Over the course of the last two weekends there has been frenzied activity in the Bill Sollis Racing Mini Miglia Team. We have raced three times experiencing the full spectrum of highs and lows in the process!

It started at Croix en Ternois in Northern France which The Mini Se7en Racing Club visited for the first time. We had a double header to look forward to and I always enjoy the challenge of a new track. I opted to miss the limited testing that was available on the Friday, so the qualifying session would be important to get a feel for the track - as well as to establish a grid position for both races. I thoroughly enjoyed the session, running alone to get my eye in and identify where the passing opportunities would be.

I qualified for third place on the grid for each of the races, but thing went rapidly wrong in race one. Holding third place and pushing mid way through the opening lap my nearside rear wheel was struck by another car causing an instant deflation (my mood suffered similarly) and I toured into the pits. Andy Packham and Peter Vickers dived on the car and fitted a replacement wheel and tyre in record time. Just as I was ready to rejoin the race was stopped due to an accident, meaning a re-start and a fresh race - I was in luck for once!

I knew all along that the tyre fitted to the rear was intended for the front and was a harder compound. So I worked it hard on the warm up lap before the re-start. Evidently not hard enough as I lost the back end in the first fast right hander of the lap. By the time I caught the slide I was in the barriers! The tyre wall did it's job well and I was left standing at the sides watching a race that I should have been part of!

I typical fashion I was overwhelmed with offers of help and we had the car looking OK and ready for the second race with a replacement steering arm and track rod end, a new CV join and plenty of tank tape to hold the bodywork together!

I turned out to be a fantastic second race. Away in third place I quickly passed Kelly Rogers for second and set about Peter Baldwin. For the full 15 laps I tried everything, but fading brakes meant sustained attack was impossible. However it was the most competitive outing so far and a great battle. We went home weary but well and enthused for Brands the following weekend...

Once again we were unable to test and therefore qualifying was more about preparing the car for the race than seeking the ultimate time and grid position. Third place was fine by me and by a margin smaller than I expected. Before the Championship race on the Sunday there was the small matter of a non-championship outing to give us back the lost track time from the shortened race at Snetterton. I went to the grid wanting a good race but determined not to hamper my chances for Sunday. It went well, In the absence of Baldwin and Rogers (choosing not to race) I had a ding dong battle with Max Hunter. I ran out winner by a scant margin, our best laps of the race different by a mere 1/1000 th of a second!

I was feeling good for the Sunday race and a great start gave me second place on the run to Paddock Hill Bend. The familiar sight of the orange and white bootlid was on offer but I was closer than normal, and I felt the chance was there to pass. Recent Vickers engine developments were clearly beneficial and I was able to challenge strongly. On about lap four a gap emerged for an instant on the run to Graham Hill Bend and I dived into it, grateful to Peter Baldwin for allowing me a little room. Once in the lead to car was perfect. A long race, lasting 22 laps was hard on the engines, tyres and brakes, but I held on to take the chequer by a small margin. Chuffed? Just a lot!

It's over 24 hours later and I'm still buzzing! As usual the sterling effort of my Team should be applauded - Andy Packham and Peter Vickers, plus Emma Max and Zoe. Thank you all.