Hamish Brandon will be aiming for more silverware when the Power Maxed MINI Challenge returns to Kent’s globally renowned Brands Hatch Indy circuit this weekend, as part of the venue’s third annual MINI Festival (10-11 May).
Brandon, from Hawick on the Scottish Borders, will go into the second meeting of the super-competitive MINI Challenge in high spirits, after claiming a maiden podium finish at Donington Park less than a fortnight ago.
Having learnt the ropes last year in the Cooper class, Brandon has graduated to the headlining R56 John Cooper Works (JCW) division in a Panda Racing with Excelr8 Motorsport Mini for 2014, where a strong debut propelled him to fifth in the standings with 38 points.
The popular MINI Festival is expected to bring a staggering 20,000 spectators to Kent’s Brands Hatch circuit this weekend and, with a capacity 32-car MINI Challenge entry, the series will surely deliver yet more exciting door handle-to-door handle racing.
Brands Hatch’s 1.22mile Indy configuration holds particularly fond memories for Brandon, who came away with a plethora of awards – including one race win, three podiums and Driver of the Weekend – in the Cooper class last year.
“Last year we had a brilliant weekend and the Excelr8 Motorsport-run Panda Racing team and I will be hoping to replicate that success when we go back to Brands Hatch” said Brandon. “The grid will be running at full capacity, which will make for some interesting racing on the tight and narrow Indy circuit.
“Looking at last year’s times, the JCW cars lapped around four seconds quicker than the Cooper entries so trying not lose too much time overlapping them will be a challenge in itself. There are four races over the course of the weekend, so we’ve got to keep out of trouble, keep our heads down and make sure we’re at the sharp end of the field. I’m really looking forward to it, as Brands is such a fun track to drive.”
For more information on Panda Racing and Hamish Brandon, please visit the official www.hamishbrandon.com website, ‘like’ the Facebook page or follow @PandaRacingTeam on Twitter.