CSCC Turbo Tin Tops Series
Anglesey Coastal Circuit
14 - 15th May 2022
We headed up to Anglesey on a sunny Friday afternoon and, after some hairy brake tests for our three-vehicle convoy, we arrived at a gale force racetrack just as the sun was setting for the evening. Sean had been there all day, fending off advances from other competitors who wanted to park near him, and we all set up camp together. Steve and family set off immediately for a walk round the racetrack, as the rest of us found our bearings and got the BBQ on.
Saturday morning started around 7am and, for the first timers, the adrenaline was pumping. The sun was beaming down from the moment we had our bacon sarnies and the factor 50 was passed around as we all went through our final preparations. The Wags and Fam headed off to scout out the best viewing positions while the team assembled for the race briefing. Aaron, Aiden and Sean were all newbies to competitive racing and had an additional briefing to run them through expectations. We were so privileged and lucky to have the support of the Fletcher father and son partnership, who were right next to us in the paddock, on hand to calm nerves, give advice and be an integral part of the Pecks Hill Garage Mini Mafia team all weekend.
From there, it was straight onto Qualifying. Steve is an old hand at this now and knew exactly what he needed to do to place him well on the grid. Sean took the shared Mini out first, finding his pace quickly and focusing so hard on setting his best time that he almost forgot to come in for the driver swap! Whilst Aaron maintained his solo pace out on track, eventually placing himself 18th on the grid, Aiden took over in the Greasy Weasel and brought it home to secure a 13th place for the race in the afternoon.
Relieved that we'd dipped our toes in the water after months of preparation, we set our sights on the race scheduled to start in the afternoon. Last checks, alterations and layering up with race gear in the scorching heat all completed, we jumped in our Minis and headed down towards the assembly area, with the dream team of Jimmy and Steve Fletcher in the pits for all three of us. The Wags and Fam decided the best viewing spot was up on the hillside with a great view of the Rocket turns and got ready to watch the action.
Aaron found his confidence quickly as the cars moved off the grid and after gaining places fairly quickly he settled into a very consistent lap pace, staying out of trouble and ultimately finishing 3rd place in class. Awesome result for his first race outing!
Sean took the shared Mini out first again and moved up the grid straight away, positioning the Mini 4th in class. Any further progress was hindered by a boost pipe disaster around lap nine and Sean brought the Mini in to pit seriously down on power and sounding awful! Jimmy convinced Aiden to take the Mini out for the second half of the race to complete. It was a commendable effort and, when the final results were in, Aiden and Sean retained the 4th place in class.
Steve headed out and, using his speed and experience, worked his way up to the front of the Class, finishing in 1st. Not only this, but his efforts putting pressure on the front of the pack paid dividends with a 3rd place finish overall! Not bad considering he found a cracked intercooler horn when he lifted his bonnet on the return to the paddock.
A happy Aaron was surprised on his return to the paddock by his two daughters who had driven across to Wales to watch him race as a surprise! The ever growing Team Pecks Hill & Mini Mafia headed over to celebrate together at the presentation and we were so proud to have two of our boys up on the podium together. We then got news from our supporters at home that Steve had made an appearance on the live feed, showing off his media skills in Parc Ferme after the race!
We all went to support the Fletcher boys as they took to the track in the Tin Tops series, driving home first in class.
The rest of the afternoon was spent giving the Minis some TLC and by the time the sun went down, we were creatively patched up as best we could manage and cookout #2 was underway. A cheeky drink and some well deserved pats on the back before we turned in for the night.
On Sunday morning, Aiden and Sean were ready to prove themselves the second time round. Giving themselves the full experience, they decided to swap the driving order for the second race and Aiden lined up on the grid in 13th. After some brief nerves at lights out, Aiden started to work his way back through the pack. Steve started well but sustained a puncture fairy early on and dropped back through his competitors as the tyre made heavy work of it. Jimmy had spotted the issue from the pit and Sean won team player of the day as he sprinted back through the paddock twice to collect a tyre and jack, risking his own race plan. He returned from his second trip and jumped straight into his Mini and immediately onto the track. Meanwhile, Aiden was already on the ground with Steve Fletcher, replacing the tyre that had been causing Steve problems. Out on the track, Aaron's Mini had developed an issue with its ignition coil but he managed to keep his cool and stay on his pace until the end. Sean put in his fastest times of the weekend, really putting the pressure on the leader, narrowly bringing the team home at 2nd place in class, followed by Steve in 3rd, and Aaron in 4th.
After another jubilant prize giving, where Aiden and Sean picked up their trophy, we cheered on the Fletchers as they put in another excellent performance, gaining another 1st place in their second race.
We summed up the Anglesey experience by calling in for some beach action on the drive out, giving everyone the chance to blow off some steam in the sea and have a bit of time for reflection on the sand.
It really was the perfect first outing for the whole team driving together. The support from friends and family has been immense, both those that came to watch and those that were shouting at the live feed from home! We have ideas up our sleeves for improvements (as always!) but can't wait for the next time we get to do it all over again!
