whats happening to all the old mini challenge cars? now we have R56 next season?
will they allow the old cars to beat the new one :wink:

i heard they are doing the same as the Seat Cupra Championship and allowing 2 classes, old shape on the same grid as the new shape. This due to some competitors wanting to continue competing but not having funds to purchase the 2008 car. That would make sense and the 2007 season for the seatcupra championship has been very succesfull running that way even thought the old cars are 240bhp and the newer leons have 300 bhp and sequential boxes.

That would be the ideal situation and what i think they should do.

The UK Mini Challenge will stay exactly how it is now for next year.

The new cars will be a separate championship on its own. The R56 championship has turned down a place on the TOCA package in favour of picking and choosing its own meetings to be at. For example a couple of SRO meetings, and maybe as a support on the WTCC round at Brands.

Thats what I heard too. I think there`s serious doubt about enough R56 cars being available for the start of the new season in 2008 . .

Thats what I heard too. I think there`s serious doubt about enough R56 cars being available for the start of the new season in 2008 . .

Yeah. How many Cooper S' did they have on the grid when they first introduced them a few years ago? 6 or 7?

My gut feeling is the championship could be a right flop in 2008.

they have made a mistake by not placing it on a package, whether it be the SRO, Toca, or Great & British one. TOCA would have been good and attracted buyers to the cars because it would be high profile and many of the top tintop teams will already be there running Clios, Seats etc. To pick and choose their own meetings to race at isn't the way forward.

I spoke to a mechanic on one of the old MINI challenge teams and they told me that the new car is a packaged sealed vehicle, meaning that it cannot be tweaked on or worked on by the teams, and instead has to be sent back to BMW for work to be carried out. Not sure how accurate this is but it seems a little over the top to me, and I'm sure it will take a lot of the competitiveness out of it. Probably just another way of BMW keeping the series their own and reducing the chance of 3rd party products being used. If this is the case then I could see that a lot of people would want to stick with the old cars for now.

I might be talking rubbish though, so please correct me anyone?

I cant see how that could work. What if the car needs attention at the race track in between races? Send it back to BMW????

Thats exactly what I thought when I was told but, hey I'm only repeating. They said its to keep the racing closer so that no-one has an advantage due to their machinary. All I can think is that they got confused and meant it came as some sort or prepared sealed packaged so it couldn't be modified in any way, but could still be worked on. Dunno, but the person that told me definately said that they had to go back to BMW for repairs. Maybe they were misinformed?

Go back to BMW for repairs? ££ kerching ££

Keith, unless they think it will be like the Seat Cupra championship when it was first on the scene. Highly unlikely though.

Details of the `08 MINI Challenge are out now.

Dates(provisional)



April 26/27th Snetterton Rounds 1, 2 & 3

May 10/11th Pembrey Rounds 4 & 5

June 14/15th Croft Rounds 6 & 7

July 19/20th Castle Combe Rounds 8 & 9

August 2nd/3rd Donnington Park Rounds 10, 11 & 12

August 23rd/24th Brands Hatch Rounds 13 & 14

September 27/28th Rockingham Rounds 15 & 16

Club and S cars have separate races at Pembrey only.

Welcome back Castle Combe but sadly no Oulton Park .

I've not been to Castle Combe so I might try to get to that one. I see that Rockingham is back again. I went to the last MINI Challenge meeting there. Massive grandstand but hardly any spectators.

No Oulton ! Thats my local circuit as well as one of my favourites, the MINIS go so well round there as well.

Can I point some of you in this direction.

http://www.mini2.com/forum/mini-motorsport/150395-mini-racing-2008-a.html

No Thruxton, no Spa, no Oulton Park.... Poor :(

Details of the `08 MINI Challenge are out now.


Club and S cars have separate races at Pembrey only.

Always said I would come back if they put them on different grids - Might end up eating my words or shaking the dust off my race suit ;)
G

Always said I would come back if they put them on different grids - Might end up eating my words or shaking the dust off my race suit ;)
G


Hi Glen,

I thought you sold your car and it was comprehensively redesigned at Donni. in October `06.
Would be good to see you back though.

There`s quite a few Club spec cars for sale now, as they`ve probably only got 1 seasons racing left in the old spec MIN Challenge.

Keith

I'm planning to do the new series. The calendar is far preferable to being only on the TOCA or SRO tours - its supporting WTCC, DTM, BTCC, A1GP, The Nurburgring 24hr (thats the FULL nordschleife!) and BritCar 24hr... It guarantees big crowds - the 'ring 24hr race got 210,000 in '07!!!!! The prize is a test with BMW in the World Touring Car...

We'll still be runing cars in the MINI Challenge as well though and have some arrive and drive seats available for anyone that is interested?