ashley Davies.

In the up-to-1400cc Libre category, Richard Colburn further extended his points lead with a steady run to victory in the opener, following that up with a 2nd behind Craig Cox in the later runout, with other podium positions falling to Les Stanton, Andy Dickinson and, arguably the happiest chappy of the day, Peter Harries who when asked by the commentator if it was his first podium of the season, replied almost in shock: “It’s my first podium ever…”!

Heading into September and the M7RC pays its first ever visit to the Ty Croes circuit on Anglesey in North Wales, with stunning backdrops of Snowdonia and the Irish Sea to complement what should be yet more fantastic Mini action ●

 

RESULTS:            Brands Hatch            6-7 August 2022

 

Round 11            S-Class                        19 laps

1st            758            M Ayres

2nd            711            D Harrington

3rd            728            M Winkworth

 

Round 11            Se7ens                        21 laps

1st            88            M Jordan

2nd            49            R Billison

3rd            39            G Woodbridge

 

Round 11            Miglia / Libre            22 laps

1st            46            J Smith – M

2nd            21            A Smith – M

3rd            1            A Jordan – M

14th            219            R Colburn – L

 

Round 12            S-Class                        20 laps

1st            711            D Harrington

2nd            758            M Ayres

3rd            744            B Seyfried

 

Round 12            Se7ens                        20 laps

1st            88            M Jordan

2nd            80            J Thompson

3rd            39            G Woodbridge

 

Round 12            Miglia / Libre            16 laps

1st            1            A Jordan – M

2nd            87            A Davies – M

3rd            23            R Deeth – M

11th            232            C Cox – L

 

Full results can be viewed at www.tst-timing-com

For the latest provisional points standings go to www.mini7.co.uk

 

Words: Rich Williamson

 

Donington Park Preview

We head to Donington Park this weekend (9-10 July) for Rounds 9-10 of the 2022 championship. We’re in high spirits, with almost 60 cars booked in, hugely competitive grids and all championship titles still very much up for grabs.

Mini Miglia

Having twice taken the Miglia title, Cambridgeshire-based Rupert Deeth holds a slim margin in the 2022 points race in his quest for a third and has so far recorded a trio of victories from the eight races so far. Running him close are Aaron Smith and Jeff Smith from Kent and Bedfordshire respectively, and although not related, they share the honour of a win apiece this season.

The former scooped a hat-track of Miglia titles between 2018-2020, while the latter is a former BTCC winner and is the reigning National and Winter Mini Se7en title holder.

Former BTCC champion and the current reigning class champion Andrew Jordan has been first past the chequer three times but having missed a couple of meetings is further down the standings, along with Welsh fabrication expert Endaf Owens who won last time out at Castle Combe on his seasonal debut.

Among the rest of the super competitive field, the likes of Kane Astin, Ben Colburn and Ashley Davies have been knocking on the door for maximum points too.

Mini Libre

Bolstering the Miglia grids is the eclectic mix of Mini Libres, with variations on engine set-ups based on A-Series blocks.

Leading the way is veteran campaigner Richard Colburn who after a couple of early DNFs has since scored consistently in his 5-port, including a trio of class victories.

Phil Harvey has twice won the class title with a similar approach but needs some top results from here-on-in to be in with a chance of a third, while the 8-ports of Dan Lewis and Craig Cox have been rapid winning combinations on occasion but reliability can be their Achilles heel.

Mini Se7en

With three wins further boosted by extra points for fastest laps, plus four more runner-up finishes, Connor O’Brien could easily be considered as a firm favourite to take the 1.0-litre crown.

However, last time out at Combe his campaign hit a figurative bump in the road, with last-lap knocks in both races, the first earning him a grid penalty, the second a DNF on the result sheet.

This allowed former British GT champion (and father of Miglia frontrunner Andrew) to bridge the points gap despite having missed the Cadwell double-header in May, and take his race win total to four.

Similarly, Thompson picked up his first victory of the season as his main rivals clashed, adding to several other podiums but with a pair of DNFs already will need to bank on further top scores to keep up the pressure.

A trio of podium finishes sees Jo Polley currently lying second overall in arguably her best season to date, but she will no doubt be pushing to go one or two steps better if the leading trio slip up. Of the rest, Glen Woodbridge has produced frontrunning pace, while Ross Billison has been a winner in recent seasons.

