Mini Festival Showcases Racing Excellence at Brands Hatch






The annual Brands Hatch Mini Festival once again ignited the circuit with a thrilling spectacle of Mini racing, showcasing both seasoned champions and emerging talent across various categories. The event underscored the enduring appeal and competitive spirit of Mini motorsport, despite being punctuated by occasional race disruptions and safety interventions.
A significant highlight was the intense competition within the Mini Miglia series, where former titleholders delivered a masterclass in strategic racing. Simultaneously, the 'Fastest Mini in the World' contest saw the rise of an innovative new challenger, signaling an exciting evolution in Mini performance engineering.
Dominance of Champions and Emerging Talent
In the Mini Miglia races, the seasoned veterans truly shone, demonstrating their prowess and experience. Kane Astin, a champion from 2015, asserted his dominance in the first race, navigating skillfully through early chaos that saw pole-sitter Elliot Stafford drop positions. Astin maintained his lead despite intense pressure from rivals Ian Curley and Aaron Smith, ultimately securing a well-deserved victory. The racing was tight and aggressive, characteristic of the Miglias, leading to a notable incident involving Curley and Rupert Deeth. This clash, while unfortunate for Curley due to a puncture, inadvertently eased Astin's path to the finish line and allowed Smith to clinch second place. These races exemplified the classic Mini Miglia style: close, wheel-to-wheel action where experience often proves decisive.
The second Miglia contest saw Ian Curley bounce back with a commanding performance, leading from start to finish. However, the closing stages were a testament to the relentless competitive spirit, as Sam Summerhayes executed a bold last-lap maneuver at Clearways to snatch second place from four-time champion Smith, with Astin also capitalizing to secure third. In the final Miglia race, Smith, determined to redeem himself, took an early lead and fended off strong challenges from Astin and Deeth, who had to overcome a grid penalty. This trilogy of races not only highlighted individual brilliance but also the enduring excitement and unpredictability that the Mini Miglia series consistently delivers, reaffirming its status as a crowd favorite. The festival continued to prove that Mini racing is as much about strategic thinking and resilience as it is about raw speed.
The "Fastest Mini" Evolution and Future
Beyond the Miglias, the Brands Hatch festival buzzed with anticipation for the 'Fastest Mini in the World' event, a competition that has historically pushed the boundaries of Mini performance. For years, drivers like Harvey Death, with his potent V8 Cooper S, and other notable contenders with modified engines, have set the pace. However, the 2024 season marked a turning point with the introduction of a new formidable rival: a Honda K20-powered Austin Mini Seven. This innovative machine, meticulously prepared by Pete Crudgington and piloted by Matthew 'Ollie' Howell, immediately signaled a shift in the competitive landscape.
The collaborative effort behind this "Special K" Mini, including significant family involvement in its design and engineering, underscored a commitment to advanced performance. The decision to switch to the Honda K20 engine, specifically prepared by DY Engine Services, was driven by a desire for enhanced power and structural rigidity. Crudgington's team successfully boosted the car's output to approximately 300bhp, enabling it to achieve speeds of up to 130mph on the Brabham Straight, a remarkable feat for a Mini. This new engineering approach, focused on power delivery and chassis integrity, had an immediate impact. Howell's pole position in the opening race of the festival, followed by a dominant lights-to-flag victory over established frontrunners like Death and Richards, demonstrated the car's immense potential and confirmed that the mechanical 'gremlins' of the previous year had been successfully addressed. Despite Death's subsequent adjustments allowing him to claim victory in the second race, the Honda K20-powered Mini has firmly established itself as a serious contender, promising an exciting future for the "Fastest Mini in the World" category.