After winning the Ginetta GT5 Challenge at the end of last season, Lewis Brown made the step to the MINI Challenge this season in their premier JCW class for 2018. During his first round at Oulton Park, the 19-year-old picked up a top ten finish in dire conditions.
While Brown had the pedigree behind him from recent campaigns in Ginetta, it was step into the unknown for Lincolnshire racer who only had the Friday to adapt to the new front-wheel drive machine.
During the weekend Brown remained a fixture in and around the top ten. During a qualifying that was interrupted by a red flag, he managed to record eighth on a grid of 28 cars, beating his AReeve Motorsport teammate.
The race would go in a similar vein, with Brown quickly needing to adapt to the treacherous conditions. He lost a place at the start, but remained competitive, finishing ninth by the time the flag fell. Sadly for Brown, any chance of progression was cut short when torrential rain cancelled the second JCW race.
“Cancelling the race was a disappointing end to what had been a strong debut weekend,” Lewis said. “However, it was definitely the right decision and it was the safest thing to do.”
“Before that, I was pleased with how everything went. This car is certainly a lot different to the Ginetta G40 but I was really starting to get used to the different characteristics of the MINI by the time qualifying had finished – I can’t wait to get behind the wheel again at Rockingham!”
He leaves the weekend eighth in the standings.
