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Mineeff Breaks Through For Maiden TCR Podium
Southern Highlands racer Lachlan Mineeff has broken through for his maiden podium finish in the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, also finishing as the highest-placed Audi driver in the season opener at Race Tasmania over the weekend.
After qualifying 11th, Mineeff elevated his LIQUI MOLY Audi RS3 to ninth in the first race.
The inverted top 10 grid format saw Mineeff lining up second for Race 2, and a rapid start elevated him to the lead by Turn 1.
Mineeff led the opening 11 laps and while he was eventually overtaken by Aaron Cameron, he was elated to break through for his maiden podium finish.
Starting sixth on the grid for the third and final race, Mineeff spent the entire race in a multi-car battle, ultimately bringing the LIQUI MOLY RS3 home in seventh position to round out his best-ever weekend in the category, finishing sixth overall.
“We struggled for a bit of pace at the start of the weekend, but we made some smart decisions in the races which enabled us to come away with a healthy points haul,” Mineeff said.
“In Race 1, it was important to finish inside the top 10 to take advantage of the inversion, which we were able to do, and once we had clean air in Race 2, our speed was strong.
“I had a good battle with Aaron (Cameron) – we swapped places a couple of times and showed a lot of respect for each other. Finishing second in that race was clearly the highlight of the weekend.
“In Race 3, I was in a close pack of cars which made it hard to overtake, because the heat coming from the other cars caused the engine and brakes to become very warm, so I just focused on bringing it home for a solid finish.”
Mineeff said he enjoyed the experience of working with the Melbourne Performance Centre team.
“MPC is a professional, well-resourced outfit, so I learned a lot by working with their crew,” he said.
“It was a shame Will Brown in the other MPC car had such a tough weekend, but I ended up flying the flag for LIQUI MOLY, which was satisfying.”
Mineeff is looking forward to returning to his Purple Sector team for upcoming TCR rounds, which he expects to play to the Audi’s strengths.
“The next two TCR rounds are at Phillip Island and Sydney Motorsport Park – they’re very aero-dependent circuits which will suit the Audi,” he said.
“A massive thank you to LIQUI MOLY, along with Otis Kiama, Southern Cross Truck Rentals, Vagparts Australia, National Truck Wholesalers, Equipment Dynamics, Midcoast Trucks, MJS Electrical, Jackson Motor Company and Forza Brakes for making the Tasmania weekend possible.”
The second round of Supercheap Auto TCR Australia will be held at Phillip Island, 12-14 May.
Mineeff Secures Tasmania TCR Start
Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series driver Lachlan Mineeff will be on the grid for this weekend’s season opener at AWC Race Tasmania, securing a late deal with the Melbourne Performance Centre squad to drive the LIQUI MOLY Audi RS3 campaigned by Will Brown in last year’s series.
Mineeff had previously planned to miss the Symmons Plains event, with his privateer Purple Sector team stripping back their own Audi TCR car and completing a thorough refresh to ensure it was fully prepared for the remainder of the season.
Fortunately, the MPC arrangement will ensure Mineeff is still able to compete in Tasmania, scoring valuable points towards his season tally.
“Due to the logistical challenges of preparing the car, our team had decided to miss Symmons Plains but it was a tough decision, knowing that I was going to give my rivals a big head start in the series,” Mineeff said.
“When the Melbourne Performance Centre crew offered me the opportunity to race one of their Audis, I jumped at the chance – it’s an opportunity to race in the opening round aboard a proven package, and make sure I start the season on the front foot.”
While Mineeff will return to his own Purple Sector outfit from Phillip Island onwards, he said the MPC outing will be a valuable learning experience.
“The MPC team is a professional, well-resourced squad with an enormous amount of experience running entries not just in TCR, but in other high-profile categories like GT World Challenge Australia,” Mineeff said.
“Being able to drive for MPC and understand their processes over a race weekend will give me some valuable insights that will be useful for how we approach events with our own team throughout the rest of the season.”
The MPC Audi will be backed by LIQUI MOLY, the long-time MPC sponsor coming on board to assist Mineeff’s Tasmania campaign.
“We have a strong partnership with Melbourne Performance Centre and we were happy to provide some expanded support for the Tasmania round to enable Lachlan to make it onto the starting grid,” LIQUI MOLY Head of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement, Belinda Narbey said.
“We have the utmost confidence in the professionalism of MPC and look forward to seeing two cars on the grid with major LIQUI MOLY signage at Symmons Plains.”
“LIQUI MOLY is a company that has a rich association with Australian motorsport, especially through their support of events like the Bathurst 12 Hour, and also a loyal and committed sponsor of MPC. We’re very proud to be showcasing their colours at Symmons Plains,” Mineeff said.
In addition to LIQUI MOLY, Mineeff’s Symmons Plains TCR entry will also be supported by Otis Kiama, Southern Cross Truck Rentals, Vagparts Australia, Equipment Dynamics, Midcoast Trucks, MJS Electrical, Jackson Motor Company and Forza Brakes.
The TCR race format is largely unchanged since last year – each round will consist of three races, of which the second will feature a top-10 reverse-grid format. One slight tweak to the weekend structure will be the awarding of series points for qualifying. Mineeff sees it as being a positive change.
“Last year, if you qualified in the lower end of the top 10 and stayed there in Race 1, you would start up the front for Race 2,” he said.
“This year, there’s more an incentive to qualify well, and score those points.
“Symmons Plains will be an interesting round – it will be our first race meeting on the new Kumho control tyres, so everyone will be learning on the run and I think we might see some unpredictable results. Our aim is to be well inside the top 10, continuing on from the sort of form we had at the end of last season,” Mineeff concluded.
Best Ever Result For Mineeff In Bathurst
Purple Sector driver Lachlan Mineeff has recorded a new best finish in Supercheap Auto TCR Australia with a sixth place in the second race of the TCR Bathurst 400.
Mineeff started the week with position 14 in qualifying, a position he maintained in race one despite encountering a tyre delamination. Race two was contested 48 hours after the conclusion of race one and the time between races allowed Mineeff and his team to make positive changes.
Starting where he finished the preceding race, Mineeff survived a war of attrition in which he consistently moved up the order throughout the 21 lap affair. In a race where many more experienced drivers fell by the wayside, Mineeff showed plenty of composure on his way to a career-best result.
“I’m really stoked with that result, to pick up a new personal best. To do it at such a big event as the Bathurst 1000, in front of such a big crowd, is sensational,” said Mineeff.
“It was certainly a battle of attrition out there, but it’s just a credit to our team who were able to put a package together that went the distance.
This year as a whole for us was fantastic, we learnt so much and we’re looking forward to applying that next season. 2022 will be great, we’re looking to do the full championship so I think it’s important to set a target for rookie of the year.”
“With the experience we picked up this year that should be achievable. I’m looking forward to starting the year strong in round one,” Mineeff concluded.
In the third and final race of the week, Mineeff tried to capitalise on a strong starting position, but the natural strengths and weaknesses of his VW Golf TCR car meant he lacked a little straight line speed compared to some of his opponents, and he finished 11th.
Mineeff has signalled his intent to return to Supercheap Auto TCR Australia in 2022.
Mineeff Expecting Level Playing Field For TCR Bathurst 400
Bathurst 6 Hour class winner and Supercheap Auto TCR Australia racer Lachlan Mineeffhas predicted a reset of sorts for the TCR field as teams and drivers prepare for the longest races in series history.
Driving for the Purple Sector team, which has just announced its expansion to a second car for Keegan Brain, Mineeff sits 21st in the series points. His championship position is heavily diluted by his decision to sit out the previous Bathurst round this year and focus on his 6 Hour campaign.
Mineeff arrived to the TCR Australia scene in style, recording a top 10 in his first-ever start in a wet race at Phillip Island.
The season-ending TCR Bathurst 400 will feature three races of 21 laps in length, totalling 130km each. With these being the longest races ever contested in TCR Australia, Mineeffhas voiced his prediction for an even playing field.
“The longer races are a big unknown, no one knows how the cars will perform over that distance so that plays into our hands a bit. We’re not on the back foot in terms of experience this weekend because we’re all in the same boat,” Mineeff said.
“It’s been too long between rounds, it was fantastic to get out to Eastern Creek earlier this month and get some mileage in the Volkswagen again. We did a bit of a shakedown and made sure everything was operating as it should and that’s given me some confidence heading to the Mountain.
“If we can stay out of trouble and make consistent progress across the event there’s no reason we can’t be challenging for the top 10.”
Mineeff also paid credit to the commercial partners that are supporting his campaign.
“A huge thanks to Truck Dealers Australia for jumping back onboard our campaign, after Phillip Island earlier in the year. I’m really looking forward to working with them again!” he said.
“Also, it’s fantastic to finally have Unitronic on track, after our partnership announcement earlier in the year. We will be working closely to work with Unitronic to create a unique experience for fans and followers of Lachlan Mineeff Motorsport and Unitronic to follow our progress throughout the week. Stay tuned to both @lachlanmineeff and @unitronic Instagram channels for coverage throughout the event.”
Mineeff will also be supported by these new and existing partners:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Vagparts Australia
Unitronic Australia
BWA Auto
Solo-Werks
Forza Brakes
Indicom Electrics
Astral Industries
Pitman Trucks
Euro Truck Spares
EO Sydney
AutoInstruct
National Truck Wholesalers
DNA Autosport
Granger Design
The inaugural TCR Bathurst 400 will form part of the support bill for the Repco Bathurst 1000, with action to take place from November 30-December 5.
Leading Performance Software & Hardware Brand Partners with TCR Australia Young Gun
Unitronic, IMSA series front-runners and industry-leading engineers of high-performance software and hardware for Audi and Volkswagen vehicles, has announced a partnership with TCR Australia rookie Lachlan Mineeff and the Purple Sector outfit for the remainder of the 2021 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series.
The Unitronic brand has a significant presence in North American motorsport, the company running its own successful TCR program with JDC-Miller Motorsport in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Series.
Since their debut in 2019, Unitronic have utilised their motorsport program to grow their business and extend their reach throughout the USA and Canada. The motorsport platform has enabled Unitronic to expand its technical expertise in software and hardware demands present in high-level racing, identify new potential dealers, facilitate new technical partnerships and other business-to-business relationships, and create and expand OEM manufacturer relationships.
According to Unitronic Technical Director John Staffi, the partnership with Mineeff and Purple Sector is an opportunity for Unitronic to expand on its American success in the rapidly-growing Australian market.
“The Australian market has a large growth opportunity for our company and we’re excited to be able to showcase our brand in TCR, on one of the most popular platforms for our Performance Software and Hardware in the VW Golf GTi,” Staffi said.
“We hope to be able to gain some recognition in Australia, create some opportunities to further develop the Australian market, together with our distributor, BWA Auto, and show the Australian market a good time at the races!
“The VW GTI TCR SEQ is quite a bit different from an aero perspective and setup wise, from our Audi RS 3 LMS TCR SEQ that we run in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge here in North America, but we’re eager to see how the team and Lachlan perform.”
The Purple Sector organisation is a partnership between Lachlan Mineeff Motorsport and VAGPARTS Australia, a business that supplies genuine performance parts including Unitronic components for Audis and Volkswagens. Also playing a key part in the Purple Sector/Unitronics partnership is BWA Auto, the official distributor of Unitronic products for the Australian and New Zealand markets.
VAGPARTS Australia owner Paul Fry said the Unitronic partnership is an exciting step forward for Purple Sector.
“This partnership is really fantastic. It fits perfectly with our image, our strategy, and our love for motorsport,” Fry said.
“BWA Auto is a strong partner for us, and as a proud Canadian, having Unitronic on board couldn’t be more fitting.”
Mineeff is excited about promoting the Unitronic brand throughout the rest of the 2021 season.
“It’s always satisfying to attract new sponsors to our team and with Unitronic, we’re in the heartland of their target demographic,” Mineeff said.
“The team at Unitronic are passionate about motorsport, as demonstrated by their success in America. We’re looking forward to replicating that story here in Australia and hopefully exploring some cross-promotional opportunities with their American motorsport programme.”
The next round of the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series will be held at Morgan Park Raceway, 13-15 August.
