Neil Newstead and the Oakfield Motorsport team headed to Silverstone’s world renowned Grand Prix Circuit for testing and a weekend of racing last weekend (12/13/14 June). At 3.6miles long it is the longest lap of the season for the Maxed Power Mini Challenge Championship.

Qualifying Saturday morning in wet conditions saw Newstead being piped for pole on the last lap by Erkka Lindstedt, Newstead hit traffic on his last lap in qualifying and had to settle for P2, still confident and happy with being on the front row of the grid.

Race 1 on Saturday afternoon in treacherous conditions saw Newstead snatch the lead from Lindstedt, with what could only be classed as a perfect start giving him more pace into Copse, Lap 2 saw Brandon who is just behind Newstead in the championship get passed Lindstedt and started to pressure Newstead. Newstead nearly lost the lead when hitting standing water at Abbey at 106 mph, this took his car sideways, however with some great car control Newstead held the car in a perfect drift and continued to lead the race from lights to flag taking a great first victory of the weekend.

With the rain gone, a rather overcast Sunday morning saw the team having to make changes to the car set up, ready for a dry race. With Newstead setting the fasted lap on Race 1, saw him on pole position for this race. With the green flag lap out the way Newstead blasted the Oakfield Motorsport Mini Cooper JCW of the line into Copse and set about taking control of the race, with no way past Brandon hit Newstead as the two went into “The Loop”, with tyre smoke pouring from the rear of the car, Newstead continued and held both Brandon and Lindstedt from getting past along the Wellington Straight, a couple of laps later Lindstedt lunged up the inside of Newstead, with contact pushing Newstead wide of the track through “the Loop”, Newstead not phased that this time both Lindstedt and Brandon got passed, he set about trying to take back the lead, at the end of the Wellington Straight Newstead put the car up the inside of Brandon and with a perfect line out of Woodcote Newstead rocketed passed Lindstedt at Copse taking back the lead and took the checkered flag.

With Newstead taking wins on both Race 1 and 2, setting the fastest lap and leading the race, he was asked on the podium what his thoughts for Race 3 are, bearing in mind it was a reverse grid for the first 6 cars. “Newstead replied I am confident that we can still win race 3, I have the pace, the car is perfect we have certainly found the sweet spot on this car, anything can happen especially from P6, but I will be going for it”

Starting from P6 on Race 3 Newstead shot the Oakfield Motorsport Mini Cooper JCW off the line and was P3 by the time the pack arrived at Beckets, his aim and brief from Team Manager/Drive Coach Bill Sollis was to be leading the race by the end of lap 2 and treat it as a 2 lap race. Newstead wasted no time what so ever his pace was something else, he out braked Issatt and passed him into Stowe this just left Lindstedt, on the start of Lap 2 Newstead carried more speed from his own from this point exit of Woodcote and into Copse, and eased passed him before reaching Maggots taking the lead, Newstead was in a class of his own from this point setting the fastest lap of the whole weekend on lap 2, with a 2:29.28, then a 2:28.94, lap 4 being the his best with a 2:28.51 some 1.7 second quicker than anyone else, Newstead drove a flawless and epic race bringing the car over the line to win by 8.6 seconds from Lindstedt and 14 seconds ahead of P3 man Kevin O’Connor.

Newstead’s next racing will be at his home circuit Brands Hatch Indy on the 27 – 28 June 2015, which will also be the Mini Festival.

“What a weekend, the team have been fantastic, so much preparation has gone into the car, every time I get into it I feel more and more confident, the decisions the team makes just pays dividends, the car felt like it had rocket fuel in it for Race 3. This is such a competitive championship, to come away from Silverstone still leading the Championship with three wins, three fastest laps and leading every race is such an amazing feeling and to top it all I am still leading the Championship JCW class, my thanks go to my partners and sponsors: Best of British partner Corbeau Seats, Chandlers of Hailsham, Oakfield Estate Agents, SDS Builders & Decorators, Stu Lane.com and Teng Tools.”

– Neil Newstead