MINI CHALLENGE RACE WINNER SMITH DETERMINED TO END SEASON WITH A BANG
Multiple Power Maxed MINI Challenge race winner Rob Smith says more victories are his sole focus going into the final event of 2015 at Snetterton this coming weekend, 31st October/1st November, as he aims to conclude his first full campaign in the championship as successfully as it started.
After a barnstorming beginning to the season at Donington Park National Circuit back in April, where he scorched to a brace of wins and a hat-trick of podiums – becoming the first driver to take victory in the brand new MINI F56 car – the Telford racer led the way in the standings over the course of the first couple of events as his title bid gathered momentum.
Frustratingly, though, the third race meeting of the campaign at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit marked the start of a run of misfortune when mechanical issues and some on-track dramas, not of his making, badly impacted Rob’s championship position and points total.
Although returning to the podium at Brands Hatch mid-year, the nadir of his season followed at Oulton Park in August when an enforced double retirement effectively ended his championship challenge there and then.
Even so, the 23-year-old’s pace and race-winning potential have remained undiminished and as the season reaches its conclusion at his Excelr8 Motorsport team’s ‘home’ track in East Anglia, Rob is determined to end 2015 back on the top step of the podium and book-end the year in winning ways.
“Anything can happen at the last round, three or four guys still have a chance of the title and they might take a different approach to things for that reason – I just need to keep my nose clean and take advantage of any opportunities”, said the Evergreen Tyres, BMTR and Grouptyre-backed racer, who also enjoys additional support from Norwich’s We Sell Tyres (Wholesale) for the season finale.
“David [Grady] has quite a lead in the points but I’ve out-qualified him a lot this year and had the pace at every meeting to lead and fight for wins. I’m aiming to get back on form next weekend and properly go out with a bang, go out on a bit of a high as a springboard to next season. Coming back to the MINI Challenge next year is the main focus, I’d like to return and finish the job we’ve started.”
Away from the track, since last month’s penultimate event of the season at Donington’s Grand Prix Circuit, Rob has started work at Bentley Motors as part of the Crewe manufacturer’s graduate programme. He attained a degree in Automotive Materials at Loughborough University before going on to add a Masters in Automotive Systems Engineering.
Returning to the weekend’s race action at Snetterton 300 Circuit, MINI qualifying will get underway at 10.00 on Saturday, 31st October, with race one following at 12.10. On Sunday, 1st November, race two is scheduled to commence at 09.30 with the final round of the season starting at 13.05.
Provisional Power Maxed MINI Challenge Driver Standings:7th Rob Smith, 473pts