About Unitronic®
UNITRONIC® engineers industry-leading aftermarket performance enhancing software and hardware for Audi®, Volkswagen®, Seat®, and Skoda® cars worldwide. Best known for its performance software engine and transmission calibrations, Unitronic enhances vehicle performance while maintaining complete OEM-like reliability and drivability. Unitronic’s UniCONNECT+ Programming and Diagnostic Interface empowers Unitronic Clients to safely reprogram their engine and transmission control modules from the comfort of home, anywhere in the world. Learn more about Unitronic's competitive advantage at www.getunitronic.com
About VAGPARTS Australia
VAGPARTS Australia supplies genuine and performance parts for Audis and Volkswagens. Choosing the best supply options from around the world, VAGPARTS supplies retail and trade customers with the best possible service & prices.
About Lachlan Mineeff
Through a combination of on-track ability and off-track dedication, 18-year-old Lachlan Mineeff has established himself as a rising star of the Australian motorsport scene.
A multiple race and round winner in the Australian Formula Ford Championship – recognised as the primary breeding ground for rising stars of the sport – Lachlan has also tasted success at the Holy Grail of domestic motorsport, the world-famous Mount Panorama circuit, winning his class in the Bathurst 6 Hour production car endurance race.
Lachlan and his Purple Sector operation stepped into the highly-competitive TCR Australia Series earlier this season, Lachlan finishing an impressive ninth in his first-ever race, against well-credentialled opposition.
About BWA Auto
With over 45 years of experience, BWA Auto specialise in Porsche, Audi, BMW, Mercedes and VW servicing and mechanical repairs for all current and past models. We have factory trained technicians with years of experience.
BWA Auto is also the proud distributor of UNITRONIC for the Australian and New Zealand Market, Partnered with UNITRONIC we offer an extensive range of upgrades for your engine. Starting with simple intake modifications, intercooler and turbo upgrades and supporting Software, all the way to full blown built engines, dealing with only the best manufactured parts with OEM like fitment and world renowned Flash tunes.
We can facilitate all your service & repair needs ranging from log book servicing through to engine overhaul and re-builds. We have a team of dedicated and trained staff to make your servicing experience as pleasant and easy as possible.
TCR Rookie Announces EO Community Partnership
Standout Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series rookie Lachlan Mineeff has announced a community partnership with the Sydney chapter of the world’s only peer-to-peer network exclusively for entrepreneurs, EO (Entrepreneurs Organisation).
Unlike other business networking organisations, EO sets rigorous criteria for those who wish to join, with its members required to be business owners, founders or majority shareholders.
According to EO Sydney General Manager Pip Kearney, EO members have exclusive access to experiences not available anywhere else.
“By setting out specific conditions for people to be able to join EO, we ensure our members are able to connect deeply and relate to one another through shared experiences,” Pip said.
“The level of trust between our members allows them to discuss situations they’ve been through and to learn and grow based on shared knowledge.”
The community relationship with Lachlan Mineeff was created when Pip and the EO team were brainstorming new ideas for member events.
“When we were looking to run a member event at Sydney Motorsport Park, we were put in touch to Lachlan by some EO Members including his father John, and the conversations grew from there,” she said.
“We were looking for the chance to host some special events and many of our members are passionate car enthusiasts, so when we started talking to Lachlan about his motorsport programme, we identified a prime opportunity.
“Lachlan shares the same ambition as the business owners in our organisation – he has really committed himself to his passion and he has demonstrated determination and hunger for success. He’s still only young but he’s already achieved some very impressive results.”
EO members were treated to their first taste of the new community partnership during a function at Sydney Motorsport Park on 9 June. Mineeff was interviewed on stage alongside Team SYDNEY Supercars drivers Fabian Coulthard and Jonathon Webb, before EO members were invited to complete laps of the circuit in their road cars, as well as being treated to thrilling passenger rides in Mineeff’s Purple Sector Volkswagen Golf TCR car.
“It was an awesome evening, I haven’t seen everyone smile so much,” Pip said.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of our members – it was their first chance to drive around a track and certainly the first time they had been for rides in a race car.
“Moving forward, we’re excited to collaborate with Lachlan and his team on co-branding and exploring opportunities to leverage support among our membership base.”
Mineeff said the community partnership with EO has already yielded some strong results.
“It was a really enjoyable night, to create an experience for the EO members at SMP, especially seeing their reactions after I took them for a ride in my TCR car,” Mineeff said.
“I was certainly blown away with the professionalism of the event, and although I’m not a member myself, it was fantastic to get a first-hand experience of the calibre of events that EO create.
“We’re looking forward to working on some more opportunities throughout the year, in conjunction with my race program – the goal is to help EO increase their membership.”
EO Sydney invites membership applications from business owners who meet three of the following five criteria: minimum revenue of $5M AUD, EBITDA of at least $500,000, year-on-year growth, five or more staff and a unique field of business. The total global revenue of the business must also be at least $1M USD.
Please click here for more information on how to join EO Sydney, as well as member benefits and other useful items.
The next round of the TCR Australia Series will be held at Morgan Park, 13-15 August.
Mineeff's Learning Curve Continues At SMP
Supercheap Auto TCR Australia rookie Lachlan Mineeff has rated this weekend’s fourth round of the series at Sydney Motorsport Park as a learning experience, after finishing 17th, 16th and 15th in the three races
In just his second round aboard the Southern Star Truck Centre VW Golf, Mineeff paid credit to his Purple Sector crew for improving his car throughout the weekend.
“It was a great weekend of learning; we struggled over the first half of the event, but the Purple Sector team worked hard and we had a good package by the end,” Mineeff said.
“In my debut round at Phillip Island, the car was right in the setup window and we were able to achieve a top 10 result.
“This weekend, I had to learn to drive the car when the setup wasn’t optimal. Sydney Motorsport Park is always challenging for tuning a race car, because the conditions can evolve so much from session to session, but the crew did a great job of chasing the track and making small gains.
“The field in TCR is extremely competitive and I was embroiled in ferocious battles with other cars in the first two races.
“With all the progress we had made with the car, I was confident of improving my position in race three but unfortunately there were a couple of long Safety Car periods, and we only had a couple of laps of green flag racing, which limited my opportunities to push forward.”
The next round of the TCR Australia Series is at Queensland’s Morgan Park circuit on 25-27 June and Mineeff believes it is a venue that will suit the VW Golf.
“Morgan Park is tight and technical track, with a mixture of fast and slow corners,” he said.
“I think it will suit our baseline setup and everything we’ve learned this weekend will work to our advantage.
Lachlan Mineeff Motorsport is proudly sponsored by:
Southern Star Truck Centre
VAGParts
Solo-Werks Australia
National Truck Wholesalers
Astral Industries
Pitman Trucks
Truck Dealers Australia
AutoInstruct
Granger Design
DNA Autosport
Supercheap Auto TCR Australia
Round 4 Results
Qualifying: 19th
Race 1: 17th
Race 2: 16th
Race 3: 15th
Lachlan Mineeff was not planning to race in the Phillip Island round of Supercheap Auto TCR Australia. However, when the event was postponed by three weeks thanks to a COVID-19 outbreak, it presented the 18-year-old with an unmissable opportunity to make his first appearance in the competitive category.
With no seat time in his VW Golf TCR car prior to the race meeting, Mineeff’s expectations were modest. But a stunning performance in diabolical weather conditions saw the Southern Highlands driver finishing ninth in his first-ever TCR race.
“We weren’t planning to run at Phillip Island but when it got postponed, we were able to do a whole lot of planning and preparation in that three-week period, which enabled us to make the grid,” said Mineeff.
“The weather that weekend was wild and in hindsight it was really good for us.
“In the past I’d never been overly confident in the wet, but it was an equaliser for the whole field, as all the experienced drivers had to contend with one of the first wet TCR races in Australia.”
Mineeff’s appearance at Phillip Island came after a considerable time away from the driver’s seat, as the young gun spent almost the entire 2020 season on the sidelines following his 2019 Formula Ford campaign.
“In 2019 we won two rounds of the Australian Formula Ford Championship and then sold our car because I was ready to take the next step,” he said.
“Thanks to the pandemic, nothing really came to fruition in 2020 but it enabled us to put together this deal for 2021.”
For his Phillip Island debut, Mineeff ran under the Melbourne Performance Centre banner, easing his transition into the series as he lined up amidst a group of experienced team-mates.
Subsequently, Mineeff purchased the #14 Volkswagen Golf GTI and shifted his TCR campaign to a privateer operation under the Purple Sector banner. The Sydney Motorsport Park round marked Purple Sector’s first event as a standalone operation, Mineeff describing the experience as challenging but rewarding.
“There’s certainly plenty of challenges to running as a privateer entry, there’s a lot to learn and it’s a pretty steep learning curve,” he said.
“We’re fortunate that TCR as a category allows us as a single car team to be on the same grid as these big multi-car operations such as Garry Rogers Motorsport and Melbourne Performance Centre.
“It’s pretty cool racing door-to-door with a team like GRM who are such an iconic part of the Australian motorsport scene across so many categories.”
One of the opportunities afforded to Mineeff this year as a direct result of his performances in TCR was a test in Cooper Webster’s S5000 which took place at Sydney Motorsport Park.
“The exposure that we’re getting is phenomenal, from the TV coverage to the social media focus it really helps open doors for other opportunities. I was really fortunate to jump in Cooper Webster’s S5000 on the Thursday night at SMP which was simply exhilarating.”
Now in the backend of the 2021 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Season, Mineeff is eager to continue improving and building up the Purple Sector team.
“We’re managing our expectations, it’s one of the most competitive fields in the country but we’re confident we can continue to improve each time we hit the track. We’re looking to continue into the future, we own the car and are running the team so the idea would be to remain on the grid for 2022,” he said.
Mineeff Mind-Blown After S5000 Laps
Rising motorsport star Lachlan Mineeff has been left gobsmacked after testing an S5000 car at Sydney Motorsport Park yesterday evening.
The 18-year-old, who is competing in this year’s Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, completed a couple of sessions under lights aboard the Albert Callegher-owned 88 Racing S5000, regularly driven by Cooper Webster in the national series.
Mineeff is no stranger to open-wheel racing, having won two rounds of the Australian Formula Ford Championship in 2019. But he was blown away by the V8 S5000 car’s abundance of grip and engine performance.
“The power and the handling, with the slick tyres and 560 horsepower, are just incredible – I’m lost for words,” Mineeff said.
“The TCR car is quite quick and Formula Fords handle well, but this is everything in one.
“It’s given me a huge amount of respect for the guys who race these and run at the front.”
Mineeff said his taste of the S5000 has given him a desire to race one in the future.
“I’m extremely thankful to Albert and the team at 88 Racing, along with ACM Finance, for the opportunity to drive the car this evening.
“It would be an incredible opportunity to race one at some stage in the future.”
Mineeff’s focus now turns to this weekend’s fourth round of the TCR Australia Series, which kicks off with two practice sessions today.
Lachlan Mineeff Motorsport is proudly sponsored by:
Southern Star Truck Centre
VAGParts
Solo-Werks Australia
National Truck Wholesalers
Astral Industries
Pitman Trucks
Truck Dealers Australia
AutoInstruct
Granger Design
DNA Autosport
TCR Rookie Aiming to Continue Momentum Into SMP
Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series rookie Lachlan Mineeff is aiming to continue the momentum from his impressive Phillip Island debut last month, along with his recent Bathurst 6 Hour class win, into this weekend’s fourth round of the series at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Despite never driving in the Purple Sector Volkswagen Golf TCR car prior to Phillip Island, Mineeff acquitted himself with great distinction; the highlight of his weekend was the opening race, held in torrentially wet conditions, in which he charged from the rear of the grid to ninth position.
Since then, the 18-year-old has achieved a class win in the Bathurst 6 Hour production car race on the Easter weekend, where he shared a Toyota 86 with Tom Sargent. He has also completed a test day at Wakefield Park to further acquaint himself with the nuances of the TCR car and is looking forward to racing on home turf at SMP.
“Phillip Island was always going to be a challenging round for me, because I was thrown right in the deep end,” Mineeff said.
