6th November 2008 : WEBSITE UPDATE
sorry for the delays in updating the website but we've had a couple of hectic months. It has now been updated with the end of season championship tables and full race reports for the year. The Gallery / Photo page has also been updated by Liz, with photos from the recent night race at Donnington.
Further updates (including an end of season summary) will follow very shortly - promise!!!
12th August 2008 : BRANDS HATCH - REGULATIONS
Final Regulations for this Sunday’s race at Brands Hatch are now available via the BRSCC website.
The race will be held on the Sunday only (17th August) and the timetable can be found here.
Race entries are down on previous events as many drivers still have damage from Oulton. The good news is that the Mini’s have been allocated the pitlane garages, rather than the outer paddock – a rare occurrence!
5th August 2008 : CAR REPAIRS
With only a week to go to Brands we still have several things to do to get the car ready. Following the braking issues from Rockingham we have ordered new (recon) brake calipers and hoses.
2nd August 2008 : OULTON PARK – RACE RESULTS
Due to technical reasons Steve was unable to attend this event.
The circuit has been a bogey track for the Mini’s for a few years now and this event was no exception. On the first lap of the standard MM race there was a big collision, which saw 2 drivers taken to hospital for precautionary checkups. Fortunately the regulations are very strict on safety matters and both drivers are ok.
The first MM race was won by Mark Burnett (his first race win) and the second by James Lyford (his first win too!). Paul Handford (in Steve’s old car) managed a personal best 2nd place finish.
The Super’s also had their fair share of carnage with several collisions over the weekend. Both Super MM races were won by Nev Kirkpatrick.
Congrats to all race winners, especially Mark and James on their maiden victories.
27th July 2008 : SAFETY CAR DRIVE – WORLD TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP (WTCC)
Steve officiated at the recent WTCC at Brands Hatch as one of the Safety Car drivers. He drove a new BMW 635 (official safety car) and also a BMW 335 (lead car) over the weekend.
13th July 2008 : ROCKINGHAM PARK – RACE RESULTS
This has never been one of Steve’s favourite circuits and following the weekend’s racing, still isn’t!!! Steve ventured up to Northamptonshire circuit by himself for this event as Jace was off fixing trains and Liz was on a hen do.
Steve qualified in 11th place in the Super’s whilst bedding in some new brake pads and was well off the pole setting time of 1:44.7 on this part oval circuit.
Steve discovered after the session that the new pads had completely worn down on one side of the car due to a sticking brake piston. This necessitated a trackside calliper overhaul (new pistons) and another new set of brake pads.
So with new pads and new pistons (untested) Steve’s race was never going to be a blinder. The first bend was to set the scene for the rest of Steve’s race, where he found that he had no brakes. Luckily there is a huge run-off area and Steve could re-join the track.
With the rest of the field miles ahead and Steve struggling with no / limited / inconsistent brakes he limped home in an unhappy 12th place – not the most enjoyable race experience.
With no support crew it was always going to be a struggle to get things done (especially with Steve’s very limited mechanical experience). However in true MM spirit Steve was very well looked after by the Gilbert’s, Tuckley’s, Fearnley’s and Palmer’s.
21st June 2008 : CADWELL PARK RESULTS
Steve finally broke the Top Ten with a 9th placed finish in the second race at Cadwell Park. Further info available on the Race Reports page. Liz has loaded up photos to the Gallery page.
21st June 2008 : NEW HEAD
The head arrived from Keith Calver in good time although we only finished fitting it the day before Cadwell..
However we have since done a compression test and cylinders 2 and 3 were well down. A cylinder leak test revealed 60% leakage (yes 60%), compared to an acceptable 10% in numbers 1 and 4. It appears that the leakage is through the inlet valves.
These heads come all packaged up complete with valves and springs, ready to bolt on. I have since been advised to take it apart and re-lap in the valves.
Needless to say we are a little dissappointed having spent £525!!!!.
2nd June 2008 : SAFETY CAR DRIVE
**** Hot off the press......... ****
Steve will be the safety car driver for the Britsh GT championship race at Snetterton this coming weekend (7th / 8th June).
Full details on this event can be found on the British GT Championship website.
