MINI Challenge in Germany 2008

[Snowie]

What a brilliant weekend. My wife and I were there all weekend with a Swedish team - Total performance Historic racing Sweden. They had 3 cars in their team, 1963 Ford Galaxy, 1962 Ford Mustang and a 1963 lotus Elan.

The Galaxy and Mustang were in the Marathon, 500 Kms (3 hours 40 mins) on Nordshielf. Neither cars did very well but both finished the race. The Galaxy lost 2 laps after an oil pressure problem where the motor was shut down to save the 544 BHP engine, it was recovered to the pits only to find that the electrical connection had fallen off the the oil pressure switch

Then the Galaxy and the Elan were in round 12 of the Historic and won both off their respective classes in both races. Seeing an Elan race very closely with an AC Cobra and pass it twice into the last chicane - cleanly the first time and then with a bit of a side swipe.


Now to MINIs
The MINI Challenge in Germany is very different to the UK challenge, it has much more support from BMW / MINI and is very professional in it's whole set up.

I met Fredrik in the collection area just before timed practice and after the first set up session.

In the first set up session Fredrik had a new clutch so was taking it steady for a few laps and then it rained very heavily and the session was red flagged. So Fredrik lost most of the set up time. In the timed session he seemed to spend a fair amount of time in then pits adjusting set up but as you say he qualified 16th.

Race 1 - we saw this from the Mercedes grandstand at turn 1
This was a very competitive affair, there was a multi car accident at turn 1 with 2 cars left in the gravel ( one was a team mate of Fredrik) and one left to limp into retirement a few metres later with heavy frontal and side damage (this care did not race again and probably needs a new shell). The result was that Fredrik benefitted and was up to about 9th or 10th after the first corner. The whole race was a battle with a lead group getting away and having their own war whilst further down the filed there were groups having some close racing. In all of the racing I have seen I have never seen so much debris on the track with pieces falling off cars everywhere there were managed damaged cars. Fredrik was up to 6th at one time but slipped back to finish 7th.

Clear up from this race took a long time - it took 3 marshalls to carry away the body trim parts from turn 1 alone.
It was a long night for some of the team mechanics - We were in the MINI challenge tent at 0100 hrs on Sunday morning, they had just about finished Frederik's car and were working on at least 2 other of his teams cars. Elsewhere there were new wings and doors being fitted, front and rear trims, rear trailing arms, complete front suspension struts. Some of the team mechanics would be working all through the night and the mood was gloomy

Race 2 - again we were in the Mercedes grandstand at turn 1
This was a much cleaner and more civilised race - I would imagine that the course stewards and the MINI Challenge organisers had some strong words with the teams and drivers after the race 1carnage. No Incidents at turn 1 on lap one with everyone getting round more or less in grid order, Fredrik did gain a place for a short period but lost it and then slipped back to a comfortable 8th neither challenging for 7th or under threat from behind. The lead was a very close affair, good clean racing between the first 5 cars with the gap being no greater than a car length between each place. It was like this from lap 2 to the end.

Marhalls at turn 1 did not have to pick up a single piece of body trim after the race, racing was that clean.

In the MINI Challenge tent later there was still a lot of work to do - mainly windscreens and small elements of trim, Fredrik's photo of his bonnet is a good example of stone damage (I have a similar photo, but have not down loaded the over 700 photos yet).

If any one ever gets the opportunity to go the Nurburgring for this particular race weekend when the MINI Challenge is part of the OLD Timers Grand Prix then I would highly recommend it for all petrol heads.

We decided ti stay an extra night at Nurburgring and left early yesterday morning to take in a blast up and down STELVIO pass on our way back home to Modena. A long day from 0615 to 2320 with over 1080 KMs and fantastic roads.

Can not wait for next year - Fredrik if you want details of the Swedish team and the package that I was on then please send me a PM.

One last point
The real Stig was our teams guest driver - Stig Blomkvist

Details here Total Performance – Sweden

[Fredrik]

Many thanks Alan for your info of the races and many other races. Great job

Next year I will try to go to a race with Fredrik, but at this date he does not know the race calendar for next year - as soon as this clarifies, I will try and get it sorted what race to attend

[Fredrik]

Fredrik Lestrup is on pole for the first Challengerace of the weekend

This weekend the MINI Challenge is held as a supportrace at Oschersleben to WTCC.

[Fredrik]

Fredrik Lestrup was leading the pack with six seconds in the race held today when all of a sudden he lost the tyre pressure due to a slow puncture that causes him to a DNF with approx five minutes to go

This means he will start race two tomorrow last on the grid

Nothing else to do than to get back on the program again and show your potential, and I know that he has got lots of that, this guy is a good racer

[Fredrik]

Fredrik Lestrup lined up as car 31 on the grid for race two at Oschersleben today.
He finished the race in 12th, and set the fastest lap of the race, so his car was in good trim this weekend, despite all the bad luck he suffered yesterday.

One more raceweekend (meaning two races) to go of the season 2008, and next year Fredrik will drive for Schubert Motorsport with a higher goal than he had in the beginning of this season.

I am sure we will hear more of this talented guy in the years to come

[Fredrik]

Fredrik´s own words (in swedish) and a lot of piccies, my favourite is the one where he is leading the pack into the first corner:
Fredrik Lestrup

[Snowie]

Great pics

I will sort out (at last) my pics from Nurburgring and psot them soon.

[Fredrik]

Quote: Originally Posted by Snowie (original)

Great pics

I will sort out (at last) my pics from Nurburgring and psot them soon.

That´s great Alan, looking forward to them

[Fredrik]

The last two races for this years MINI Challenge in Germany was held at Salzburgring.

Fredrik Lestrup qualified eighth on the grid for the first race due to rain that made it more difficult to use slipstream on the straits.
In race one Fredrik finally ended up as fourth car when passing the checkered flag, and this made him start race two later in the afternoon today from third on the grid.

In race two Fredrik was in the lead for a while but it became quite narrow with many cars so he finished this race as fifth car.
In the final standings Fredrik Lestrup became sixth overall, a great performance of him among more than 35 drivers
He has had some bad luck this year, especially when he was leading a race with almost six seconds and got a slow puncture that made him terminate the race with just a couple of minutes to go

He is back next year with Schubert Motorsport, and his aim is clearly stated in his SMS-message to me: "Next year is mine!"

In a few days time I will put up a link to Fredriks site so you will have some great piccies to look at

[Fredrik]

For the last time this season I am posting the link to Fredrik Lestrups site so everybody interested can have a look at the pictures. We are back next year with more reports and piccies from the season 2009 (with Schubert Motorsport).

Fredrik Lestrup

[dukesantos]

Thanks for the updates this season.

[Fredrik]

Quote: Originally Posted by dukesantos (original)

Thanks for the updates this season.

Thanks for the interest, dukesantos - we are back next year