“To come away with a top 10 finish in my first race in TCR certainly exceeded my expectations, especially racing in such a high-quality field.
“Since then, we’ve had more time to familiarise ourselves with the car. The Wakefield Park test was beneficial – I completed a lot of laps and I was able to understand the handling quirks of the TCR car.
“The car is being run by DNA Autosport in Sydney and our engineer Andrew Schaap was able to experiment with some setup adjustments during the day as well.
“The corners at SMP put a lot of load through the tyres, especially the front-right, so we’re expecting tyre degradation to be a challenge, but it will be the same for everyone, so hopefully it all comes goes to plan for us.
“Overall, I’m feeling a lot better prepared than at Phillip Island and it would be fantastic to come away from the weekend with some more top 10 results,” Mineeff concluded.
This weekend’s TCR races will be shown live on the screens of Channel 7.
TCR Australia Round 4 Schedule
Friday, 30 April
Practice 1 – 10:55am (30 min)
Practice 2 – 2:45pm (30 min)
Saturday, 1 May
Qualifying – 9:00am (25 min)
Race 1 – 1:25pm (15 laps)
Sunday, 2 May
Race 2 – 10:10am (15 laps)
Race 3 – 1:25pm (15 laps)
*Bold Text indicating live on Channel 7 Plus
Young talent, Lachlan Mineeff, has taken the plunge into professional Motorsport with his Phillip Island debut in the 2021 TCR Australia Championship.
Before committing to the series, Mineeff and the VAGPARTS team entered the Phillip Island round of the Championship under the Melbourne Performance Centre banner in a team run by DNA Autosport Engineer, Andrew Schaap.
Practice 1 of the event saw Mineeff experience his first laps in his Golf GTi, gaining pace and increasing his understanding of the car in each of the following sessions.
With Practice and Qualifying behind him, it was time for Phillip Island to stay true to it's nature and change seasons, providing Mineeff with a very wet Race 1 and therefore, a completely different car setup.
Regardless, Mineeff showed his potential by driving the car from P20 to P10.
With the sun making an appearance for Races 2 and 3, the learning continued and the pace picked back up with Mineeff logging his fastest lap of the weekend in Race 3.
The round now over, Mineeff and the VAGPARTS team took ownership of the GTi and delivered it to DNA headquarters to begin preparing for the remainder of the Team's TCR Australia campaign.
Here is what Team Manager, Paul Fry had to say:
"I've worked with the team at DNA before and know that they are very down to Earth and simply love their racing. Phillip Island showed us that they are super confident in running the team and looking after the car's setup. With all that was going on, our Engineer [Andrew Schaap], remained calm and professional to get the job done and we walked away with a great result."
We also had a chance to catch up with Driver, Lachlan Mineeff:
"After seeing the experience they [DNA] showed running the car at Phillip Island, it was almost a no-brainer to build our team with them. Phillip Island came together at the last minute so we all went in somewhat blind. We were super impressed with Andrew and what we were able to achieve that weekend, so it makes sense to continue working together."
A note from the Director of DNA Autosport, Andre Nader:
"A big part of what we do at DNA is help guide people through the ins and outs of the track. What we will endeavor to do with Lachlan is much the same. He has a whole heap of experience behind the wheel, but he has taken a massive step up here. This [TCR] is a platform he doesn't have much experience with, and this is a stage he has never performed on so there's a lot to cover. One thing I can say for sure is that we are excited and honored to be a part of it.
Privateer Volkswagen ace returns for Sydney Motorsport Park
Privateer Volkswagen Golf GTI driver Lachlan Mineeff will return to the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series for Round 4 at Sydney Motorsport Park on May 1-2.
After missing the recent round at Mount Panorama while focusing his attention on his Bathurst 6 Hour entry that ultimately claimed Class D honours, Mineeff is excited to return his focus to TCR at his home track.
CLICK HERE for ticketing options for the Shannons Motorsport Sport Australia Championships at Sydney Motorsport Park.
After making a solid debut in the turbo-charged touring car class at Phillip Island where he scored 10th, 12th and 13th across the three races respectively, Mineeff is looking forward to competing at Sydney Motorsport Park.
“We missed the opening round at Symmons Plains, so were weren’t in the championship hunt, which is why we elected to miss the Bathurst round as well and put our energies into the 6 Hour,” Mineeff explained.
“And I’m glad we did that, because we had a great result and won our class.
“Sydney Motorsport Park is a home round for us and we are looking forward to it. We have had a test day there, and we’ve got another one coming up at Wakefield Park too, so we couldn’t be any better prepared for it.
“With the form that we showed at Phillip Island, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be challenging top 10 results.”
After securing the car at Phillip Island from former caretakers Melbourne Performance Centre, Sydney’s event will mark the first time that Mineeff’s newly-named team ‘Purple Sector’ will run the car under its own steam.
While the car, its maintenance and logistics are now 100 percent in his own hands, Mineeff will continue to enjoy a level of technical support from MPC.
“We’ll have all of the same crew and personnel with us like we had at Phillip Island, the only real difference is that we now take on the transport and logistics,” he explained.
“So this will be our first round as a full private entry, but its great to know that MPC is there for assistance when and if we need it.
“Heading into Sydney, we have a lot more experience, including the test days, so we should be in a good position.”
In other news, Mineeff is giving away a hot lap in his Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR at Wakefield Park on April 19. Anyone who registers to drive their own car at the upcoming Track School track day at the Goulburn venue on April 19 will instantly go in the draw to ride alongside Mineeff in his turbo charged Golf rocket. Check out Mineeff’s social media platforms for more details.
The Sydney Motorsport Park Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships event will feature nine racing categories, including the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, the VHT S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship, Gulf Western Oil Touring Car Masters and the National Trans Am Series.
CLICK HERE for ticketing options.
Auto Action - Young Guns - Lachlan Mineeff
New South Welshman Lachlan Mineeff scored a top 10 on debut in TCR Australia at Phillip Island last month, then followed it up with Class D victory at last weekend’s Bathurst 6 Hour, but his success could have been on dirt.
Mineeff’s father and uncle were successful in Speedway competition, but it was watching circuit racing on television, which fuelled his ambition to race.
“My dad raced dirt track speedway; my uncle was quite good at it in the mid-1990s,” explained the 18-year-old.
“From there, I watched Supercars and Formula 1 during my younger years, then when I was seven, I got a kart for the first time and did some practice in that, but from then on, I was hooked.
“We moved into club level karting when I was 10 and from there progressed through the ranks into state series. I won the NSW Junior State Championships in karting before moving into Formula Ford.
“It’s very hard to make a career in circuit racing, but it is especially harder in speedway and there’s probably a bit more of a future potential in circuit racing. I still remain interested in Speedway to this day; I have intentions to go and compete when the circuit racing is a little bit less busy.”
Linking up with current Carrera Cup racer Cameron Hill for his next step into Formula Ford, Mineeff was a frontrunner almost immediately in the national series.
“We did a couple of rounds of the NSW State Series, walking away with a race and round win, which was a fantastic way to end the year,” he explained.
“For 2018, we decided to make the step up to the National Formula Ford Series and I had quite a good learning year there, a consistent season meant I finished fifth in the title.
“From there, we did another year in the national series and if I was completely honest it would have been nicer to be a couple more spots up in the title, during the midway of the season we were second or third.
“We finished fifth again that season with a few race wins and a couple of round wins, which was good.
“We had the same equal level of round wins in the category so can’t be unhappy with that.”
Teaming with Formula Ford rival Tom Sargent, the pair created history at The Mountain in 2019, despite overcoming a hardship early on in the race.
“We had to overcome adversity early on in the Bathurst 6 Hour, which included an engine failure just 40-minutes into the race,” he said. “We replaced the engine to get back out and we became the youngest finishers of an endurance race at The Mountain.”
The duo returned to The Mountain last weekend, winning Class D in a Toyota 86 run by CHE Racing and finishing an impressive 15th outright.
Before this, Mineeff made his TCR Australia debut in tough conditions at Phillip Island, recording a top 10 in his maiden race start and will continue his campaign at Sydney Motorsport Park driving his privateer Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR.
“We’re really looking forward to TCR this year after not racing in 2020,” Mineeff enthused. “TCR we’re really happy with, running our own team is good and I aim to get experience this year to see where it takes us.
CHE Racing Secure Stunning Bathurst 6 Hour Class Win
Canberra based family team CHE Racing have finished 15th outright and first in Class D in the 2021 Bathurst 6 Hour following a pair of remarkable performances from drivers Tom Sargent and Lachlan Mineeff, with Cameron Hill managing the team.
Sargent was tasked with qualifying the car, where he finished second in class and 43rd overall. The CHE Racing Toyota 86 spent the opening hour of the race running around this position.
With the intervention of a large number of Safety Cars, Hill made some bold strategic calls and the #14 Toyota 86 was able to move inside the top 25.
In the final half of the race, Sargent and Mineeff continued to log consistent and quick laps around the Mount Panorama circuit. Combined with some more sharp strategy, they were able to claim the class lead and push up inside the top 20 until they eventually settled into 15th.
“That was pretty crazy, after the disappointment of 2019 to just get through and finish this race on the one engine was an achievement…but then to win our class is just phenomenal,” Mineeff said.
“Cameron made some great calls to get us up the order and huge credit to Tom as well for putting in some mega stints and some really cool-headed final laps to bring the car home. The middle of the race for me was quite difficult and there were plenty of safety cars, some of which didn’t fall our way. Fortunately, we got a bit lucky with the timing in the second half of the race on when they came out.”
“That was an unbelievable day, to get the class win is one thing but to come home 15th outright as well is incredible," Sargent added.
"It’s a huge testament to the work put in by Cameron, Lachlan and the rest of the team to make the right calls throughout the day and put together great stints on track.
“It was mentally draining, especially all the traffic with almost 60 cars in the field. Trying to find the right spots to let the faster cars pass us without compromising our own race, especially when we’re involved in our own battles was tough. I spent a lot of time looking in my mirrors.”
While Hill relished his team manager role, he said he prefers being behind the wheel.
“It’s a lot worse being a team manager, as opposed to a driver, I was really stressed for all 6 hours of that one," he said.
"There were a lot of moments in that race where the strategy call would decide our fate and I had to make those decisions, so the heart rate was pumping pretty solidly."
The CHE Racing Team is back on track for Round 2 of the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia at The Bend Motorsport Park, 8-9 May.
Bathurst 6 Hour Results Summary:
Practice 1 – 36th (1st in class)
Practice 2 – 39th (1st in class)
Practice 3 – 39th (1st in class)
Qualifying – 43rd (2nd in class)
Race – 15th (1st in class)
CHE Racing Carrying Winning Momentum to Bathurst 6 Hour
Canberra-based motorsport outfit, CHE Racing will be looking to continue its recent run of success when it lines up on the grid for the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour this weekend.
Over the last month, CHE Racing has achieved overall victories in the opening round of the Porsche Carrera Cup with Cameron Hill, along with the first round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship and first two rounds of the Victorian Formula Ford Championship with Tom Sargent.
This weekend, Sargent and Lachlan Mineeff will steer the CHE Racing Toyota 86 in the production car endurance marathon at the Holy Grail of Australian motorsport and are aiming for nothing less than a class win.
“In the 2019 Bathurst 6 Hour, we achieved history by becoming the youngest driver combination in history to finish a major endurance race at Bathurst, but we made hard work of it,” Sargent said.
“The engine blew and we lost a lot of time in the pits changing it. While it was rewarding to make it to the finish, we’re aiming for a much better result this time around.”
“Since 2019, we’ve done a lot of work to the car, especially in the area of handling,” Mineeff added.
“We’ve installed a KW Suspension kit thanks to Solo Werks, which has given us a greater degree of adjustability – this will be useful for fine-tuning the car and ensuring we have a package that is comfortable for both Tom and myself over the race distance.”
Both drivers are coming off the back of impressive performances in national categories. In addition to Sargent’s aforementioned Formula Ford success, Mineeff debuted in the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series at Phillip Island, immediately recording top 10 results against well-credentialled opposition.
Fresh from his victorious Carrera Cup outing, Hill will wear the team manager hat this weekend and says the pressure of making the right strategic calls in the heat of battle will be just as challenging as driving the car.