2nd June 2008 : NEW HEAD
Despite spending an absolute fortune on t he Super's engine over the winter, the car is still down on power. Neil Slark did suggest the head was old and tired, so at further expense we have ordered a fresh gas flowed head off Keith Calver (the MM head supplier).
Hopefully it will arrive this week which will give us a little bit of time to fit before the Cadwell race on 14th June.
26th May 2008 : ANGLESEY RACE RESULTS
On a blowy (but dry) weekend in North West Wales Steve again failed to break the top ten.
In an encouraging qualifying Steve's time of 1:28.632 put him 10th on the grid, but a poor start and lack of race pace left him in 12th at the finish. David Hale took top spot honours by a considerable margin. This was David's first ever race win, so many congrats to him.
For race 2 Steve made a poor start and was unable to keep up with the pack ahead. He finished in 13th.
26th May 2008 : ANGLESEY PHOTOS
Photos now uploaded to the Gallery page.
25th May 2008 : RACING NEWS ARTICLE
A photo of Steve's Super made the front cover of the BRSCC Racing News publication. Unfortunately it had the headline of "Mini Girl Power" - doh.....!!!!
The full article can be accessed on the BRSCC website.
13th May 2008 : SNETTERTON PHOTOS
Liz has been busy with the camera and has taken a hat full of photos from last weekends race. Check out the Gallery page.
13th May 2008 : SNETTERTON RACE RESULTS
Steve had another 13th and an 11th at Snetterton. Full race report available on Race Reports page.
25th April 2008 : SNETTERTON TIMETABLE
A draft timetable for Snetterton has now been made available. You can access this via the attached Timetable Link.
The racing will take place on Sunday and Monday (4th and 5th May), over the bank holiday weekend.
24th April 2008 : 2008 REGULATIONS
Rodger Tello has announced a change to the MM and SMM regulations.
We will now be allowed 6.5mm spacer shims on the rear wheels only..
24th April 2008 : SNETTERTON REGS
Final Regulations for Snetterton have now been made available.
24th April 2008 : CAR REPAIRS
Finally Autoglass have replaced the windscreen of the motorhome.
23rd April 2008 : CAR REPAIRS
The mini has been to the bodyshop for insurance assessment – the verdict = a new roof. The approved bodyshop want 10 days to do this, so we’ll have to until after Snetterton to get the car repaired. After knocking it all out it only has a few scratches!!!
15th April 2008 : CAR REPAIRS
Given the awning damage from the weekend the car has been taken To a local bodyshop for roof repairs.
13th April 2008 : SILVERSTONE RACE RESULTS
Qualifying went well. In a well experienced field Steve qualified in 14th, just 1.060 seconds behind the pole setting lap. This was Steve's second excursion in a Super Mighty Mini, so the timings were relatively satisfying.
In the race Steve finished 13th (bit of deja vu, from 2006). A good start put Steve in with the pack, athough a mistake at Luffield put Steve in (and out) of the gravel. He lost several places with this incident and 2 other silly errors left Steve struggling in 13th place.
11th April 2008 : SILVERSTONE TESTING
Given all the new engine components and a rusty old driver it was deemed necessary to test before the first race. The engine would need bedding in, along with some new brake pads and tyres.
The day didn't quite go to plan!!! Whilst parked in the paddock area a sudden gust of wind lifted a fellow competitors industiral awning and launched it into our motorhome. The awning smashed the windscreen, damaged the roof, bounced off our awning and landed on the roof of the mini leaving a large crater in the rear of the car. Steve was pushing the car at the time (from the drivers door), so things could have been a lot worse!!
9th April 2008 : RACE NUMBER
Bit of a cock up at Mighty Mini HQ. The number 9 has already been assigned to another Super driver (Bob Bennets), so we've opted for race number 73 - the same number we raced with in our first year of Mighty Minis.
5th April 2008 : SUPER OVERHAUL
Car back from Slark Race Engineering. Neil has also done the full wheel aignment (see Workshop page for settings).
Its kicking out just over 82hp at the flywheel.
23nd March 2008 : SILVERSTONE TIMETABLE
The timetable for the first race at Silverstone is now available from the Mighty Mini website.
Qualifying for the Supers is scheduled for 11:40am. The SMM race is scheduled for 17:15 (the last race of the day!!).
Its only 3 weeks until the race on sunday 13th April - time to start panicking........
