Curtis Mitchell Racing

I started my car racing career at the beginning of 2011, when I bought a Peugeot 205 1.9 GTI off Brent racing. The car was a very well prepared race car that had all the components needed to win. The engine was built by Larton Motorsport to a very high racing specification with many modifications to the standard spec. This has produced a substantial increase in horsepower over the standard engine.

Back in Novemeber 2010 I went on a trackday at Rockingham Speedway in my dads race car for my birthday. The day started off very misty and foggy leaving the track surface very moist. The moist surafce was very challenging, as it was neither dry or wet just greasy. My dad took the car out first to check everything was running fine and what the track conditions were like. Then it was my turn to go out and what a surprise I had, realising it was nothing like karting. The day in all turned out rather well with me getting a lot of track time and trying to learn as much as possible in the damp conditions.

2011

The first time out in my race car was in March at Brands Hatch on a trackday. The day started off very spookly by having the same conditions as Rockingham, but luckily the fog lifted and the track remained dry. I took the car out for the three sighting laps and immediately realised the car had a misfire. This issue was quickly solved by disconecting the rev-limiter, allowing me to quickly get back out on the track. The first few laps I took steadly to learn how the car drove and to bed in the brackes, gradually incrasing my pace I felt more confident and went for a few quick laps. But this was too much too soon and resulted in me spinning at Paddock Hill bend. My dad took the car out next and found the car extremely good handling and very powerful posting a time of 56.537. Now I had a target to aim for and I posted a time of 57.981, this was very impressive as I had never been in the car before or driven around Brands. The day came to a prompt end though, when the car cut out as my dad was driving. I immediately blamed dad for breaking my car, but realised the distributor had broken and without having a spare we had to pack up.    

Its finally time for my first meeting at Brands Hatch. The day didn't start off well after failing scrutineering, where there was confusion over the regs of the championship, but this was resolved and I was ready to qualify. Qualifing went well and was starting race 1 from 12th with a time of 58.973. Race 1 I finished 12th, 2nd in class with a time of 57.803. Race 2 I finished 9th, 2nd in class with a time of 57.225. All in all the day turned out good and had a strong first meeting putting myself firmly in the championship hunt.

Meeting 2 was also at Brands Hatch, this time I was running brand new tyres, which would help to lower my lap times. Qualifing was very surprising when I learnt that I had qulified 6th on the grid for race 1 with a time of 57.442. Race 1 was very good, having some very close racing and finishing 7th, 2nd in class with a time of 57.026. Race 2 was very exciting, when I had a good start making up a few places, but in lap 2 disaster the distributor packed up again and I was punted off the track.

The next time out in my car was at Mallory park on trackday in mid May. This was to get some practice in before the live race meeting at Mallory on the 30th may. The day started off not too well when the car had a very bad misfire, however the problem was found to be the troublesome distributor and this was changed. The day stayed quite warm, but windy and I managed to clock time of 55.503, which wasn't bad considering I was only using 3/4 revs. 

Meeting 3 was next, the biggest meeting of the year so far, which was live on motors TV all day (30th may 2011). Unfortunately it was raining and the only testing I had done at Mallory Park was in the dry, also I had never driven the car before in the rain. Qualifying started and I went out checking to see how much grip there was. After a few laps the car felt good and I was confident to push. Qualifying finished and my mechanic told me it looked good out there. Nick was correct I was on Pole; 0.5 seconds in front of second place man Ian Butler and 7 seconds in front of my dad. Everyone was amazed I was on pole, as I'm still a novice. The parade lap for race one was nerve racking, just thinking how the start was going to go. The start went well dropping back to second and then it was a 4 car race to the flag involving Danny Cassar, Ian Butler, Andy Woods-Dean and me. The race was very close and very entertaining with Danny wining from me in second place, winning my class. I lined up for race 2 in second place and made a terrible start finding a box of neutrals, but I risked everything and went round the outside of Andy. I had such a good run off the first corner and quickly challenged for the lead, however the red flag came out after Steve Rothery had a huge crash bringing an end to the day. As the time limit on the circuit had been reached, the race was not re-started. In conclusion the meeting was brilliant, I qualified on pole, had my first class win and was on the main podium!!