“In the Bathurst 6 Hour, there are a lot of variables, especially with such a massive field (more than 60 cars) and big speed differences between the fastest and slowest cars,” Hill said.
“There will be Safety Cars for sure, and it will be a case of managing our pit stops and tactics to ensure we stay on the lead lap within our class. It can be very easy to fall off the lead lap if you pit at the wrong time and then you spend the rest of the day chasing your tail.
“Our strategy will be to stay out of trouble and conserve the car for the first five hours, and put ourselves in a position where we can sprint hard in the last hour.”
Bathurst 6 Hour practice will be held on Friday, with qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
The race will be shown live on 7MATE.
Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour Schedule
Friday, 2 April
10:20am – Practice 1 (60 min)
5:00pm – Practice 2 (60 min)
Saturday, 3 April
8:15am – Practice 3 (40 min)
4:40pm – Qualifying Slower 50% (20 min)
5:05pm – Qualifying Faster 50% (20 min)
Sunday, 4 April
11:15am – Race (6 hours)
Lachlan Mineeff opens up on expectations ahead of TCR Australia debut
This coming weekend marks the TCR Australia series debut of 18-year-old Lachlan Mineeff, a young gun based in the rural New South Wales town of Bowral, getting a crack in the second season of the Australian hot hatch championship after purchasing a Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR from Melbourne Performance Centre.
For the upcoming round at Phillip Island, which starts tomorrow, the Lachlan Mineeff Motorsport team will have help from MPC in the preparation of the car before it becomes a technical alliance afterwards with Mineeff hoping to compete in more rounds this year.
To be on the grid is the realisation of a dream which started back in 2019 when TCR Australia got underway at Sydney Motorsport Park but for Mineeff, various lockdowns and border closures meant he’s had to turn to the virtual world of iRacing to prepare.
“Ever since I watched the first TCR Australia round at SMP in 2019, I followed the series with great interest and tried to put together a way to get into the series as a competitor,” he told TouringCarTimes.
“About 12 months ago we put some groundwork together, and since then, worked really hard to put it together.
“(There’s been) lots of iRacing! I haven’t had the opportunity to test a TCR car before this weekend, and had my first sit in one yesterday (Wednesday), so we are are certainly in the deep end, they are very different from anything I have driven in the past, so coming up to speed with the car we will need to jump on quickly.
“I know a few drivers currently in the series so taking as much as I can from them, but MPC have been fantastic with their help before this weekend, and I can’t thank them enough for that.”
Unable to compete in a round of racing in any category during 2020, Mineeff has realistic expectations for Phillip Island but wants to fast-track his progress throughout 2021, committing to as many races as possible depending on the team’s budget to eventually become a top five finisher.
“To cut laps and gain experience is our main goal, anything more than that is a bonus! We certainly can’t be expecting to go and win the round, but we are looking to continually improve throughout the year, and by the end, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be challenging in that top five,” said Mineeff.
“We have purchased the car, so we are committing to as many rounds as we can post Phillip Island.”
Friday and Saturday morning will have practice and qualifying at Phillip Island ahead of the three races across Saturday afternoon and Sunday. Mineeff will be one of two VW Golf drivers competing with experienced racer Chelsea Angelo driving the other entry under the MPC banner.
Report with thanks to toruingcartimes.com
Covers taken off Lachlan Mineeff’s car ahead of TCR Australia debut
TCR Australia debutant Lachlan Mineeff has revealed the colours he will run in his first event at Phillip Island this weekend, competing in a Melbourne Performance Centre prepared VW Golf GTI TCR.
Backing will come from Truck Dealers Australia, AutoInstruct and VAGParts Australia, all throwing their support behind the 18-year-old who makes his first race start in over a year after being unable to compete in 2020.
Though he has never raced in the category, Mineeff believes having the support of a few large companies and the MPC team will put him in good stead to make progress throughout the round.
“I’m super excited to be able to announce a new group of partners onto our campaign for the Phillip Island TCR Australia round,” he said.
“Without having even hit the circuit, all of the sponsors have said that TCR is a great platform to work with, and we are super excited to welcome them all onboard.”
Practice on Friday the 12th will be followed by qualifying and race one on Saturday with races two and three rounding out the weekend on Sunday.
YOUNG GUN SECURES VOLKSWAGEN GOLF FOR TCR TILT
Lachlan Mineeff will make his debut in the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series at Phillip Island next weekend.
The 18-year-old New South Welshman has purchased a Volkswagen Golf GTI to compete in the remaining five rounds of the 2021 season.
The Golf was last raced by Alexandra Whitley during the inaugural TCR Australia Series in 2019, and was also entered for Whitley at the ill-fated Australian Grand Prix event last year.
Mineeff progresses to TCR after a two year stint in the Australian Formula Ford Championship, having finished fifth in both seasons, including race and round wins in 2019.
Mineeff is also the holder of a special record at Mount Panorama. Paired with fellow youngster Tom Sargent, they become the youngest pairing to finish an endurance race at the famous mountain circuit in the 2019 Bathurst 6 Hour, driving a Toyota 86 car.
Since Whitley’s racing, the car has been stored at Melbourne Performance Centre who will offer Mineeff’s privateer team technical and logistics support at Phillip Island before Mineeff’s team takes the car under its own wing.
Mineeff’s effort is in partnership with VAGPARTS Australia, a specialist supplier of genuine and aftermarket parts for Volkswagens and Audis.
Due to time limits, Mineeff’s first drive of the car will come in the opening practice session at Phillip Island on Friday, March 12, ahead of qualifying and the three races on Saturday and Sunday.
QUOTES
Lachlan Mineeff
#14 Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
“I’ve been looking to go TCR racing since it first come to Australia in 2019, and I can’t wait to get to Phillip Island,” said Mineeff.
“I was there at the first TCR event at Sydney Motorsport Park, and from there I’ve been working on ways to get into the class. I’m stoked that we’ve finally pieced it all together.
“The reason I chose to go with the Volkswagen is because they are a very competitive car, and we’ve also got VAGParts on board as a sponsor. The marriage between VAGPARTS and TCR was match made in heaven, so that has worked out really well.
“The Golfs proved to be very competitive last year. In the hands of Aaron Cameron and Jason Bright, they won races, took a pole position and finished with a heap of podiums, so they are certainly capable of running up the front.
“For me, TCR is a relevant platform for both manufacturers and sponsors. Coming out of Formula Ford and Production Car racing, it is the next step up the ladder and the best value for money category. It made the most sense.
“The competition, and the various brands in the category was also very appealing. Going up against some current and ex-Supercars drivers is a great test for me, and having all of the races live and free on the Seven Network makes this class the perfect place for me.
“I love the Phillip Island circuit. I’ve done two Formula Ford rounds there before. It’s a special place for me to make my TCR debut.
“I won’t be able to fit in any testing, but I’ve had decent results at Phillip Island before, so I’ll take as much of my experience as I can from my past racing and use it as best I can next weekend.”
Solid Finish To Mineeff's Formula Ford Journey at Phillip Island
Lachlan Mineeff has wrapped up fifth place in the 2019 Australian Formula Ford Championship by finishing sixth overall in the final round of the season at Phillip Island on the weekend.
Despite not testing prior to the event, and only completing eight laps during a weather-affected day of practice on Friday, Mineeff qualified sixth.
“In qualifying, we were caught in some traffic and didn’t quite maximise the car’s performance, but we still ended up with a reasonable grid position,” Mineeff said.
Mineeff finished seventh in Race 1, a result he repeated in a wet Race 2.
“In Race 1, the tyres took a while to reach their peak performance, and I lost a position early in the race,” he said.
“In Race 2, considering I had never driven at Phillip Island in the wet before, I was happy with my pace; the main focus was staying out of trouble and avoiding damage.
Some strong race-craft enabled Mineeff to improve to fourth in Race 3, the 16-year-old making up multiple positions in the closing laps and also gaining some places when a few other drivers were penalised for overtaking under yellow-flag conditions.
“Once again, the car took a while to come on and I lost some places at the start, but it was really fast towards the end and I was able to overtake people, and also capitalised on a few penalties,” Mineeff said.
Mineeff secured a top-five finish in the Australian Formula Ford Championship for the second year in a row.
“While our championship finishing position is the same as 2018, there’s no doubt we took a big step forward this season,” Mineeff said.
“Our pace was a lot more competitive, as we demonstrated by winning two rounds, and we only finished seven points behind third place.”
Mineeff is especially proud of his exemplary finishing record over the last two seasons.
“Over the last two years of national Formula Ford, I’ve finished all 42 races – no other driver in the field can say they’ve done that,” Mineeff said.
“It shows our CHE Racing Team have prepared an extremely reliable car, and we’ve been able to avoid on-track incidents.”
With Mineeff’s second full season in national Formula Ford complete, the Oxley College student is ready for new challenges, and will spend the remainder of 2019 putting together commercial arrangements for the 2020 season. More details will be revealed in the coming months, and interested commercial partners are encouraged to contact Lachlan via his website and social media channels.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Granger Design
Solo-Werks Suspension Systems
Indicom Electrical
Cactus Graphics
Astral Industries and Maintenance
MIneeff Aims For Top 3 In Formula Ford Championship
Australian Formula Ford Championship competitor Lachlan Mineeff is aiming to secure a top-three position in the final standings, when the series concludes at Phillip Island this weekend.
Mineeff is currently fourth in the FFord standings, just three points behind his team-mate Tom Sargent who sits in third position.
While Mineeff is mathematically in contention for the title, he accepts that outright victory in the Formula Ford championship would be a stretch. However, he says third place is a very achievable target.
“We would need a lot of luck to go our way to finish first or second, but it’s going to be a good battle for third,” he said.
“One of the main drivers I need to beat will be (team-mate) Tom, but while I’ll be racing hard to try and beat him, I’ll also be very conscious of not making unnecessary contact.
“The Phillip Island round was good for us last year – I finished fourth in one of the races, which was my equal-best result. The title contenders will be driving cautiously this weekend, so the plan will be to capitalise and hopefully win a couple of races.”
The year 11 Oxley College student is also hoping his recent simulator racing exploits will give him a winning edge. In preparation for the event, Mineeff has been competing in some high-profile simulator races including the Tuesday night “Just Send It” iRacing series, a competition that attracts Supercar and even Formula 1 drivers.
“The simulator racing has been very useful in terms of mentally preparing me for the task at hand,” Mineeff said.
“Even though the sensations are never going to compare to real-life racing, a lot of the processes and approaches are very similar, especially when it comes to maximising performance over a flying lap in qualifying, and setting up overtaking moves on other cars.
“On Tuesday night I raced at Bathurst in a TCR car, and it was really cool to compete against the likes of (Supercars Champion) Scott McLaughlin.”
This weekend’s final Australian FFord round will consist of practice on Friday, qualifying and Race 1 on Saturday, and Races 2 and 3 on Sunday.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Granger Design
Solo-Werks Suspension Systems
Indicom Electrical
Cactus Graphics
Astral Industries and Maintenance
CHE Racing Juniors Score Porsche Test
Formula Ford stars Tom Sargent and Lachlan Mineeff are preparing to experience one of the most thrilling moments in their motorsport careers tomorrow, when they turn laps at Wakefield Park in a current-specification Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.
Sargent (17, from Young) and Mineeff (16, from Bowral) have been two of the front-runners in the 2019 Australian Formula Ford Championship, each winning races and rounds for the CHE Racing Team.
The team, owned by the family of 2015 Formula Ford champion Cameron Hill, has organised tomorrow’s test as an acknowledgement of Sargent and Mineeff’s impressive performances, and the car they will test is the very same Porsche raced by Hill in the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia.
Hill said the test opportunity is thoroughly deserved by both drivers, and also reinforces Formula Ford as an officially-recognised step in the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid.
“Tom and Lachlan have both achieved some outstanding results, and they’re both learning and improving all the time,” Hill said.
“I know, from first-hand experience, just how valuable Formula Ford is as a junior development category, and with our CHE Racing operation, our plan is to give young drivers the right environment to learn the fundamental skills of going motor-racing.
