The month of October, miserable for some; normally cold, wet and windy. Not for those of us in the Mini 7 Racing Club that opted to enter the British Race Festival at Circuit Park Zandvoort. Glorious sunshine forecast for the first weekend in October, free race entry, a road trip and an iconic race circuit. Did I mention a stunning beach neighbouring the race circuit too? It was fair to say this was far too great an opportunity for the Mini Spares sponsored mini se7en team of BigMacRacing to turn down!

A 6 hour drive from Dunkirk took us through France, Belgium and finally to the Netherlands, mimicking a typical IMM road trip. The circuit at Zandvoort, once frequented by Formula One goers, was nostalgic. The 1985 F1 race was won by Niki Lauda but the all-too-common noise pollution rulings, affecting many race circuits, halted any return for the pinnacle of single seater racing.

The excitement and anticipation was soon behind me once let out for our free practice session on Saturday morning. Fast, sweeping bends and plenty of camber to challenge. Now I know why Tarzan is such a famous corner - extremely high banked at the end of a high speed straight. No issues at all and some decent times - 3rd fastest in practice and qualified 4th. To wind down, the organisers put on a fantastic BBQ with a British themed pub, a great way of sharing the festivities with the Dutch contingent of the miniracers Facebook group and mini 7 club.

We had 2 races on Sunday and got myself right in the thick of a great battle with 4 other se7ens; apparently the spectator’s highlight of the weekend! My dreams certainly came alive with a 3rd place in Race 1. Although I topped that with a 2nd place in Race 2 with another tremendous close battle. The results could not have been better, especially considering the worn tyres and awful grid starts for both races.

The mini se7en is true racing icon, yet as with all series, development continues. The Selby engine and their newly designed straight-cut gearbox is a delight. The Selby & Hunter setup allows the se7en to navigate around the most daunting of corners at light speed. All of which playing a significant part in great lap times at Zandvoort; the perfect way to end a memorable 50th season of Mini7 Racing. Hunter preparation and Mini Spares quality parts brought a perfectly reliable weekend. Amazing all round – people, circuit and location – fingers crossed the Mini 7 Racing Club will be returning to Zandvoort in 2016. I couldn’t live the dream without the help of our sponsors and support – Thank you.

29 October 2015 – Kieren McDonald (BigMacRacing / Mini Spares Mini 7 team)

 

Circuit Park Zandvoort - Mini Se7en Race 1 & 2 Videos

 

     Importation rules regarding vehicles are very specific: Only those over 25 years in age may be brought in to the USA without compilance to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).