Mini Challenge Series Back In The North Island.
Mini Challenge Series Back In The North Island.
With only two rounds remaining, the MINI Challenge Series is back in the North Island, at the Manfeild Park racing circuit, Feilding.
Going into the penultimate Round 6 at Manfeild
this weekend the Top 5 is:
• 1st Craig Innes
(Taupo) 892
• 2nd Simon
McLennan (Wellington) 871
• 3rd Gavin
Yortt (Hawkes Bay) 746
• 4th Mark
Maddren (Auckland) 670
• 5th Gary
Johnstone (Christchurch) 512
Manfeild is a driver's
circuit, a minimum 12 metre track width with up to 9 passing
opportunities. The MINI's are good for 210 kph at Manfeild
and with the big mix of left and right hand cambered corners
cars they will be freight training with virtually nothing
between them. In fact at Ruapuna, seven cars crossed the
line with just under 3 seconds covering them after 12 laps -
plus 20 minutes of racing. Add to that MINI's don't have
limited slip differentials so the drivers must be smooth
through the corners to avoid wheel spin.
MINI
Challenge Co-ordinator Martin Collins said:
"5th placed Gary Johnstone is not coming up to Manfeild but three North Island drivers are re-joining the series. James Kirkpatrick (Auckland), Martin Hunt (Wellington) and David Grigor (Auckland).
The good news for Joel Thrupp is, he is no longer labelled the 'Rookie', as there will be three new entries at Manfeild.
Chris Parkinson has purchased the ex Richard Moore car which has been rebuilt after its dramatic roll at Ruapuna last year.
Napier driver Dean McMillan has
put a deal together to lease a MINI to compete in the final
two rounds. Dean has been in semi retirement since last
competing in the 2006/07 NZV8 Development series in which he
finished 2nd overall.
The third new entry is Ryan Bailey
from Palmerston North."
To keep the racing close at the top, the first three place getters in each race get 'rewarded' with weight penalties that are accumulated and they have to carry at the next race meeting. If they finish worse than 3rd in a race at the next meeting, for whatever reason, they get a weight credit - weight is taken out.
These weight boxes are tamper proof and bolted to the floor on the empty passenger side. As the season progressed it got interesting in the points battle as you find several of the front runners carrying the maximum 50kg. So that the public know what is going on, the ballast kilos carried, is shown on the car's side window.
Race Commentator
Mike Eady, who is also a BMW / MINI Driver Instructor, said:
"The reward system of weight ballast really works and helps
to produce such close racing. In the two seasons to date
MINI Challenge has provided some of the most exciting racing
and the television coverage rated very high - pleasing for
the sponsors of the individual cars and drivers."
ENDS.