“Being able to drive a race car quickly is a critical component, but it’s certainly not the only aspect of being a successful competitor; Formula Ford teaches drivers how to feel the impact of setup changes on car balance, how to analyse data and provide feedback to an engineer, and how to engage in wheel-to-wheel combat without making contact with other cars.
“Lachlan and Tom have proven themselves as race and round winners, and they’ve done our small family team very proud; we feel it’s appropriate to offer them a drive of the other race car in our stable.
“While the Porsche is a lot faster and more powerful than a Formula Ford, the fundamentals of driving technique are not too dissimilar, so I’m expecting them to go well. But I’ll be reminding them I have to race the car at Bathurst in a few weeks!”
Sargent and Mineeff are both thoroughly looking forward to the experience.
“The only tin-top race car I’ve ever driven has been a Toyota 86, and I’ve never driven anything with slick tyres before,” Sargent said.
“It will also be my first time in a left-hand-drive car, so there will be a lot to get used to, but I can’t wait!”
“I can hardly believe it’s happening, I don’t think I’ll be sleeping much tonight because it’s like the night before Christmas,” Mineeff added.
Mineeff the Hardest Charger at Windy Wakefield
Lachlan Mineeff has taken out the CHI Hard Charger Award in Round 6 of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at a windy Wakefield Park circuit on the weekend, after a storming recovery drive in the opening race.
The year 11 Oxley College student qualified eighth in an extremely tight session.
“The times in qualifying were ridiculously close; there was less than 0.1s from third down to eighth,” Mineeff said.
Mineeff’s chances of fighting to the front of the pack were severely set back at the start of Race 1, an off-track excursion dropping him to the rear of the 27-car field. In a display of pure determination and fine race-craft, Mineeff regathered his composure and staged a stunning fightback, working his way back to 10th at the finish.
“I made a good start, and I went to the outside heading into Turn 1, but just went a bit too deep into the corner,” Mineeff said.
“I went through the gravel trap and dropped to last, but I knew I had a fast car and I was determined to make up as many places as I could.”
Mineeff’s forward progress continued in Race 2; he climbed to fifth position. He was again running with the lead pack in Race 3, before an incident caused the race to be ended five laps early when he was running in sixth.
“In Races 2 and 3, the car was very quick and I was able to overtake people,” Mineeff said.
“In Race 3, I was catching the leaders, but then the race was declared early, which was a shame.”
Mineeff said the windy weather conditions made it a very challenging weekend for all the drivers.
“The wind was very strong all weekend – we were experiencing gusts of well over 70km/h,” he said.
“Because Formula Fords are so light, the wind was really unsettling the car – in every corner, you didn’t really know what to expect because it was changing so much.”
Mineeff is fourth in the standings heading to the final round in three weeks.
“Despite the Race 1 setback, we scored a solid bundle of points this weekend, and we’re still well in contention for a top-three result in the championship,” Mineeff concluded.
The seventh and final round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship will be held at Phillip Island, 28-29 September.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Granger Design
Solo-Werks Suspension Systems
Indicom Electrical
Cactus Graphics
Astral Industries and Maintenance
Mineeff Plays Down Home Track Advantage
The Australian Formula Ford Championship may be heading to Lachlan Mineeff’s home track, Wakefield Park, this weekend, but the Southern Highlands racer is talking down the potential advantages.
Mineeff and his CHE Racing Team have tested at the Goulburn circuit in the lead-up to this weekend’s penultimate round of the season. However, other teams have also completed test days at the venue, prompting Mineeff to be cautiously optimistic rather than over-confident.
“We did a couple of test days, but our main rivals did as well, so we don’t really have any advantages in terms of preparation,” he said.
“In saying that, both test days went really well. We completed a lot of laps, we were able to make plenty of adjustments, and we were able to get a good read on our setup changes and how they affected the handling of my Purple Sector Formula Ford.
“Off the back of our wins in the last two rounds, there’s a lot of confidence in the team at the moment, and we feel we have a package to fight at the front of the field once again.”
While on-track preparations have been going smoothly, Mineeff has also spent time enhancing the off-track aspects of his racing program. Since the last round at Sandown, he has introduced a micro-sponsor program, allowing interested individuals or businesses to enjoy a personalised involvement with the team for a modest investment.
Micro-sponsorship is available for as little as $100, with all micro-sponsors’ names listed on the car. Higher-level packages are also available, and include benefits such as tickets to race meetings, and a hot lap in Mineeff’s Bathurst 6 Hour Toyota 86 production car.
Mineeff said the micro-sponsorship program has already been well-received.
“I only announced the micro-sponsorship program a couple of weeks ago, and I’m stoked with the response,” he said.
“I already have a number of people and businesses involved, which is awesome!”
This weekend’s Formula Ford round will follow the standard format, with practice on Friday, qualifying and Race 1 on Saturday, and Races 2 and 3 on Sunday.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Granger Design
Solo-Werks Suspension Systems
Indicom Electrical
Cactus Graphics
Astral Industries and Maintenance
Mineeff Launches Into Title Contention With Back To Back Wins
Lachlan Mineeff has launched himself into contention for the 2019 Australian Formula Ford Championship with his second consecutive round win in the series, emerging as the overall victor after a chaotic weekend of racing at Sandown.
After qualifying fourth, the 16-year-old dodged several incidents in Race 1 to take the win.
“Race 1 was one of those races where there seemed to be cars spearing off and crashing into each other left, right and centre, so I focused on avoiding the drama and it paid off,” Mineeff said.
Starting from pole position in Race 2, Mineeff swapped the lead several times, and was again forced to avoid a collision between a couple of other drivers late in the race. He was classified third in the official results.
“Race 2 was an interesting one, because there were some quite fast cars coming through from the back of the field, and they were taking lots of risks to overtake,” Mineeff said.
“I stayed in the lead pack and was again able to capitalise on an incident to score another top-three result.”
Mineeff was again in contention for victory in Race 3, but an awkward moment with a slower car cost him momentum, and saw him relegated to fourth at the finish.
“Race 3 was longer, which meant we were lapping the slower cars at the end of the race,” Mineeff said.
“I caught up to one of them at a difficult spot on the track, which allowed the leader to pull away and the cars behind to catch up to me.
“I knew a solid top-five finish was still going to be good enough for me to win the round overall, so I didn’t panic at that point.”
While elated with the result, Mineeff said his immediate thoughts at the end of the weekend were with his team-mate Tom Sargent, who was forced to withdraw from the race meeting due to concussion sustained in a serious qualifying crash.
“It was a sensational weekend for me, but I’m really disappointed for Tom,” Mineeff said.
“I never want to see anyone have a nasty incident like that, and especially not my friend and team-mate. Thankfully, he had excellent medical care at the track and hospital, and he’ll be fine.
“The CHE Racing Team did an amazing job – as well as giving me a sensational car all weekend, they even managed to rebuild Tom’s one, but unfortunately he wasn’t given medical clearance to race.”
Mineeff’s second round victory has elevated him to third in the Formula Ford standings, 32 points behind the leader with 122 points still on offer across the final two rounds of the season.
The penultimate round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship will be held on Mineeff’s home turf, Goulburn’s Wakefield Park circuit, 6-8 September.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Granger Design
Solo-Werks Suspension Systems
Race Stars
Round Results Summary
Qualifying: 4th
Race 1: 1st
Race 2: 3rd
Race 3: 4th
Overall: 1st
Top 10 Points – After Round 5
1. Angelo Mouzouris – 203
2. Zac Soutar – 179
3. Lachlan Mineeff – 171
4. Callum Hedge – 165
5. Tom Sargent – 164
6. Jay Hanson – 149
7. Cody Burcher – 134
8. Courtney Prince – 123
9. Liam McLellan – 86
10. Cody Donald – 84
Mineeff makes gains in dramatic Sandown FFord round
Lachlan Mineeff has moved into Australian Formula Ford series contention with a race win and round honours in a dramatic Round 5 of the season at Sandown.
Zac Soutar qualified on pole and Race 1 saw a big battle for top spot between him, Cody Donald, and Angelo Mouzouris.
Soutar was second when he had a mechanical failure just as he crossed the control line to start Lap 8, which saw him hit by Mouzouris.
That would therefore be the final lap and while Donald was first to take the chequered flag, he was disqualified for a fuel irregularity, handing the win to Mineeff from Victorian Formula Ford Championship leader Ben D’Alia and his state rival Ben Bargwanna.
Soutar charged from near the back of the field to take out Race 2, ahead of Cody Burcher.
Donald was also mounting an impressive recovery drive until an incident with Jay Hanson and Peter Fitzgerald that took him out of contention.
Hanson crossed the finish line in third but was penalised for that incident, putting Mineeff on the podium again.
Soutar also won Race 3, but there was more frustration for Donald when he again put himself back into position to vie for the victory, only to have a clash with Burcher and another DNF.
Jay Hanson finished the race in second position, ahead of Mouzouris and Mineeff.
Mouzouris’ salvage effort means that he leads the series by 24 points over Soutar, with Mineeff another eight behind.
Tom Sargent was diagnosed with concussion after making heavy contact with the tyre wall at Turn 6 while trying to avoid traffic during qualifying.
After a night in The Alfred Hospital for observation, Sargent returned to Sandown on Sunday but sat out the racing due to not having medical clearance to compete.
The sixth and penultimate round for the national Formula Ford season is at Wakefield Park on September 6-8.
Standings (Top 10)
1 Angelo Mouzouris 203
2 Zac Soutar 179
3 Lachlan Mineeff 171
4 Callum Hedge 165
5 Tom Sargent 164
6 Jay Hanson 149
7 Cody Burcher 134
8 Courtney Prince 123
9 Liam McLellan 86
10 Cody Donald 84
Source: Speedcafe.com
Confident Mineeff Ready To Continue Winning Momentum
Winning Southern Highlands racer Lachlan Mineeff says his confidence levels are at an all-time high, as he prepares for this weekend’s fifth round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at Melbourne’s Sandown Raceway.
The 16-year-old Oxley College Student claimed his maiden Formula Ford round win at The Bend Motorsport Park last time out, emerging on top after a tight tussle with several other drviers.
“I always believed I had the ability to win, but now I know I can do it, and understand exactly what it takes,” Mineeff said.
“Having said that, this year’s Formula Ford field is extremely competitive, so I’m not becoming over-confident. Winning a race has made me realise just how much hard work and driving skill is required… but I’m ready to do it again!”
Since The Bend, Mineeff’s victorious performance has attracted attention from a number of high-profile sources including renowned current affairs commentator Paul Murray, who invited him to appear on Sky News to talk about his racing and also promote ReFrame, a free mental health service providing support to 12-25-year-olds in the Southern Highlands.
“Since I became involved with ReFrame last year, I’ve been looking for opportunities to promote its services through my motorsport activities – it turned out that my on-track success generated the attention we needed to give ReFrame some valuable coverage,” Mineeff said.
“I’m passionate about helping other people around my age who might be going through a tough time, and I’m excited about some projects we’ll be working on throughout the rest of the season.
Turning his attention back to the race track, Mineeff said the Sandown circuit is very different to other tracks Formula Ford has visited recently.
“The Bend had lots of fast, flowing corners, but Sandown is much more stop-start – it’s a mixture of slow corners leading onto long straights,” he said.
“There will be a lot of slipstreaming and overtaking as usual, but the key factor we’ll be focusing on is drive out of the slow corners, to ensure we reach the maximum possible speed on the straights.”
The round will feature the normal format of practice on Friday, qualifying and Race 1 on Saturday, and Races 2 and 3 on Sunday.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Granger Design
Solo-Werks Suspension Systems
Race Stars
Mineeff Breaks Through at The Bend
Lachlan Mineeff has joined an illustrious list of drivers who have achieved success in the Australian Formula Ford Championship, breaking through for his maiden race and round victories at The Bend Motorsport Park on the weekend.
After qualifying fifth, Mineeff made up one place to finish fourth in Race 1.
The 16-year-old Southern Highlands racer again ran fourth for most of Race 2, but was able to improve to second place when he slipped past a couple of his rivals in the final corner.
Starting from the front row of the grid in Race 3, Mineeff made an excellent start and accelerated into the lead – from there, he was never headed, and led every lap to secure his maiden victory at a national level.
