Wellington Driver Enters Top Level Competition

Wellington karter Simon McLennan makes the leap into the big league this year when he enters Motorsport New Zealand's tier one summer series driving in the NZ Mini Challenge.

The 21 year old and the Metro on Willis Mini Cooper S both hit the circuit together for the first time this weekend at the Taupo Motorsport Park.

The earlier than usual start to the season lands amidst McLennan's last few weeks of studying for his post graduate honours degree in business management but he says that's no problem.

While his Victoria University commitments have weighed heavily on the young driver over the last few weeks he has showed his family and supporters he can take it all on board without letting anybody down.

"I have had to work late nights and certainly cut out having much of a social life but the study is important and there is quite a bit of money involved with the car so I just have to get it all done." he said.

After seven years of karting he and father Colin decided the time was right for the move into touring cars which is where Simon McLennan has set his targets on since childhood as a fan of Peter Brock, V8 Supercars and the like.

Sizing up their options the one-make New Zealand Mini Challenge series seemed to be the logical choice with close, competitive racing due to each team running identical race cars.

The race prepared Mini Cooper S cars used in the series are performance controlled with the teams being able to adjust little more than the tyre pressures.

Not only does this keep the playing field level but keeps costs down and enables a team to run a race weekend with a small crew and without the need to to employ complicated race engineering to shave fractions of a second from lap times - that is up to the driver!

"Part of the attraction of this series was that there's not much we can do in terms of setting up the car and it all comes down to driver ability on the track. It doesn't come down to who has the most money to spend on getting the fastest car." says Simon McLennan.

Although the Mini Challenge is one of the more cost effective top level racing series there remains a steady stream of bills to pay and although support has come through from those willing to bet on the up and coming driver it is New World's Metro On Willis that has earned the top spot on the Mini Cooper S and naming rights.

"Funding is a big issue and not many people are willing to give it away and we were a little worried about getting to Taupo with a blank car but Metro on Willis have come on board to support us. Also we have decided to show our support to Project KPH which we think is a great venture." he says.

Project KPH is an initiative offering special needs children the opportunity to be hosted at New Zealand's tier one motorsport events around the country.

One of the charity's future targets is to take two children along with their caregivers to next year's Melbourne Grand Prix and another is to expand the concept into the V8 Supercar calendar to include Australian children.

As this is Simon McLennan's first step into 'tin tops' he is very much looking forward to getting onto the track and showing what he can do.

"I talked to other people about the series and their comments made me think this was a good way to go and at the same time get noticed for bigger things in the future." he said.

This weekend at Taupo Motorsport Park will be the first of seven rounds for the NZ Mini Challenge which will take in the country's top circuits including the brand new Hampton Downs track for the grand finale on the 20-22nd March 2009.

The action begins on Friday the third of October with practice sessions followed by qualification on Saturday morning, race one in the afternoon and then races two and three on Sunday the fifth.