Meeting 4, Snetterton. Snetterton was looking very promising after having some very successful testing the week before. But it drastically went wrong after having an altercation with an engineer over an upgrade to the engine management system. This consequently left me with no car to race!

Meeting 5 was brilliant. I had never been around the GP track at brands before and it turned out to be more challenging than on the Xbox! But I was not phased by this and qualified 18th out of 47 with my dad in 16th. Race one was soon upon us and initially I had a bad start, which left me trying to battle through and learn the track at the same time. In the last couple of laps I made my moves setting the fastest lap in my class a 1.48.435 (quicker than T1 (450bhp)) and finishing 14th, 1st in class. I knew I could have done better as I was quicker than 7 cars in front of me. Race 2 I had to go for it and I did. After having an atrocious start dropping to 19th I managed to over take 1-2 cars a lap setting a fastest lap of 1.48.272 and finishing 10th 2 places behind my dad, 1st in class. The day turned out to be really good, halving the gap between me and 1st place in the championship. After checking the car on Sunday I found that 16 teeth had been torn off the cam belt and was extremely lucky not to destroy my engine that had just been rebuilt. 

Lydden Hill was the next track on the calendar with a different setup than normal. We started the weekend with two test sessions on the Saturday and racing on the Sunday. The testing was good, firstly I was learning the track and bedding in the new cam belt, cam wheel and many more ancillaries I replaced between the last race. The second session I put in a couple of fast laps posting a time of 49.142 six tenths off my dads pole lap from last year. To save the team travelling back home and to get a good nights sleep we went to my aunts house to stay the night which isn't far from the circuit. Sunday was quickly upon us and the day started off wet. I went for an ambitious move to go out on dry weather tyres for qualifying as it looked like it was going to dry out, but my decision didn't pay off qualifying 10th, 4th in class. Race one, after having a good start I got boxed out loosing all the ground I just made up, but there was still plenty off time left in the race and gradually I made my way back to 10th position, 3rd in class with a time of 49.044. Race two I knew I had to do better if I wanted to win the championship, but this was going to be hard as my class rivals were 1st and 3rd overall on the grid. After a few late braking manoeuvres and using the strengths of my car I found myself in 6th overall, 2nd in class with a time of 49.353. This result was better taking 9 points out of the championship leader at this round with two rounds remaining and 22 points between me and glory.

Meeting 7 was a crucial round as I knew the championship could be won or lost at this round. Qualifying started and to begin with I was bedding in my new front tyres, after 4 laps the car felt good and was ready to start pushing. Unbeknown to me I had posted a time good enough for 3rd on the grid (1st in class) with my dad 2nd on the grid (1st in class), we were separated by 2 tenths of a second 55.418 and 55.277 respectively. Race 1 started and I got a brilliant start moving into second and even having a go for the lead, but my 205 could not hold off the faster cars in a straight line dropping back to 3rd. This is where I finished after hassling Andy Woods-dean for 2nd all race long, which was a fantastic result 1st in class and on the main podium! Race 2 didn't go quite to plan, because I dropped back to 8th off the start and was engaged in a 5 car battle for the whole race. This close racing showed, as my 205 came in with a dented door, wing and scuffed wheel. But all was not bad finishing 5th overall 2nd in class. All in all, the round was a fantastic achievement becoming the championship leading for class T4 and getting on the main podium at Brands Hatch!

