The final round of the 2015 Power Maxed MINI Challenge UK takes place in among East Anglia’s farmland at Snetterton (31 October-1 November) and Panda Racing IN:MINI’s Hamish Brandon says it’s “wins or bust” for him.
The Hawick, Scotland-domiciled racer is still mathematically in the title hunt as the 2015 season reaches its climax, but it would take something extraordinary for him to leave Snetterton with the crown, with an almost unbridgeable points deficit to Champion in waiting, Neil Newstead.
However, Brandon is on form and race victories in the two most recent rounds of the MINI Challenge at Oulton Park and Donington Park have cemented second position in the standings and boosted his confidence.
The Scot can only pile on the pressure by seeking additional wins in Norfolk and he will endeavour to use the weekend’s four 45-minute free practice sessions to refine his car’s setup for Snetterton’s fast and flat configuration, which differs greatly from most of the tracks on the MINI Challenge UK calendar, and lead the races from the front.
“Basically, as in previous rounds, we are still mathematically in with a shout of winning the MINI Challenge UK title and we haven’t written anything off, but we’re realistic and know we will need a lot of luck to pull it off,” said Brandon. “I achieved a double podium in the Cooper class at Snetterton last season, but I haven’t raced there this year. It’s a good circuit – very long and fast – and I think we have to take the same approach by going all out to get as many wins as possible. I’m quite happy with the setup, but it may need to be tweaked a little, as I haven’t driven this setup here. We have absolutely nothing to lose, so it’s pretty much wins or bust!”
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.