CONTRASTING WEATHER CONDITIONS PRODUCED TWO EQUALLY CAPTIVATING MINI RACES AT SILVERSTONE ON 7-8 JUNE, PACKED GRIDS BATTLING IT OUT TO THE LAST AROUND THE LONGER GP CIRCUIT
Invited to join the Equipe Summer Classic meeting on the ‘Historic’ GP layout, a huge 50-car entry didn’t disappoint, with inspired tyre choices, climactic last-lap wins and, with such varying overtaking speeds among all four Mini classes, yellow flag drama too…
With ominous grey clouds and intermittent showers, tyre choice was key for the opening race on Saturday afternoon. The majority opted for wets but among the front-running Miglias, pole-sitter Ian Curley ‘gambled’ on slicks and immediately dropped back as he struggled to stay on track. However, despite some sections remaining slippery, a rapidly drying line enabled Curley to gradually reel in the leading duo of Rupert Deeth and Aaron Smith, before edging past on the last lap to take the win by a couple of lengths. Julian Proctor secured Libre spoils after returnee James Lindridge spun away the lead, with Ian Fraser trailing in 3rd. Meanwhile among the smaller capacity cars, Bradley Jordan’s slow getaway looked to have squandered his Se7en pole slot in dad Mike’s 2023 title-winner, but methodically clawed his way back ahead of Ross Billison and Darren Thomas for a debut Mini victory. Joel Wren also registered a first S-Class win, battling among the Se7en leaderboard whilst also fending off Matt Ayres, with Olly Birkett emerging at the head of the chasing pack.
The rain had long gone by Sunday’s mid-morning start and although dry tyres were the obvious choice, a stiff breeze meant the track was still quite ‘green’. Early spinners and eventually a mid-race yellow-flag caution with cars off in the Stowe gravel would ultimately have an effect on the overall result, Kane Astin and Phil Bullen-Brown later seeing their hard-won first and second places annulled with yellow-flag penalties for passing slower cars, thereby promoting Curley into top spot and a ‘double’ for the weekend, Deeth and Smith back in the podium positions too. Fraser’s Libre was on better form than the day before, quickly finding a rhythm to lead home Lindridge from Proctor. Jordan looked in contention for a Se7en double before a 10s grid penalty dropped him down the classification, and in a last-gasp, last-corner dash to the line through Woodcote, Billison timed his move to perfection to slip past Spencer Wanstall, Jordan and Joe Thompson for a fourth victory of the season. In S-Class, Olly Birkett led initially but Wren found a way past to take his second win in a row, James May rising to third from the back of the grid after missing the first race.
As it was the first time on this specific track layout, new lap records were established during Sunday’s quicker pace, Astin, Lindridge, Wanstall and Wren the ‘one-lap wonders’ in Miglia, Libre, Se7en & S-Class respectively.
Time to ‘dust-up’ on your Dutch because the Goodyear Mini Challenge supported by Mini Spares now heads overseas to Zandvoort on the Netherlands coast between 11-13 July for a treble-header, summer sizzler. It’s virtually a party on the beach!
RESULTS: Silverstone ‘Historic’ GP 7-8 June 2025
Round 5 (Saturday – 8 laps)
1st 5 I Curley (M)
2nd 23 R Deeth (M)
3rd 0 A Smith (M)
14th 595 J Proctor (L)
18th 77 B Jordan (7)
19th 2 R Billison (7)
20th 21 D Thomas (7)
22nd 741 J Wren (S)
24th 701 M Ayres (S)
30th 746 O Birkett (S)
Round 6 (Sunday – 9 laps)
1st 5 I Curley (M)
2nd 23 R Deeth (M)
3rd 11 K Astin (M)
12th 127 I Fraser (L)
18th 2 R Billison (7)
19th 73 S Wanstall (7)
20th 1 J Thompson (7)
21st 741 J Wren (S)
22nd 746 O Birkett (S)
26th 750 J May (S)
Words: Rich Williamson