After narrowly missing the podium on several previous occasions, the Oxley College student was elated with the weekend’s result.
“What a fantastic weekend – we’ve been chipping away and gradually improving, so to finally break through for our first overall podium result by finishing on the top step is just an amazing result,” Mineeff said.
“We knew the car was good as soon as we hit the track for practice on Friday, and we kept refining it throughout the weekend.
“I was a bit disappointed after qualifying – I thought we could have been higher than fifth – but in the first race we had the speed to run with the lead pack and I felt we were on for a strong weekend.
“A bit of luck went our way in Race 2, and in Race 3 I made one of my best starts ever.
“Once I had the lead, I knew I had to make the most of it, so I put my head down and made sure every corner of every lap was perfect. The cars behind were battling each other for second, which allowed me to open up a gap.
“On the last lap, there were a few nervous moments when I had to lap some slower cars, so I was very relieved when I saw the chequered flag.”
Mineeff’s team-mate Tom Sargent finished second overall to secure a 1-2 result for the CHE Racing Team, and Mineeff paid credit to the hard work of his crew.
“To share such an awesome result with Tom makes it especially sweet, and combined with (team-manager) Cameron Hill’s win in Carrera Cup last weekend, it’s been a very successful couple of events for the whole team,” he said.
Mineeff will next be in action for the fifth round of the championship at Melbourne’s Sandown Raceway, 20-21 July.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Granger Design
Solo-Werks Suspension Systems
Race Stars
Top 10 Points – After Round 4
1. Angelo Mouzouris – 178
2. Tom Sargent – 164
3. Callum Hedge – 162
4. Zac Soutar – 138
5. Lachlan Mineeff – 125
6. Cody Burcher – 118
7. Jay Hanson – 115
8. Courtney Prince – 97
9. Liam McLellan – 86
10. Cody Donald – 84
Mineeff Set To Send It At The Bend
Lachlan Mineeff is predicting this weekend’s fourth round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia to produce some of the most exciting racing of the year, and is ready to put his overtaking prowess to good use.
The Southern Highlands driver is forging a reputation for hard-charging drives, most notably in the previous round at Winton where he stormed from 13th on the grid into the top six in the weekend’s opening race, and he reckons the Tailem Bend track is one that suits his attacking style.
“It’s a challenging track, but it’s very rewarding when you get it right. There are some high-speed corners around the back part of the circuit that require commitment and bravery, but you also need to position the car very accurately,” Mineeff said.
“They’re the sorts of corners that reward drivers who have a good feel for the grip they have, and how much speed they can carry.
“The front straight is very long, and in these Formula Fords there will be a lot of slipstreaming, as drivers try to gain an advantage by getting a tow from the car in front. I can’t wait to make some late braking moves into the first corner, but at the same time I know there will be people behind looking to do the same to me!”
The 16-year-old is seventh in the Formula Ford standings after a consistent start to the year highlighted by a top-three result at Queensland Raceway, and is hoping his CHE Racing Team’s 2018 form at Tailem Bend will translate to front-running results.
“The Bend was a happy hunting ground for us last year – I won a couple of races in a state championship event, and my team-mate Tom (Sargent) was on the podium in the national round, so our cars seem to work pretty well there.
“We’re closer to the front-running pace than we’ve been before, but the competition has stepped up; we only need to make small gains to run right at the front.
“Our mentor and driver coach Cameron Hill had his first race win in Porsche Carrera Cup in Darwin on the weekend, so hopefully we can produce some more breakthrough results,” Mineeff concluded.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Granger Design
Solo-Werks Suspension Systems
Race Stars
A Weekend of Damage Limitation
CHE Racing Formula Ford driver Lachlan Mineeff has rated the weekend’s third round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at Winton as an exercise in damage limitation, finishing eighth overall with mixed results across the three races.
Winton Raceway’s notoriously changeable track conditions made Friday’s practice and qualifying sessions a challenge for Mineeff and the team, and he slotted into 13th on the grid for Saturday’s opening race.
A rain shower moistened the circuit for Race 1, Mineeff finding his Purple Sector Racing Mygale was well-suited to the low-grip surface, and he charged to sixth.
The conditions were drier for Races 2 and 3, and Mineeff was shuffled back in the typically cut-throat mid-pack battles, finishing seventh in Race 2 and ninth in Race 3.
“We started on the back foot on Friday, and didn’t quite find the right setup for qualifying,” Mineeff said.
“Race 1 was good – the car was strong in the wet and I had the confidence to pass quite a few cars.
“We knew the conditions were probably going to improve for Sunday, so we kept working on our dry setup and it was definitely an improvement. I didn’t maximise its performance in Race 2, and then I struggled with some of the mid-pack traffic in Race 3.”
Mineeff admitted Winton was always going to be a tough round for the NSW-based CHE Racing outfit, against Victorian teams with a wealth of experience at the venue.
“I’m not making excuses, but we were up against drivers and teams who had completed a lot of laps around Winton, and had a much better idea of what to expect with track conditions,” Mineeff said.
“I’m looking forward to the next round at Tailem Bend, which will be a more level playing field.”
Round 4 of the Australian Formula Ford Championship will be held at The Bend Motorsport Park as part of the Australian Motor Racing Series, 21-23 June.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Granger Design
Solo-Werks Suspension Systems
Race Stars
Mineeff Ready To Conquer Wet And Wild Winton
Rain showers are expected to greet competitors at this weekend’s third round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at Winton Raceway, but Southern Highlands racer Lachlan Mineeff is refusing to let the forecast dampen his expectations.
Instead, the CHE Racing driver is focused on the thrill of racing in front of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship audience for the second time in his career.
“It’s awesome to have a Formula Ford round back on the Supercars program; we raced with the Supercars at Tailem Bend last year, and it was an absolute blast,” Mineeff said.
“Once again, we’ll be competing in front of all the top Australian drivers and teams, and Winton always draws a big and passionate crowd.”
Like all Supercars support categories, Formula Ford will also benefit from live television coverage on FOX Sports this weekend.
“The live TV will be really good exposure, and people can also live stream the races by downloading the Kayo Sports app,” Mineeff said.
“We’ll all want to put on a good show, so our races will be well worth watching.”
Mineeff tested at Winton last week, but said the expected wet weather could change the team’s approach to the event.
“The testing was valuable, and we made some progress with the car setup and with my driving, but a lot of what we learned will become irrelevant if it’s wet,” he said.
“A bit of rain wouldn’t actually be a bad thing; it tends to level the playing field, and it’s good practice for all of us young drivers to handle a race car on a low-grip surface.
“The other thing that will be important this weekend is qualifying – Winton doesn’t have any long straights and the braking zones are very short, so overtaking is difficult whether it’s wet or dry.
“We’ll be aiming to maximise our performance in qualifying, and reduce the amount of hard work I have to do in the races.”
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Granger Design
Solo-Werks Suspension Systems
Race Stars
Weekend Schedule
Friday, 24 May
8:55am – Practice 1 (20 min)
11:35am – Practice 2 (20 min)
1:45pm – Qualifying (20 min)
Saturday, 25 May
12:05pm – Race 1 (10 laps)
Sunday, 26 May
8:15am – Race 2 (10 laps)
3:50pm – Race 3 (10 laps)
Mineeff Achieves Career-Best Result in Queensland
Lachlan Mineeff has scored a career-best result of third place in Race 3, Round 2 of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at Queensland Raceway on the weekend, after steadily improving throughout the event.
By his own admission, Mineeff started the weekend more slowly than he would have liked, qualifying 10th and finishing 11th in Race 1 after a cautious drive in appalling weather conditions.
“Practice on Friday went smoothly, and I was very confident of a good showing in qualifying on Saturday morning, but we put new tyres on and I didn’t make the most of the extra grip,” Mineeff admitted.
“In Race 1, it was extremely wet. The track was slippery and the visibility was terrible, due to all the spray. Rather than risking a crash, I drove conservatively and concentrated on bringing the car home in one piece.”
When the track dried, Mineeff’s pace improve considerably. He progressed to seventh in Race 2, and then capitalised on some opportunities to move up to third in Race 3.
Mineeff said the final race was a big confidence-booster.
“I was encouraged by our speed in Race 2 – I was able to make some good overtaking moves, and I felt we had the pace to improve even further in Race 3.
“In the last race, some of the drivers in the leading pack were battling aggressively, and I sensed that I needed to be in a position where I could avoid any incidents while also hopefully capitalising and making up some spots. As it turned out, that was exactly what happened.
“Once I got into the top three, I had the pace to catch up to the cars in front – it was a very positive way to finish the weekend, and carry some strong momentum to the next round at Winton.”
Round 3 of the Australian Formula Ford Championship will be held at Winton as a support category for the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, 24-26 May.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Granger Design
Solo-Werks Suspension Systems
Race Stars
Round Results Summary
Qualifying: 10th
Race 1: 11th
Race 2: 7th
Race 3: 3rd
Overall: 7th
Top 10 Points – After Round 2
Tom Sargent – 90
Callum Hedge – 86
Zac Soutar – 86
Angelo Mouzouris – 73
Cody Burcher – 62
Courtney Prince – 59
Lachlan Mineeff – 55
Jake Donaldson – 54
Jay Hanson – 51
Cody Donald – 39
Race Craft Is Key
Lachlan Mineeff says race-craft will be the deciding factor in this weekend’s second round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at Queensland Raceway, Ipswich.
The 16-year-old Burradoo resident, who recently created history as part of the youngest driver combination to finish an endurance race at Bathurst, will be making his second visit to the circuit affectionately known as “the Paperclip”, after racing there for the first time in 2018.
Mineeff said the circuit’s ostensibly simple layout is deceiving.
“When you look at Queensland Raceway on a map, it looks like a really basic design, but when you drive around it, you discover it’s actually quite a challenge to get right,” Mineeff said.
“The first two corners are high-speed, while Turns 3 and 6 are much slower and have big braking zones. Because the straights are so long, all the cars end up very close together and there’s lots of overtaking.
“Being fast in the races won’t be good enough to win; you’re really going to have to use your brain, and think about how to position the car to ensure you have a chance of passing the driver in front without losing places to drivers behind.”
Mineeff is seventh in the points after a mixed opening round at Sydney Motorsport Park.
“Our pace was really good at Sydney, but there were a couple of occasions where I ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said.
“Since then, I’ve reflected upon each race and thought about how I can improve my positioning of the car in certain situations.
“The Bathurst 6 Hour was really valuable in that regard; being on the track with so many other cars, I had to make a lot of split-second decisions which really sharpened up my spatial awareness.”
This weekend’s round will again feature three races, but due to the unique circuit regulations, they will commence with rolling starts rather than the usual standing starts.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Granger Design
Solo-Werks Suspension Systems
Race Stars
Youngsters Make Bathurst History
Their CHE Racing Team had to put in a mammoth effort after an early setback, but Lachlan Mineeff and Tom Sargent have made history by becoming the youngest driver combination to finish a major endurance race at the hallowed turf of Mount Panorama in today’s Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour.
After starting fourth in Class D and 30th outright, Sargent was maintaining a steady pace in the race’s early stages before the Toyota 86 ground to a halt with engine failure at the top of the Mountain.
However, through a determined effort from the team, a spare engine was installed, enabling Mineeff and Sargent to resume competition, and take the chequered flag in 30th position outright and fifth in Class D.
“When the car started smoking as I headed up the hill, my heart sank, and when I saw a pool of oil underneath the car, I thought our day was over,” Sargent said.
“Once our car was retrieved to pit lane, the team put in an unbelievable job, and were able to get us back onto the track with a spare engine.
“While we would have liked to fight for a class podium, we accomplished our goal of finishing the race. Lachlan and I have both fallen in love with this place, and we can’t wait to be back!”
“To say it was an eventful day would be an understatement, it’s certainly not what we had in mind before the weekend,” Mineeff added.
“I’m really proud of the team though, to complete an engine change so quickly was outstanding. Typically, a problem like that would end the day completely, but the crew never gave up, and they’ve been rewarded with a special place in the Bathurst record books.”
With their Bathurst 6 Hour exploits complete, Sargent and Mineeff now turn their attention to Round 2 of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at Queensland Raceway in a fortnight.
