During a weekend marred by difficult weather conditions, Charlie Butler-Henderson claimed the 2015 MINI Challenge UK series F56 championship title. Racing at Snetterton on 31st October-1st November, Charlie battled a number of obstacles to claim the ultimate success.
A damp qualifying session on Saturday morning led the way towards race one. Despite running slick tyres on a damp track, Charlie secured pole position for the first encounter.
A dominant performance in race one saw Charlie’s points tally rise once again, with a lights to flag victory. Despite being chased throughout by rival Luke Caudle, a defensive performance saw Charlie steer his way to another race victory, to gain maximum points.
With fog thick in the air on Sunday morning, on track action was delayed until midday. As it began to disperse, the circuit was deemed safe, as the MINI Challenge fraternity took to the track. The fastest lap in the opening race granted Charlie a pole position start for race two.
With the championship in mind, a cautious start saw Charlie muscled from the lead, as he dropped to fourth place. After an intense combat with British Touring Car Championship racer Jeff Smith, Charlie held on for a fourth place finish.
A reversed grid decided starting positions for the third and final race, and with luck on his side Charlie found himself in pole position once again. Another strong getaway saw Charlie lead the field towards turn one to begin another dominant performance.
Protected by a cushion of one second, Charlie held on for another triumphant result, to crown him as the 2015 MINI Challenge UK series champion.
“What a weekend, I couldn’t have asked more. The car was spot on yet again and we did enough to secure the championship. I am champion, what a fantastic feeling. We have had a brilliant year, it’s hard to believe just how good it has been on my return to racing. I can not wait to defend my title next year.”
“I would like to thank you all and I will be getting a thank you gift in early December to all that have helped this year. I can not thank you enough. Lets get ready for next year,”
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