Fun in the sun

1 Jul, 2023

2023 MSV Trackday Championship

Round 4 – Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit

With a large gap in the regular Miata Trophy season, another chance to race on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit presented itself in between rounds.

MSV’s Trackday Championship races are 45 minute ‘mini enduros’ with different classes based on the power to weight ratio of the cars. Alex kindly offered me to join him in his regular MX-5 race car for the event. We slotted straight into class D, the slowest class of the three. All classes have to use Toyo R88Rs, the same as we do in Miata Trophy.

The race was part of Super Touring Power, a large retro event for 90’s BTCC cars and other famous tin tops from the past. It was a great meeting, which was very busy and had a great atmosphere.

On track, qualifying was okay; I drove a fairly good lap and we finished up second in class and 18^th overall. It was all a little fragmented as there were 41 cars on track and we had a safety car period during the session as well, so landing a lap was a bit of a lottery too.

Alex took the first stint of the race. He made a rocket ship start to take the lead in class and pass several other cars from the faster classes too. He drove really well and we had a good gap, until a safety car came out just before the pit window opened. We were worried we were going to get jumped in the driver change pit stops as he wasn’t able to come in straight away, which would have been ideal. When I joined the race I had no idea what position I was in, but just got my head down until the end. It was only when I got out of the car in parc fermé that I found out we had won the race!

Overall it was a super weekend. It was brilliant to have a large crowd and to race on the Grand Prix circuit again. We spent the time with friends and to cap it off Alex and I got to stand on the top of the podium together.