Nervous Excitement for Junior Bathurst Duo
The youngest drivers on the Bathurst 6 Hour grid, Lachlan Mineeff and Tom Sargent have described the last day before the big race as one of nervous excitement.
Sargent completed most of the running in this morning’s final practice session, before Mineeff took control of the Toyota 86 for qualifying, placing fourth in Class D.
“It’s like the night before Christmas, I probably won’t sleep that well because I’ll be so excited about tomorrow!” Sargent said.
“After the red flags yesterday, it was good to get some clean running today, and by the end of the session I had good speed and consistency.”
“Most of the other drivers in Class D have a lot of experience at Bathurst, so we’re very happy with fourth on the grid – it sets us up well for a good race tomorrow,” Mineeff said.
“There will be a lot to think about in the race, especially with the added elements of pit stops and driver changes, and there are some very specific rules with minimum and maximum driver times.
“Cameron Hill is going to be looking after our strategy, and hopefully we can pit at the right times to take advantage of Safety Cars and other variables.”
The 6 Hour commences at 11:30 tomorrow morning, with live coverage on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.
Mind-Blowing Mountain Laps
CHE Racing Toyota 86 drivers Lachlan Mineeff and Tom Sargent have been left speechless after their first laps around Mount Panorama, in practice for the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour today.
The duo completed a pair of 70-minute practice sessions, and ended up third-fastest in Class D, improving their lap times by three seconds from the first session to the second.
Mineeff struggled to find the words to describe the feeling of driving around the iconic circuit.
“It’s just crazy, absolutely insane,” he said.
“Everyone talks about what an amazing racetrack it is, and it certainly lives up to the hype.”
While both drivers were able to complete laps in the 86, some red-flag interruptions severely limited Sargent’s running.
“I got some good seat time, but Tom was really unlucky with the red flags,” Mineeff said.
“The laps I did were good, it’s just a shame I didn’t do more of them,” Sargent added.
“Especially on the straights, where you feel the car getting light over the humps, it’s a different feeling to anything I’ve ever experienced.
“Lachlan did a great job, his times were really consistent and he kept improving – the plan will be for me to do most of tomorrow’s third practice session so I can dial myself in properly.”
The third and final practice session takes place at 8:20 tomorrow morning, followed by qualifying at 2:35 in the afternoon.
Formula Ford Stars Ready for B6HR Assault
Tom Sargent and Lachlan Mineeff fully prepared for Mountain debut
Young guns Tom Sargent and Lachlan Mineeff have completed their final preparations ahead of this weekend’s Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour, and are ready for their maiden outing at the Holy Grail of Australian motorsport in the CHE Racing Toyota 86.
At 16 and 17 respectively, Mineeff and Sargent will be the youngest driver combination on the grid in this year’s race. Both drivers carry strong form into the race meeting; Sargent won the first round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at Sydney Motorsport Park a fortnight ago, while Mineeff also ran inside the top five. However, they acknowledge this weekend will be a completely different challenge.
“I’m super excited for the weekend, it feels a bit surreal to be racing at such a famous racetrack,” Sargent said.
“I drove my road car to Bathurst on the weekend, and cut a few laps.
“Coming down the hill through the Esses, I was driving well below the speed limit and it still felt like I was going really fast, so I can only imagine what it’s going to be like at race speed!”
Both drivers have also been doing simulator work and fitness training in preparation for the longest race of their careers.
“In Formula Ford, the races are very intense, because the cars are so close in speed, but they’re also quite short – only 15 or 20 minutes,” Mineeff said.
“This weekend, we’re going to be doing stints up to 90 minutes, and we’ll have to deal with other factors like passing slower cars and being passed by faster cars.
“I’ve been doing a lot of simulation work at Race Stars in Bowral – the track has been laser-scanned so it’s very realistic, and I’ve been doing some extended sessions to simulate long stints.”
Sargent said fitness training has also been a major focus.
“I’ve been going to the gym, and doing lots of constant workouts with no breaks in between,” he said.
“I want to ensure I’m in peak physical condition, and not at risk of suffering fatigue in the car, which would affect my performance.”
In addition to Purple Sector, Southern Star Trucks and Tegra Australia, Mineeff and Sargent have also welcomed National Capital Toyota and Solo-Werks Suspension Kits as supporters for their Bathurst 6 Hour campaign.
“Solo-Werks is proud to support Lachlan, and be a part of his team at Bathurst. Partnering with Lachlan is a great fit for us and our suspension kits. We love the 86 chassis, and Lachlan is a down-to-earth, genuine racer who loves the sport,” a statement from Solo-Werks said.
Practice for the Bathurst 6 Hour commences on Friday.
Bathurst 6 Hour schedule
Friday, 19 April
8:20 – Practice 1 (70 min)
13:35 – Practice 2 (70 min)
Saturday, 20 April
8:20 – Practice 3 (70 min)
14:35 – Slower 50% qualifying (30 min)
15:10 – Faster 50% qualifying (30 min)
Sunday, 21 April
11:30 – Bathurst 6 Hour (6 hours)
Mixed Weekend For Mineeff
Up and down results for Southern Highlands star in Formula Ford opener
Lachlan Mineeff says he is focusing on the positive aspects of the first round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at Sydney Motorsport Park on the weekend, after recording a mixture of results.
Mineeff qualified his Purple Sector Mygale in fifth position, and was battling amongst the lead pack before contact with another car saw him falling to ninth. To rub salt into the wound, Mineeff was handed a post-race time penalty for the incident, relegating him to 13th.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Race 2 was shortened from the original nine-lap distance to just five laps; despite the reduction in length, Mineeff was able to work his way up to eighth position, setting lap times comparable with the race leaders.
Mineeff made further improvements in Race 3, progressing to fifth position.
The Southern Highlands driver said he can take comfort from his pace over the weekend.
“The weekend started really well – practice on Friday was held in mostly wet conditions, but we were still able to find a balanced setup for qualifying in the dry on Saturday morning and the car was fast,” Mineeff said.
“To be honest, the race results were not what I hoped for after qualifying fifth, and I’ll put that down to my own mistake in Race 1.
“Because Formula Ford is such a competitive category, it can be difficult to recover if you have a setback early in the weekend, so I’m pleased that I was able to race back into the top five by the end of the weekend.
“The CHE Racing Team have set up some fast cars this year, and I was really happy for my team-mate Tom Sargent, who won the round.
“There are some things for me to work on before our next event, and I’m ready to keep learning and improving.”
Mineeff’s focus now turns to the Bathurst 6 Hour on the Easter Long Weekend, where he will share a Toyota 86 production car with Sargent.
“The 6 Hour will be a very different style of event to the short Formula Ford sprint races, and I’m really looking forward to switching into endurance mode,” Mineeff said.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Granger Design
PXLSRS
Race Stars
Round Results Summary
Qualifying: 5th
Race 1: 13th
Race 2: 8th
Race 3: 5th
Overall: 7th
Top 10 Points – After Round 1
1. Tom Sargent – 53
2. Callum Hedge – 48
3. Zac Soutar – 39
4. Angelo Mouzouris – 35
5. Jay Hanson – 32
6. Courtney Prince – 32
7. Lachlan Mineeff – 24
8. Jake Donaldson – 23
9. Cody Burcher – 21
10. Harrison Goodman – 18
Lighting Up 2019 With Purple Sectors
Lachlan Mineeff launches bold new livery for second national Formula Ford season
Lachlan Mineeff has unveiled a striking new paint scheme on his race car ahead of this weekend’s opening round of the 2019 Australian Formula Ford Championship at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Mineeff’s CHE Racing Formula Ford will be sponsored by soon-to-be released website Purple Sector, branded in reference to the colour displayed on a timing computer when a driver records the fastest time for a sector on a racing circuit.
The website is set to be a hub for people looking to become involved or already involved in motorsport. It will have details on race cars and equipment for sale, upcoming events and more.
The 16-year-old Oxley College student hopes the new sponsor will be a good omen for his on-track performances.
“All motorsport fans know purple means fast, and I hope to be setting plenty of purple sector times throughout the season!” Mineeff said.
"A huge thanks goes to Granger Design and PXLSRS for their help coming up with this wicked livery, it will sure stand out on track!"
Mineeff tested his Formula Ford at Wakefield Park last week, and said he is enthusiastic but not over-confident about the upcoming season.
“The test day went well, we spent the day fine-tuning aspects of my driving technique along with the car setup,” Mineeff said.
“Last year, I recorded consistent top-10 finishes but this season, my aim needs to be regular podium finishes and challenging for race wins.
“Some of the top runners from last year’s series have moved on, but there are also some new drivers coming into the category, who have done very well in go-karts. I’m expecting the standard of competition to be just as high as last year.”
The Sydney Motorsport Park Formula Ford round will consist of qualifying and Race 1 on Saturday, followed by Races 2 and 3 on Sunday.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Purple Sector
Southern Star Truck Centre
Granger Design
PXLSRS
Race Stars
Young Guns Aim for Bathurst History
Two of the brightest young talents in Australian motorsport will aim to create history at this year’s Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour.
Lachlan Mineeff, 16 and Tom Sargent, 17, will endeavour to become the youngest driver combination to finish an endurance race at the Mount Panorama circuit, when they team up for the 6 Hour in a CHE Racing-prepared Toyota 86.
Mineeff and Sargent are best-known for their exploits in the Australian Formula Ford Championship, where they are team-mates at CHE Racing. Mineeff finished fifth in his rookie season last year, while Sargent finished second at the Tailem Bend round, and eighth in the series despite missing the first two rounds.
While both drivers will again contest the national Formula Ford series in 2019, they are hoping the endurance event will give them valuable experience in long-distance racing as well as an opportunity to race around the world-renowned circuit.
“All of the Formula Ford races are quite short – this is a chance for us to spend a longer period of time behind the wheel, and drive around one of the coolest tracks in the world,” Mineeff said.
“Lachlan and I have already spent a year working together in Formula Ford, and it will be fun to team up in the same car,” Sargent added.
“Apart from the 86 obviously having an enclosed cabin, there are major differences in driving technique between the two cars especially with ABS brakes in the 86.”
Another challenge for the youngsters will be dealing with traffic, something Mineeff says will be critical.
“In Formula Ford, all the cars are travelling at roughly the same speed, but with all the different classes in the 6 Hour, there will be big differences in lap times,” he said.
“The Toyota 86 is mid-field pace-wise, which means we’ll have to be aware of negotiating slower cars while also keeping out of the way of faster cars. It will make it a real challenge, especially at a track like Mount Panorama where there are blind corners.”
One thing in Mineeff and Sargent’s favour is the team’s pedigree; the CHE Racing outfit has vast experience with Toyota 86s, Cameron Hill holding the record for most race wins in the Toyota 86 one-make series. Hill will manage the team at Bathurst.
“With Cameron managing the team and his dad Colin engineering the car, we have the right people in our corner,” Sargent said.
“Between the two of them, they know how to make an 86 go fast around Bathurst so we’ll be tapping into their knowledge.”
In preparation for the 6 Hour, Mineeff and Sargent are both completing test miles in the 86, while ramping up their commercial activities.
“As always, there are opportunities for commercial partners to come on board, and great value to be gained for a business to be supporting two young drivers at such a major event, especially with seven hours of coverage live on FOX Sports,” Mineeff said.
The Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour will be held on the Easter Long Weekend, 19-21 April.
Mineeff Confirms National Formula Ford Return
Lachlan Mineeff has confirmed he will line up for a second year in the Australian Formula Ford Championship, as he continues his pursuit of a professional motorsport career.
The 16-year-old impressed in his rookie season in 2018, stringing together consistent results in all seven rounds of the championship, and finishing fifth in the final standings.
The Oxley College student says the benefit of knowledge gained will stand him in good stead for his second attempt at the acclaimed junior development category.
“We had some good results last year, but it was very much a learning experience – most of the circuits, I had never been to before,” Mineeff said.
“The tracks on the 2019 calendar are exactly the same as last year, which means we can work on the finer aspects of car setup and my driving technique without having to learn new layouts.”
Last year, Formula Ford cemented its reputation as a breeding ground for young talent, with three of the top four finishers in the championship graduating to higher-level categories. Mineeff said it highlights the quality of drivers in the series.