Mini-7 S-Class

Reigning class champion Michael Winkworth is set to return to the milder-tuned 1275cc ‘Scholarship’ category having been absent last time out owing to the birth of his child, and no doubt will be aiming to regain his series lead.

Matt Ayres and Jonathan Page benefited from Winkworth’s absence at Combe to notch up a victory apiece, while Damien Harrington and Frazer Hack continued to rack up high points in the aim of keeping Winkworth behind them in the points standings.

Also on the pace is Ryan Taylor, the former Under-17 champion having though suffered a few DNFs, however he did score his debut class victory at Donington last season so will be worth watching out for.

 

LAP RECORDS (1.9790-mile National circuit)

Miglia:                 Rupert Deeth                     1:20.514              88.48 mph           11 July 2020

Libre:                    Rob Davis                           1:22.041              86.84 mph           11 July 2020

Se7en:                  Jeff Smith                           1:29.141              79.92 mph           11 July 2020      

S-Class:                Zack Booth                         1:30.174              79.00 mph           18 June 2016

Castle Combe Summer Spectacular!

A return to Castle Combe in Wiltshire after a year’s hiatus certainly lived up to the host club’s ‘Summer Spectacular’ billing, with four excellent Mini races and a Mini grid walk served up to further treat the ice cream-toting fans

The Miglia & Libre ‘big hitters’ were first up on a gloriously sunny and hot Saturday afternoon, with reigning champion Andrew Jordan straight on the title pace despite having missed the previous two meetings. However, a red flag interlude called for a reset, but just as Jordan may have thought he had the result in the bag ahead of a train of pursuers, a clash with Rupert Deeth allowed Endaf Owens and Jeff Smith to sneak through into the top placings, with the former BTCC titleist recovering to 3rd, and Deeth in 4th with a new lap record.

Sunday dawned bright but breezier, although the 8-car lead slipstreamig battle produced plenty of action to warm the crowd up for the day, this time Jordan easing himself into prime spot when it mattered to edge out Aaron Smith, with Deeth similarly abreast of Ben Colburn.

In the Libre section Dan Lewis stroked home in front on both occasions, his 8-porter having the ‘legs’ over Richard Colburn’s 5-port example, the latter not only retaining his points lead but – along with son Ben – also having a hectic schedule by competing at Thruxton in Historics the same day!

In Saturday’s opening Mini Se7en encounter, a last-corner lunge proved the major talking point, Connor O’Brien nudging race leader Mike Jordan into a slide onto the grassy run-off at Camp which in turn gave Joe Thompson the opportunity he’d been hoping for as he nipped though on the inside to take a popular victory, with Jordan recovering to 3rd behind O’Brien.

The latter was handed a grid penalty on Sunday’s reverse grid, but within a lap or so it was the same top trio lining each other up, until the last lap when O’Brien came off worse in a bump with Jordan, coasting to a halt with a wonky front-end as the latter survived to take the chequered flag ahead of Thompson, with Jo Polley picking up the final podium placing.

With series leader Michael Winkworth absent having become a dad mid-week, there at least promised two new S-Class winners. Matt Ayres duly delivered in the first race, albeit regaining the lead during a hectic last lap as Damien Harrington’s challenge fell short after bouncing over the grass on the final corner.

Ryan Taylor was well in the mix before a broken tie-road sidelined him, leaving 3rd to Frazer Hack.

The following day it was apparent that judging the rolling restart after a safety car was key, as several cars were notably clear of the rest within a lap, Jonathan Page holding on to the lead from Neil Slark once Taylor had again departed the fray on the final tour. Even with a new lap record, Harrington was unable to close the gap despite securing 3rd in class ahead of Ayres.