23nd March 2008 : 2008 REGULATIONS
The final regulations for this years championship are now available from the Mighty Mini website.
22nd March 2008 : DAVE REES IS 40
Fellow MM competitor Dave Rees celebrated his 40th birthday last night in Birmingham. There were a few sore heads the next morning (mine included!).
22nd March 2008 : SUPER OVERHAUL
We're having a few problems with the Super's clutch. The Super's run with Metro Turbo clutch plates, but there appears to be a shortage across the UK. Two different plates have been fitted to the car but they have both suffered slipping.
The car is still with Slark Race Engineering. A new clutch plate has been sourced (and tested). We should have the car back sometime next week.
26th February 2008 : 2008 SPONSORS
Smiley Racing are delighted to announce the continued support of AToM (All Types of Mortgages) and The Sign Shop for the 2008 season.
- AToM was established in 1991 and provides comprehensive mortgage solutions for all types of people.
- The Sign Shop are based in Sussex and specialise in vinyl graphics and signage (from Vehicle Livery to Shop Fascias).
25th February 2008 : 2008 CALENDAR UPDATE
The Donington Park race is now going to be on the weekend of 01-02 November. The Calendar page has been updated.
17th February 2008 : SUPER OVERHAUL
Doctor Slark's diagnosis wasn't good. The patient is in need of a new camshaft, crank, conrods, clutch plate and various other metal bits. Most of this is due to wear and tear, but the odd "non-compliant" part was found in her engine compartment.
8th February 2008 : SUPER OVERHAUL
The new Super Mighty Mini was suffering with all sorts of knocking sounds and oil leaks so she is being treated to a few weeks of pampering at the infamous Mighty Mini health farm known as Slark Race Engineering
5th February 2008 : RACE NUMBER 9
We have received confirmation from Mighty Mini HQ that Smiley Racing will race with the number 9 for the 2008 season.
31st January 2008 : 2008 REGULATIONS
A draft of the 2008 Regulations is now available via the www.classic-mini.co.uk website.
10th January 2008 : 2008 CALENDAR UPDATE
The last race of the season at Donington has been pushed back to the 25th and 26th October. The Calendar page has been updated.
9th January 2008 : AUTOSPORT SHOW
The Mighty Minis will have representation at the Autosport show on the BRSCC stand in hall 10. Andy Harrison’s Super Mighty Mini will be resplendent in its new colours and there will be drivers on hand to discuss all matters regarding the championship. Rodger will also be there to assist with any technical enquires. This show marks the beginning to the motorsport season and it is a fantastic opportunity to purchase those much needed race overalls etc.
9th January 2008 : NEWS ARCHIVE
We have archived Team Smiley Racing's 2006 bulletins in a News Archive page.
19th December 2007 : 2008 CALENDAR ANNOUNCED
The 2008 Calendar has recently been announced. Further details can be found on the Calendar page.
11th November 2007 : WORKSHOP PAGES RELAUNCHED
New pages created for the work done on our Super, plus the addtion of a technical section. Links available through Workshop.
11th November 2007 : SNETTERTON
Race reports for Snetterton are now available via the Race Reports page.
Photos form this event can be found on the Gallery page.
10th October 2007 : ROUNDS 11 & 12 - SNETTERTON
This weekend coming will see Team Smiley travel back to Snetterton in Norfolk for the final rounds of the 2007 season.
The weekend is a double header with Qualifying and Race 1 on the Saturday. Race 2 will be on Sunday, the grid positions being determined from your finishing position from Race 1.
For spectators wishing to travel to Snetterton, please view our Calendar page where you will find links with location maps, local weather and a circuit website (where you can find further information about Snetterton with ticket details and prices).
4th October 2007 : THE SUPER
Following a successful day at Castle Combe in the newly acquired Super, we can now confirm that Steve will race The Super at Snetterton on the weekend of 13th / 14th Oct.
The car will race under as car #27, with full AToM livery. Photos of the car will follow shortly.
3rd October 2007 : CASTLE COMBE - CHARITY DAY
There were literally thousands of minis in attendance for the Mini World Action Day at Castle Combe.
With 10-12 racing Mighty Minis offering passenger rides during the day, we raised £1540+ for charity.
The event was very well organised, the Mighty Mini rides proved extremely popular and provided excellent exposure to our sport with great PR for our sponsors.
