The BARC Cannons Tin Tops were also on the mornings bill for the Lydden Hill Festival Of Motorsport. The 5 port would once again be running with a set of prototype brakes supplied by KAD for evaluation.

Qualifying

Qualifying took place under leaden skies with rain steadily falling throughout the session, the track surface providing very little grip in these conditions. Throughout the session the Mini gradually lowered its lap times and finished the session in a creditable 4th place overall.

Race 1

The Mini got a good start but was passed by a Tomcat and Renault 5 Turbo on the run to the first corner as the cars jostled for position. Despite this setback the Mini was soon back on the offensive and cut past the Tomcat to retake a position. The Renault 5 was also swiftly despatched as the Mini (described by the commentator as “ The Romney Marsh Rocket”) charged back through the field.

Progress continued apace and soon the Mini was dicing with a Rover for 2nd position, this battle duly went in the Minis favour and it began to close down the race leader as the circuit started to dry out. The lap times fell as the Mini latched on to the tail of the leader, a well executed move going into the Devils Elbow saw the Mini snatch the overall lead of the race! As the Mini edged away from the Proton a new threat emerged in the form of an RS2000 – the now dry circuit allowing the Ford to make full use of its power advantage. The Mini defended valiantly but was unable to resist as the more powerful car surged past to take the lead. As the chequered flag fell the Mini crossed the line in a superb 2nd position overall.

Race 2

By the start of the second race rain had once again reduced the grip levels on the circuit and there was once again a good chance of more rain during the race. Starting from 2nd the Mini got a good start and held its position during the opening segment of the race doggedly holding on to the RS2000 whilst defending from the pack behind.

The tricky conditions briefly caught out the Mini and a half spin dropped it down the order. As ever a setback such as this is only a minor inconvenience to the Mini and it set off once more in hot pursuit of the pack ahead. Rejoining the fray the Mini was soon hot on the tail of a Celica and seeking a way past. The Mini continued to apply pressure to the Celica and was able to overtake the larger car under braking before surging ahead and opening up a sizeable gap.

Now running in clear air the Mini was able to put in some quick laps and not only close the gap to the cars ahead but also assess the circuit conditions ahead of the Clubmans race – this would prove pivotal in finalising the setup of the Clubman. As the flag fell the Mini crossed the line in 5th place overall and took a second class win of the day.

The humble 5 Port once again showed that around Lydden Hill it is a seriously competitive prospect and can outperform substantially more powerful equipment. Leading the first race was a fantastic achievement and taking the flag in 2nd overall is no mean feat. Two class wins was a good return for the Mini on a day when the track conditions were ever changing and the team can certainly be pleased with the performance of the smaller car.