Donington Park in the East Midlands beckons over the 9-10 July weekend for Rounds 9 & 10 in the Dunlop Mini Challenges supported by Mini Spares. Should be equally spectacular! ●

 

 

RESULTS:            Castle Combe            11-12 June 2022

 

Round 7            Miglia / Libre            7 laps (red-flag & restart)

1st            0            E Owens – M

2nd            46            J Smith – M

3rd            1            A Jordan – M

13th            171            D Lewis – L

 

Round 7            Se7en / S-Class            14 laps

1st            80            J Thompson – 7

2nd            87            C O’Brien – 7

3rd            88            M Jordan – 7

7th            758            M Ayres – S

 

Round 8            Miglia / Libre            16 laps

1st            1            A Jordan – M

2nd            21            A Smith – M

3rd            23            R Deeth – M

10th            171            D Lewis – L

 

Round 8            Se7en / S-Class            13 laps (incl. safety car)

1st            88            M Jordan – 7

2nd            80            J Thompson – 7

3rd            76            J Polley – 7

6th            706            J Page – S

Cadwell Park preview

We head to Cadwell Park this weekend (21-22nd May) for rounds five and six. The Lincolnshire venue always brings out the best from the Mini 7 Racing Club roadshow, with non-stop lights-to-flag action, set against a captivating backdrop.

MINI MIGLIA

Three-time National champion Aaron Smith heads the points standings after four rounds, and comes to Cadwell with a win and three runner-up slots already chalked up in the 1.3-litre performance-packed class.

However, a brace of victories from twice champion Rupert Deeth reveals a mere 3-point margin, so with 20 for a win plus 1 point for fastest lap there is still loads to play for in the 16-round calendar. In third overall, former BTCC race winner Jeff Smith has moved up in formulae after three back-to-back National Se7en titles and has so far been on the pace with a brace of podium finishes.

Another former BTCC star, and the 2021 Miglia champion, Andrew Jordan scored a win in the opening Silverstone meet in March, although with Historic and Rallycross commitments as well his entry here had yet to be confirmed. Of the rest pencilled in, 2015 champion Kane Astin can be expected to challenge the leaders, as might Ashley Davies, Ben Colburn and Lewis Selby.

 

Mini Libre

A double-maximum score at Snetterton last month gives Richard Colburn a clear lead in the eclectic A-Series category, his 5-porter so far proving reliable over some of the larger capacity variations.

Of these, Phil Harvey usually runs a 1380cc capacity 5-porter, indeed having won the class title on in 2018/19 seasons, while Peter Hills’ 16-valve can be quick but reliability is less certain, likewise Craig Cox’ 8-port example despite a Silverstone victory.

 

MINI SE7EN

Margins are even closer in the M7RC’s 1.0-litre ‘Heritage’ formula – the original 850cc formula having begun as long ago as 1966! – and here it is former GT and TVR frontrunner and now leading Historic prep expert Mike Jordan who holds court by a single point over rising star Connor O’Brien, the pair dominating the podiums so far, with Jordan holding a 3-to-1 win ratio.

Spencer Wanstall and Joe Thompson are their chief rivals for overall honours, but both have recorded a DNF apiece, the former rolling spectacularly out of the lead at Silverstone in Round 2, thankfully emerging unharmed.

Despite engine gremlins early in the season, Glen Woodbridge showed at Snetterton last time out that he is another potential frontrunner with a pair of battling runs into 4th, while Jo Polley has also produced her best form to date and could well pick up another podium if those ahead falter. Look out to for Darren Thomas and Lee Roberts who could be dark horses for a high score at flagfall.

 

Mini-7 S-Class

Dominating the 1275cc ‘Introductory’ category is Michael Winkworth, the 2021 champ’ continuing his pole position fastest lap victory sequence with metronomic consistency.

Last season’s runner-up Damien Harrington also maintains his dogged pursuit to peg the gap to 9 points, having denied Winkworth  a clean sweep by scooping a fastest lap at Silverstone.

Battling in their wake are the likes of novice Frazer Hack with a pair of 2nds last time out, along with Bens Seyfried and Butler, plus Matts Ayres and Page who are all agonisingly close to upsetting the form book. Either way, take up in the limited-tuning Scholarship formula has seen phenomenal growth in recent seasons, with a stand-alone grid scheduled for the Mini Festival meeting in August.

 

LAP RECORDS (2.1869-mile circuit)

Miglia:                 Andrew Jordan                  1:39.223              79.34 mph           11 July 2021

Libre:                    Phil Harvey                        1:45.054              74.94 mph           31 August 2019

Se7en:                  Jeff Smith                           1:47.722              73.08 mph           11 July 2021      

S-Class:                Michael Winkworth         1:50.319              71.36 mph           11 July 2021