27th September 2007 : CASTLE COMBE - CHARITY DAY
This weekend will see Team Smiley travelling to Castle Combe in Wiltshire to take part in the Mini World Action Day.
This event is not part of the Mighty Mini race championship but an event for Mini enthusiasts with proceeds going to charity.
All the cars will be fitted out with passenger seats and harnesses to take passengers out on hot laps.
Why not come along, help raise money for charity and have a blast !
This year we will be raising money for the Acorns Childrens Hospice in Birmingham and BLISS, the Premature baby charity.
Further details can be found on our Calendar page or the Castle Combe website.
11th September 2007 : ROUND 10 - BRANDS HATCH
Steve qualified 14th and finished 10th in an exciting race at Brands Hatch - photos on the Gallery page. Full race report will follow shortly. 4th September 2007 : ROUND 10 - BRANDS HATCH
This weekend coming will see Team Smiley travel to Brands Hatch in Kent for round 10 of the 2007 Mighty Mini Championship.
For spectators wishing to travel to Brands Hatch, please view our Calendar page where you will find links with location maps, local weather and a circuit website (where you can find further information about Brands with ticket details and prices).
Provisional Timetable for Sunday 9th September | Mighty Mini Qualifying | 10:45 |
| Mighty Mini Race | 14:30 |
| Super Mighty Mini Qualifying | 12:25 |
| Super Mighty Mini Race | 17:15 |
23rd August 2007 : ** SKY TELEVISION COVERAGE **
The Powernights event which was filmed at Donington Park on the 9th August this year, will be shown repeatedly on Motors TV (sky channel 413).
The show will feature some fantastic racing from the Mighty and Super Mighty drivers in this non-championship event.
| Sunday 26th August | 18:00 |
| Monday 27th August | 15:00 |
| Tuesday 28th August | 00:30 |
| Tuesday 28th August | 10:00 |
| Wednesday 29th August | 16:00 |
23rd August 2007 : ROUNDS 8 & 9 - OULTON PARK REPORT
A full Race Report from Oulton Park is now available on our Race Reports page 20th August 2007 : ROUNDS 8 & 9 - OULTON PARK RESULT
Steve finishes 5th & 7th in the weekends two races at Oulton Park. Photos on the Gallery page.
A full race report & other details can be found soon on the Race Reports page. 14th August 2007 : ROUNDS 8 & 9 - OULTON PARK
This weekend coming will see Team Smiley travel to Oulton Park in Cheshire for rounds 8 & 9 of the 2007 Mighty Mini Championship.
The weekend is a double header with another hectic day of qualifying and two races, the grid positions for race two is determined by the finishing position from race one.For spectators wishing to travel to Oulton Park, please view our Calendar page where you will find links with location maps, local weather and a circuit website (where you can find further information about Oulton Park with ticket details and prices). 10th August 2007 : POWERNIGHT - DONINGTON
The minis put on an excellent show at Donington yesterday (thurs 9th Aug). Photos are available on the Gallery page. 1st August 2007 : Video Highlights
Video highlights of both races from Cadwell Park have now been added to the site, follow the links on our Race Reports page. 26th July 2007 : LOCAL NEWS - East Grinstead Courier
The East Grinstead Courier have published a great article about the Cadwell Park race weekend.
Click STEVE STRUGGLES TO GET TO GRIPS WITH CADWELL PARK 18th July 2007 : ROUNDS 6 & 7 - CADWELL PARK
Steve finishes 10th in both of the weekends races at Cadwell Park.
A full race report can be found on the Race Reports page. 10th July 2007 : ROUNDS 6 & 7 - CADWELL PARK
This weekend coming will see Team Smiley travel to Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire for rounds 6 & 7 of the 2007 Mighty Mini Championship.
The weekend is a double header with a test session on Friday and a hectic Sunday of qualifying and two races, the grid positions for race two is determined by the finishing position from race one.For spectators wishing to travel to Cadwell Park, please view our Calendar page where you will find links with location maps, local weather and a circuit website (where you can find further information about Cadwell Park with ticket details and prices). 3rd July 2007 : LOCAL NEWS - West Sussex County Times
At long last.... Full article from Steve's 4th at Snetterton has now been scanned in. You can view it via the link on the race reports page or by clicking here 3rd July 2007 : DONNINGTON POWER NIGHTS RACING
Team smiley Racing has entered for the newly established BRSCC POWER Night racing events on thursday 9th August at Donnington Park.
