Panda Racing’s Hamish Brandon has lofty ambitions for when the 2014 Power Maxed MINI Challenge season begins at Donington Park this weekend (26-27 April).
Brandon, from Hawick on the Scottish Borders, began racing in 2009, taking part in selected rounds of the Scottish MINI Cooper Cup for two seasons before stepping up to the Cooper class of the National MINI Challenge Championship in 2013 with Excelr8.
It was a challenging yet exciting season that exceeded all expectations, as a 100 per cent finishing record and 12 podium finishes – eight second places, three third places and four fastest laps – resulted in Brandon ending the year second in class and second overall.
However, having learnt the ropes, Brandon has big ambitions for his 2014 campaign. The Scot enters the R56 John Cooper Works (JCW) class with an all-new car built by Panda Racing and is gunning for consistently solid points finishes throughout the championship’s seven rounds, with title glory the ultimate aim.
The Power Maxed-backed MINI Challenge once again boasts a bumper grid of colourful cars and promises to provide close racing as it takes in many of the UK’s top circuits, including Brands Hatch, Silverstone and Oulton Park.
The championship’s first port of call is the historic Donington Park circuit in the East Midlands (26-27 April) and Brandon will have to overcome some fierce opposition if he’s to meet his objectives.
“It’s a new class for me and a new car, I’ve got a lot to learn and I’m expecting a lot of competition,” said Brandon. “As yet, I haven’t had chance to test with other cars, so it will be interesting to see how we fare against the other championship contenders when qualifying gets underway at Donington Park.
“In principle, the car is the same, but with turbo, more power and bigger brakes, there will be a lot more to think about. It’s a nice car and the more you drive it, the more confidence it gives you. Let’s see what it’s like to race!”
For more information on Panda Racing and Hamish Brandon, please visit the officialwww.hamishbrandon.com website, ‘like’ the Facebook page or follow@PandaRacingTeam on Twitter.