“Last year, the standard of competition in Formula Ford was very high and you definitely get noticed if you achieve good results,” Mineeff said.
“While some of the best drivers from last season have moved on, there are new drivers coming in, some of who did very well in karting.
“I’m expecting it to be another competitive season, but the aim is definitely to improve on my 2018 results; I hope to be finishing regularly on the podium, contending for race wins and challenging for a top-three result in the championship.”
Mineeff will again race alongside Tom Sargent in a two-car CHE Racing outfit, overseen by 2015 Australian Formula Ford Champion and current Porsche Carrera Cup racer Cameron Hill.
“It’s a very comfortable environment – Tom and I work well together, and having someone with Cameron’s experience to help us with driving and data analysis is really valuable,” Mineeff said.
“It’s been a long off-season, so I can’t wait to be back behind the wheel for the first round in April.”
2019 Australian Formula Ford Championship Calendar
Round 1. Sydney Motorsport Park, 5-7 April
Round 2. Queensland Raceway, 4-5 May
Round 3. Winton Raceway, 25-26 May
Round 4. Tailem Bend, 22-23 June
Round 5. Sandown, 20-21 July
Round 6. Wakefield Park, 7-8 September
Round 7. Phillip Island, 28-29 September
Southern Highlands Racer Recognised at Australia Day Awards
Oxley College year 11 student and Australian Formula Ford Championship competitor, Lachlan Mineeff was recognised for his on and off-track achievements at the Southern Highlands Australia Day awards on Saturday.
Mineeff was one of five nominees for the Southern Highlands Young Citizen of the Year Award, an acknowledgement of his accomplishments over the last 12 months.
Behind the wheel of his race car, Mineeff achieved an impressive result of fifth overall in his rookie Australian Formula Ford Championship campaign. But while the 16-year-old proved to be a focused and determined competitor on the track, it was his off-track community work that earned him the Australia Day accolade.
Mineeff has recently become an ambassador for ReFrame, a youth mental health service that provides support for young people and their families.
The organisation assists individuals and communities, providing them with services that can sometimes be difficult to access in regional areas such as the Southern Highlands.
According to ReFrame co-ordinator Martin Lumetzberger, Mineeff’s achievements as an athlete make him an ideal ambassador and a role model for other young individuals.
“Lachlan’s achievements demonstrate that young people with big dreams can achieve anything, and he is a fine role model for everything we represent,” Lumetzberger said.
“Lachlan is a model for strength, empathy and ultimately leadership within the local peer population making him a beacon for others; his profile as a racing driver also allows him and his team to offer unique experiences, such as attending race events – these are ideal motivational exercises.
“With the rise of regional youth mental health issues, it is timely Lachlan and his team are providing support to their community – their generosity will have widespread benefits.”
Mineeff is delighted to be an ambassador for ReFrame.
“I’m passionate about people my age having the inspiration and motivation to chase their dreams; racing a car is a huge privilege, so to be representing an organisation like ReFrame and being recognised in the Australia Day awards is very humbling.
“It’s satisfying to be able to give something back to the community, and I look forward to spending time with other young Highlands people through my association with ReFrame.”
Mineeff and his team will announce their 2019 racing plans shortly.
Mineeff Finishes Rookie FFord Season in Top Five
Lachlan Mineeff has secured a top-five result in his rookie Australian Formula Ford Championship season, producing another consistent performance in the final round at Sydney Motorsport Park on the weekend.
The 15-year-old qualified seventh, and made steady progress in the three races with finishes of seventh, sixth and fifth to bank another valuable haul of points.
“We kept improving over the course of the weekend, and steadily moved forward,” Mineeff said.
“Our race pace was decent and I had some good battles, especially with Zac Soutar in the final where we had a close drag race to the finish line.”
The Southern Highlands racer ended up fifth in the final championship standings; he finished 18 of the 21 races inside the top 10, had a best race result of fourth (which he achieved on three occasions) and finished no lower than 11th in any race over the course of the season.
Mineeff said that consistency was definitely one of his strengths throughout the year.
“Because it was my first season, it was important for me to get as much track time as possible, so one of our main objectives was to avoid getting caught up in incidents.
“We finished every single race, and there were very few races where we had any contact with other cars, so that was an important box to tick.
“We gradually improved during the season and our championship progression demonstrates the gains we made – at the start of the year, we were hovering around the lower end of the top 10, but by the end of the year we made it into the top five.”
Mineeff paid credit to his team and supporters for the season result.
“Racing for the CHE Racing Team has been a great environment for me to learn and develop as a driver, so a big thank you must go to Cameron and Colin Hill, and Shaun Tidyman for their hard work throughout the year.
“We’ve also had a passionate group of sponsors who have contributed to our campaign this season, and their support has been greatly appreciated.”
Lachlan Mineeff and his team will be making more announcements shortly, regarding 2019 racing plans.
Round Results Summary
Qualifying: 7th
Race 1: 7th
Race 2: 6th
Race 3: 5th
Overall: 7th
Top 10 Points – After Round 7
Hunter McElrea – 321
Hamish Ribarits – 306
Zac Soutar – 239
Nathan Herne – 236
Lachlan Mineeff – 172
Angelo Mouzouris – 159
Liam McLellan – 158
Tom Sargent – 138
Bart Horsten – 128
Cody Donald – 116
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Southern Star Truck Centre
UsedTrucks.Sydney
Acceleration Helmet Parts
Race Stars Simulators + Slot Cars Bowral
Zego Building Systems
Midcoast Trucks
Lou’s Smash Repairs
Pitman Truck Sales
Global Equipment Finance
Bowdens Own
Thermo King Rail
National Truck Wholesalers
Mineeff Challenges for Top Five
Lachlan Mineeff’s sights are set on securing a top-five result in his rookie Australian Formula Ford Championship season, which concludes with the seventh and final round at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend.
By virtue of his consistent performances throughout the year, Mineeff is currently sixth in the standings, 14 points behind the fifth-placed driver. The western Sydney circuit is one where Mineeff has plenty of knowledge, having completed many laps at the venue in both testing and racing.
“I’ve had to learn a lot of new tracks this year, so it’s nice to finish at a track that I already know,” Mineeff said.
“Last year, I raced at Sydney Motorsport Park a few times when I was competing in the NSW State Championship, and one of those rounds was combined with the national series where I managed to qualify third outright, so it’s been a happy hunting ground for me.
“I really enjoy the track – it has a good mixture of high-speed corners and some slower technical sections. There are plenty of overtaking opportunities, so the racing should be entertaining.”
This weekend’s Formula Ford races will be held as part of the Australian Motor Racing Series race meeting. As well as live online streaming of Sunday’s action, the program also includes the Stadium SUPER Trucks, which are expected to attract a healthy audience to the venue.
“The trucks will be a big drawcard, so hopefully there’s a good crowd and we can put on a show for them in the Formula Ford races.
“We’ve been lucky enough to race at some high-profile events this season, and this will be a great way to finish off the year,” Mineeff concluded.
Australian Formula Ford – Round 7 Schedule
Saturday, 27 October
9:50am – Qualifying (20 min)
2:35pm – Race 1 (10 laps)
Sunday, 28 October
11:30am – Race 2 (10 laps)
3:15pm – Race 3 (10 laps)
Where to Watch
Sunday’s races will be live streamed via the Australian Motor Racing Series Facebook page and Blend Line TV YouTube Channel.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Southern Star Truck Centre
UsedTrucks.Sydney
Acceleration Helmet Parts
Race Stars Simulators + Slot Cars Bowral
Zego Building Systems
Midcoast Trucks
Lou’s Smash Repairs
Pitman Truck Sales
Global Equipment Finance
Bowdens Own
Thermo King Rail
National Truck Wholesalers
Consistent Mineeff Cements Top Six Position
Lachlan Mineeff has consolidated his top-six position in the Australian Formula Ford Championship with another consistent performance in the penultimate round of the series at Phillip Island on the weekend.
In his first visit to the high-speed circuit, Mineeff qualified eighth and maintained his position in Race 1. He took advantage of some incidents in Race 2 to move up to fourth, and while an incident early in Race 3 saw him fall down the order, he salvaged a 13th place finish to secure seventh overall.
“Before the weekend, everyone was telling me how good Phillip Island was, and after driving it for the first time, I was able to understand why,” Mineeff said.
“In Friday practice, it was wet in the morning but it dried out in the afternoon, and I was able to learn the track.
“Our qualifying speed was good – I got held up by another car on my best lap, so eighth wasn’t a true reflection of our position in the field.
“Most of the first race was behind the Safety Car, so there weren’t many opportunities to make up positions.
“In Race 2 I had a near-miss – heading over Lukey Heights, I sustained some slight contact in my rear wheel from Hunter McElrea, who then speared back across the track and collected the car in front of me – I was very lucky not to be caught up in the incident.
“Heading into Race 3 and starting on the second row of the grid, I was confident of a strong showing. Unfortunately, I had a minor incident on the first lap, which cost me some time and places.
“I fell down to 19th position but I put my head down and concentrated on recovering as many positions as possible. We salvaged some points and ended up coming away with a good overall result.”
With one round remaining, Mineeff has closed to within 16 points of the series top five.
“The last round is at Sydney Motorsport Park, a track where I’ve done plenty of laps,” Mineeff said.
“Our goal for my rookie season was to finish in the top 10; top five would be well above our expectations.”
Round Results Summary
Qualifying: 8th
Race 1: 8th
Race 2: 4th
Race 3: 13th
Overall: 7th
Top 10 Points – After Round 6
Hunter McElrea – 278
Hamish Ribarits – 267
Zac Soutar – 209
Nathan Herne – 186
Liam McLellan – 158
Lachlan Mineeff – 142
Angelo Mouzouris – 127
Cody Donald – 116
Cameron Shields – 108
Bart Horsten – 101
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Southern Star Truck Centre
UsedTrucks.Sydney
Acceleration Helmet Parts
Race Stars Simulators+ Slot Cars Bowral
Zego Building Systems
Midcoast Trucks
Lous Smash Repairs
Pitman Truck Sales
Global Equipment Finance
Bowdens Own
Thermo King Rail
National Truck Wholesalers
Right in the Tow
Slipstreaming and race-craft will be the key to success in this weekend’s sixth round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at Phillip Island, according to Lachlan Mineeff.
Like several other circuits on this year’s calendar, Phillip Island will be a new venue for the 15-year-old Southern Highlands racer, who has been studying footage and accumulating seat time on a simulator in preparation for the weekend.
“I’ve enjoyed racing at some new tracks this season – Queensland Raceway, Sandown and Tailem Bend – and I’m really looking forward to Phillip Island,” Mineeff said.
“From everything I’ve been told by other drivers, and all the simulator work I’ve done and footage I’ve studied, it’s definitely a driver’s track.
“There are lots of high-speed corners, which require commitment and bravery.
“Because it is such a fast track, there’s a real advantage to be gained by slipstreaming – getting a tow from the car in front.
“In qualifying, it’s important to be running with other cars to get a tow and a good lap time, and in the races I’m expecting all the cars to be running in packs, with lots of changes in position.
“It’s almost a case of not wanting to be in the lead coming out of the last corner, because the cars behind will slipstream their way past you before the start-finish line – we’ve seen this happening at plenty of Phillip Island Formula Ford races over the years.”
Mineeff is currently sixth in the national Formula Ford standings, following his consistent performances in the opening five rounds.
“Our goal this year, for our first full year racing at a national level, was top 10 in the championship, so we’re achieving that objective,” Mineeff said.
“It’s definitely a competitive field, but we’ve been constantly learning and improving… hopefully we can fight for podium results this weekend.”
The weekend’s action will consist of qualifying and one race on Saturday, followed by two more races on Sunday.
Lachlan Mineeff is proudly sponsored by:
Southern Star Truck Centre
UsedTrucks.Sydney
Acceleration Helmet Parts
Race Stars Simulators + Slot Cars Bowral
Zego Building Systems
Midcoast Trucks
Lous Smash Repairs
Pitman Truck Sales
Global Equipment Finance
Bowdens Own
Thermo King Rail
National Truck Wholesalers