POWERnights is being actively promoted by Motion Works UK Limited and they anticipate approx 4000 spectators for each evening's race events.
Motors TV will be filming all the races, and there is a party in the paddock for spectators and competitors alike after the racing has finished.
Further details can be found on the www.powernights.com website.
If you are interested in sponsoring this event please contact Steve for more details of sponsorship opportunities. 23rd June 2007 : LOCAL NEWS
Follow the attached link for a short report from this weeks West Sussex County Times on the Snetterton race.
Click MILES GRABS FOURTH PLACE FINISH
The full report will be scanned in over the next few days. 12th May 2007 : ROUND 5 - SNETTERTON
This weekend coming will see Team Smiley travel to Snetterton in Norfolk for round 5 of the 2007 Mighty Mini Championship.
For spectators wishing to travel to Snetterton, please view our Calendar page where you will find links with location maps, local weather and a circuit website (where you can find further information about Snetterton with ticket details and prices). 27th May 2007 : LOCAL NEWS
The East Grinstead Courier article has now been scanned in and can be viewed here 27th May 2007 : PORTUGAL APARTMENT FOR RENT
Modern, bright "air conditioned" apartment in a charming and luxurious complex.
Situated in the elegant historic town of Tavira, this delightful two bedroom apartment is close to 4 golf courses and golden beaches.
Faro Airport 19 miles - Beach 1.5 miles - Town 1 mile.
Accomodation : 1 Double Bedroom, 1 Twin Bedroom (also Double Sofabed in living area - all linen provided). Large living / dining area with seating for 6. Bathroom with WC and separate Shower room with WC. Fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher, washing machine, hob, oven , microwave and large fridge/freezer.
Complex includes 2 swimming pools (+2 childrens pools), restaurant, bar, tennis courts, children's play area, gym, jacuzzi, sauna and reception facilities (English spoken)
For more information or to enquire about available dates please check out www.tavirarentals.co.uk or contact Emma on 01424 436873 (tavirarental@hotmail.co.uk) ........
Please mention smileyracing when you call. 25th May 2007 : LOCAL NEWS
A further article on Steve's fabulous 2nd at Pembrey has been printed by the East Grinstead Courier.
Click on the headline to access the full article - IT'S ALL SMILES AS STEVEN GRABS SECOND AT RAIN-SOAKED MEETING 18th May 2007 : RACE REPORTS
The West Sussex County Times have published a great article about Steve's weekend in Pembrey.
Click here to see the full scanned in article or on the headline to view the cut down version - MILES POWERS TO PODIUM FINISH 18th May 2007 : RACE REPORTS
Its taken a while but finally Steve has uploaded race reports for all races to date. Please click on the appropriate link on the Race Reports page. 16th May 2007 : PHOTOS
The Gallery page has been updated with photos from Rockingham and Pembrey.
If you would like a high resolution copy of any photos then please feel free to email Steve.
We would appreciate that any photos used on other websites carry a suitable acknowledgement of the source. 14th May 2007 : PEMBREY PROGRAMME
Liz was chuffed to get one of her photos from Rockingham on the front cover of the pembrey programme. Click here to see it. 14th May 2007 : PEMBREY RESULT
A good days testing on Friday the 11th in dry and wet conditions enabled us to experiment with several different set-ups whilst learning the track.
Steve qualified an excellent 3rd place on the grid for race one on Saturday and after holding onto 3rd place for a long time in damp conditions he eventually finished in 6th place. This meant we would start from 6th on the grid for race two on the Sunday.
A good tyre choice was made just before race 2 in very changeable weather opting for a full set of wets, as the cars assembled on the grid the heavens opened which played into our hands and after an excellent race in torrential rain, Steve finished a fantastic 2nd place, our first podium finish of the season with our main sponsors AToM getting several mentions over the tannoy system by a very enthusiastic commentator.
The weekends results gains us a further 33 points in the Championship table.
Further details can be found soon on our Race Reports page. 11th May 2007 : LOCAL PRESS
The West Sussex County Times have published another article in this weeks newspaper (dated 11th May), detailing our achievements from the weekends racing at Rockingham.
