Mini Challenge UK
CategoryOne-make racing by Mini
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Inaugural season2002
ClassesJCW Class
Open Class
Cooper Pro Class
Cooper Am Class
ConstructorsMini
Tyre suppliersDunlop
Drivers' championUnited Kingdom Sam Weller
Teams' championExcelr8 Motorsport
Official websiteMini Challenge UK
Current season

The Mini Challenge UK is a one-make race series began in 2002 and since 2020 it has run as a support package to the British Touring Car Championship.

Throughout the championship's history it established itself as one of the main routes into topline Touring Car racing, and drivers went on to do well in the Renault Clio Cup United Kingdom, British Touring Car Championship, World Touring Car Championship and British GT Championship. Past and current drivers such as Jeff Smith, Charlie Butler-Henderson, Harry Vaulkhard, Vicki Butler-Henderson, Brett Smith, Paul O'Neill, Nick Foster, Arthur Forster, Stewart Lines, Martin Depper, Chris Smiley and Ant Whorton-Eales.

The cars

Mini F56 (2015-Present)

Introduced in 2015 the F56 is the first purpose built race car to race in the championship, a 2 litre turbocharged BMW engine and a 6 speed sequential gearbox means that it is also the most powerful car in the championship with 275bhp.

Mini R56 (2010-Present)

Introduced in 2010 as the new JCW it has a 1.6 litre turbocharged BMW engine along with slick tyres and a 6 speed gearbox to produce 220bhp.

Mini R53 (2004-2010, 2016-Present)

Introduced in the third season the R53 has a 1.6 litre supercharged BMW engine producing 195bhp along with slick tyres and a 6 speed gearbox.

Mini R50 (2013-Present)

Introduced in 2013 as a replacement for the Cooper's with slick tyres, a 6 speed gearbox and a 1.6 litre BMW engine producing 135bhp.

Mini Cooper (2002-2012, 2017-Present)

Introduced in the first season the Cooper is the basic entry level car with treaded tyres and a 5 speed road gearbox along with an ordinary engine producing 120bhp.

The classes

Classes
Car20022003200420052006200720082009 2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
Mini Cooper Cooper Cooper Am
Mini R53 Cooper S Open Cooper S
Mini R56 JCW JCW Open Cooper S
Mini R50 Cooper Cooper Pro
Mini F56 F56 JCW
Car20022003200420052006200720082009 2010201120122013201420152016201720182019

Champions

Cooper Cooper S/ Open (2015–2019) JCW Open (2016)/ Cooper Am (2017-2019)
Season Driver Team Driver Team Driver Team Driver Team
2002 United Kingdom Steve Meli Mark Fish Motorsport
2003 United Kingdom Mark Speller Mark Fish Motorsport
2004 United Kingdom Gary Robertshaw Robertshaw Racing United Kingdom Martin Wallbank Mark Fish Motorsport
2005 United Kingdom Barney Craggs Sussex Road and Race United Kingdom Arthur Forster Forster Motorsport
2006 United Kingdom Gareth Nixon Nixon Motorsport Sweden Freddy Nordström Advent Motorsport
2007 United Kingdom Jenny Ryan Mark Fish Motorsport United Kingdom Oly Mortimer Tynecastle Racing
2008 United Kingdom Graham Parsons Advent Motorsport United Kingdom Martin Depper Forster Motorsport
2009 United Kingdom Luke Caudle Mark Fish Motorsport United Kingdom Oly Mortimer Team Formula Racing
2010 United Kingdom David Ogden Mark Fish Motorsport United Kingdom Lee Allen Truck Align United Kingdom Luke Caudle Excelr8 Motorsport
2011 United Kingdom Ant Whorton-Eales Excelr8 Motorsport United Kingdom Chris Knox Excelr8 Motorsport
2012 United Kingdom Henry Gilbert Excelr8 Motorsport United Kingdom Lee Allen Truck Align
2013 United Kingdom Shane Stoney Coastal Racing United Kingdom Chris Smiley IN:MINI
2014 United Kingdom Shane Stoney Coastal Racing United Kingdom Chris Knox Excelr8 Motorsport
2015 United Kingdom Nathan Harrison Coastal Racing United Kingdom Neil Newstead Oakfield Motorsport United Kingdom Charlie Butler-Henderson Oakfield Motorsport
2016 United Kingdom Max Bladon Excelr8 Motorsport United Kingdom Scott Jeffs Privateer United Kingdom David Grady Unitec Motorsport United Kingdom Keith Issatt Lawrence Davey Racing
2017 United Kingdom Matt Hammond Excelr8 Motorsport United Kingdom Ben Dimmack Sussex Road and Race United Kingdom Brett Smith Eurotech Racing United Kingdom Stuart McLaren Hybrid Tune Motorsport
2018 United Kingdom Kyle Reid Privateer United Kingdom Will Fairclough AReeve Motorsport United Kingdom Ant Whorton-Eales JamSport Racing United Kingdom Alex Nevill Privateer
2019 United Kingdom Robert Dalgliesh Privateer United Kingdom Dan Butcher-Lloyd Privateer United Kingdom James Gornall Privateer United Kingdom Lee Pearce Privateer
2020 United Kingdom Harry Nunn AReeve Motorsport United Kingdom Nathan Harrison Excelr8 Motorsport
2021 United Kingdom Dominic Wheatley PerformanceTek Racing United Kingdom Dan Zelos Excelr8 Motorsport
2022 United Kingdom Nelson King Graves Motorsport United Kingdom Sam Weller Hybrid Tune

References

[1]

  1. "JCW 2019 CALENDAR". MINI CHALLENGE. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
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