The newspaper will be publishing regular race reports during 2007.
The full article can be viewed via the following link (click here) 8th May 2007 : ROUNDS 3 & 4 - PEMBREY
This weekend coming will see Team Smiley travel to Pembrey in South Wales for rounds 3 & 4 of the 2007 Mighty Mini Championship.
The weekend is a double header meaning one qualifying session and a race on Saturday with race two on the Sunday, the grid positions for race two is determined by the finishing position from race one.
For spectators wishing to travel to Pembrey, please view our Calendar page where you will find links with location maps, local weather and a circuit website (where you can find further information about Pembrey with ticket details and prices). 8th May 2007 : FINAL INSTRUCTIONS - PEMBREY
The Final Instructions and Timetable for rounds 3 & 4 of the Mighty Mini Championship on the 12th & 13th May have been distributed by the BRSCC.
Please follow the BRSCC link for more details. 30th April 2007 : ROCKINGHAM RESULT
Having never been to Rockingham before and not being able to do the test session on the Friday we were thrown in the deep end a little, our first time out on track was qualifying.
The car set-up was not great and with lap times of almost 2 minutes, it meant we only had approximately 7 laps to learn the track and post a good lap time during the 15 minute session.
Needless to say we struggled in qualifying which left us 19th on the grid out of 29 cars.
However, Steve got a fantastic start off the grid and was up to 11th place by the end of lap one. After a very entertaining race we finished a very respectable 10th place, which earns us 10 Championship points and moves us up to 6th place in the Championship table.
Further details can be found soon on our Race Reports page. 24th April 2007 : ROUND 2 - ROCKINGHAM
This weekend coming will see Team Smiley travel to Rockingham in Northamptonshire for round 2 of the 2007 Mighty Mini Championship, which is on Saturday 28th April.
For spectators wishing to travel to Rockingham, please view our Calendar page where you will find links with location maps, local weather and a circuit website (where you can find further information about Rockingham with ticket details and prices). 22nd April 2007 : FINAL INSTRUCTIONS - ROCKINGHAM
The Final Instructions and Timetable for round 2 of the Mighty Mini Championship on the 28th April have been distributed by the BRSCC.
Please follow the BRSCC link for more details. 13th April 2007 : LOCAL PRESS
The West Sussex County Times have published another article in this weeks newspaper (dated 13th April), detailing our achievements from last weekends racing at Mallory Park.
The newspaper will be publishing regular race reports during 2007.
The full article can be viewed via the following link (click here) 10th April 2007 : MALLORY PARK RESULT
Having qualified in 6th place, Steve finished an excellent 7th place out of 27 cars in an action packed day at Mallory Park.
The result earns us 13 Championship points and leaves us 7th in the Championship table. This gets Team Smiley off to a great start at the beginning of the season, with our new colour scheme/sponsors attracting lots of attention amongst spectators and fellow competitors around the paddock.
Further details can be found soon on our Race Reports page.
6th April 2007 : SEASON OPENER
This weekend coming will see Team Smiley travel to Mallory Park in Leicestershire for the opening round of the 2007 Mighty Mini Championship, which is on the 9th April, Bank Holiday Monday.
For spectators wishing to travel to Mallory Park, please view our Calendar page where you will find links with location maps, local weather and a circuit website (where you can find further information about Mallory Park with ticket details and prices). 5th April 2007 : NEW MAIN SPONSOR - AToM
Smiley Racing is delighted to announce AToM as our main sponsor for the 2007 season.
AToM (All Types of Mortgages Ltd) is a family run Mortgage Distributor, Branded Lender and a Founding Member of PMPA. Now in its 15th year, AToM provides a comprehensive mortgage service offering all types of mortgages to all types of people.
AToM’s aim is to deliver a professional, transparent and compliant mortgage service to all their clients at all times using competitively priced products from lenders able to meet their demand for speedy decisions and early offers.
AToM constantly monitor the products and services from their lending partners to ensure they remain at the leading edge in the mortgage market at all times.
Further information can be found on our Sponsors page or you can visit the AToM website for a full range of their products.
Please mention Smiley Racing when making enquiries 5th April 2007 : NEW RACE NUMBER
We have confirmation that Team Smiley Racing will be competing with the race number '9' during 2007. 4th April 2007 : MALLORY PARK - TEST SESSION
Steve & Jason return from Mallory Park after a successful days testing with no problems from the work that was carried out over the winter months. The car was running very well and it was a great opportunity to bed-in the new CV joints, brakes and brake discs. We also purchased new tyres which are scrubbed a little. The car looked fantastic in its new livery, pictures can be seen on our updated Gallery page. 3rd April 2007 : MALLORY PARK - TEST SESSION
Steve & Jason travel to Mallory Park in Leicestershire for our first test session of the year. It will give us a chance to check out the work that has been done over the winter period and bed-in the new brakes, discs, CV joints and to make sure the car is running well, ready for the season opener which is back at Mallory Park on the 9th April. 29th March 2007 : FINAL INSTRUCTIONS - MALLORY PARK
Final Instructions for the first race of the season at Mallory Park on the 9th April have been distributed by the BRSCC.
Please follow the BRSCC link for more details. 22nd March 2007 : IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Make sure you keep regularly checking our News page as some exciting updates will soon be announced, including a new main sponsor, a new colour scheme and a new race number, all for the 2007 season.
The West Sussex County Times will also be running another of their excellent articles for Team Smiley and our sponsors, within the next few weeks. 21st March 2007 : PRE-SEASON WORK
With the start of the new season fast approaching, work frantically continues to get Mable ready, as we now have our first test session booked for the 4th April at Mallory Park.
You can keep up with all of our pre-season work in our Workshop page. 19th February 2007 : PRE-SEASON WORK
Work begins to get Mable up to scratch for the start of the season. You can follow the work on our Workshop page. 26th January 2007 : NEW SPONSOR - THE SIGN SHOP
Smiley Racing are pleased to announce The Sign Shop as one of its sponsors for the 2007 season.
The Sign Shop are based in Sussex and specialise in all kinds of vinyl graphics and signage (from Vehicle Livery to Shop Fascias).
A full range of their products can be found on The Sign Shop website.
I'm sure there are many of you that need new car graphics for 2007. They are thoroughly recommended. Please phone Jamie on 01403 268988 for more information about their services. Please mention the Smileyracing website, when ringing through with your enquiry. 21st January 2007 : WELDING OF ROLLCAGE FOOTPLATES
The new footplates have been welded in and a photo can be accessed via the following link.
To do this it was necessary to cut out the rear pockets to gain full access. These will be welded back in place, once the bolt holes have been drilled.
Many thanks to Jim at Autoweld. 20th January 2007 : NEW SILLS
Following a season of close racing and a few sidewards swipes, we have decided to treat Mable to a new set of outer sills. She'll also receive a support plate for the nearside front inner wheel arch and 2 new support plates for the rollcage feet (following a change to the regulations).
She's booked in at Autoweld - a much recommended bodyshop in Horsham. 16th January 2007 : NEW DRIVERS FOR 2007
There was much interest in the MM stand at the Autosport show.
Rumour has it that there are 10+ new drivers in the MM standard class for 2007.
The SMM class will be boosted with the migration of some old hands from the standard MM class, plus the return of a few old timers.
The Extremes will benefit from a change in the regulations, which opens the class up to many other types of minis (including the newer BMW mini and Z cars). 8th January 2007 : AUTOSPORT SHOW - NEC
Mighty Minis Racing will be taking up their regular spot on the BRSCC stand at this year's Autosport Show at the Birmingham NEC on 11-14 January 2007.
Championship co-ordinator, Rodger Tello, will be on hand along with competitor Dave Rees who will be displaying his Super Mighty Mini. Both will be happy to give help and advice. 7th January 2007 : REGULATIONS PUBLISHED
The 2007 Mighty Mini Regulations have been signed off by the MSA. Please visit the Mighty Minis website for more details.
The race weekends are coming thick and fast and this weekend we head to Silverstone, the home of British Motorsport, for round 4 of the Mighty Mini Championship. As always the race weekend, organised by the BRSCC, will have other championships racing including Fords, Porches, Single seaters, Super and Xtreme Minis. The Mighty Minis will be qualifying on Sunday morning with the race on Sunday afternoon. For spectators wishing to travel to Silverstone, please view our Calendar page where you will find links with location maps, local weather and a circuit website (where you can find further information about Silverstone with ticket details and prices).
2006 News Archive