The final round is finally upon us after a bit of rescheduling, due to a cancelation earlier in the year. The day didn't start off to well ending qualifying early, stranded in the infield, because of a high speed spin on a greasy track. This left me 13th on the grid for race one. Race one started well gradually making up places, but the safety car came out on lap one, as there had been a start line crash. When the safety car went in my progress resumed, until it was halted by the safety car being released again this time for debris. When the safety car went in there was only a few laps till the chequered flag and after a few late moves I ended the race in 8th overall, 2nd in class. When the race had ended it came to my attention the two of the cars in front had time penalties this left me 6th on the grid for race two. Race two got underway and after the third corner I was in fourth challenging for third. Lap two and I was now in third chasing down my dad and Andy W-D for the lead of the race. By lap five I was firmly in the battle for the lead and managed to pass my dad at the last corner for 2nd spot. This left me in the prime spot to challenge for the lead and I duly did. On the next lap at Druids I out bracked Andy around the outside to become the leader. There was now 8 minutes till the 'Fat lady sings' and I just had to keep my head down. All I could see in my mirror was a red fiesta hunting me down or as my Granddad put it "That red fiesta was like a little Terrier". With 4 minutes to go Jason was on me and got past when we were going through the backmarkers, but I didn't give up and by the next straight we were side by side trading paint for the lead. This put me back in the lead with a few laps to go. But it wasn't all over Jason had a final lunge on the last lap into Paddock, but doing this sent him sideways, missing me by millimetres and he blew his clutch. Leaving me to nurse the car home and take my first overall race win with my dad in second spot!  

2012

Round 3 – Mallory Park 4 June 2012.

Track conditions were very sketchy when travelling to Mallory in the morning, we went through heavy rain, but by the time we arrived at the circuit the rain had seized and the track was drying. It would be dry weather tyres for qualifying. Qualifying felt really good the first corner was a tad greasy from the rain but the rest of the circuit was perfectly dry. I qualified on third position for race 1 (1^st in class), ½ tenth off second and 1.200 seconds off the lead.

I had a terrible start to race one dropping to 7^th off the line; this left me with a bit of work to do. I gradually worked my way up to 5^th by the end of the race (ist in class), putting in a lap time that was ½ tenth off the fastest lap, so I know I have the pace!

Race two, I’m not going to make the same mistake again and sure enough I go form 5^th to 4^th off the line. Two laps later I am passed by the civic but were all so close I know I can let him go for a lap and as if I had planned it the civic and nova make contact leaving me a gap to slide through. Now I’m in 3^rd position with my dad and Butler ahead, it didn’t take me long to catch them up putting in the fastest lap of the race doing so. My dad tried the outside of Butler on the first corner, but left the door open for me on the inside! As much as I tried breaking as late as possible around the outside and driving trying to hang on around the outside the focus was too quick in a straight line and in the end I had to settle for second (1st in class). Very gutted I missed a gear coming out of the hairpin would have been my best chance!

Round 4 Lydden Hill 16 June 2012

It was changeable conditions on the way to Lydden and did not improve much when we arrived. Qualifying went pretty well, ending up fourth (1^st in class). I knew I could go quicker, as I had some awful under steer all due to the suspension being to firm. This was adjusted for the first race.

Race 1, I had a fantastic start moving into third position and from the word go the car felt million times better. Lap 2, after having tremendous grip around the first corner and going side by side with p2, I was tuned around into the tyre barrier, causing a red flag and substantial damage to the car.

Some fine work from my mechanic and my dad got the car up and running again for race 2. The car didn’t look pretty but it ran!

Race 2, starting 23^rd on the grid it would be a tall order to get into the top 10. After some neat overtaking manoeuvres I finished the race in p8! Now the car will need some extensive work to make sure none of the suspension is correct and straighten up the front of the car.

Round 5 Snetterton 21 July 2012

I woke up to a hot summer's day, which made a change to the weather we had been having! Qualifying went very well ending up 3rd overall in Tin Tops and 1st in class, but that was short lived after my car was found to be 5kg underweight. It seemed to be that the rebuild has made the car approximately 10kg lighter.

This made race 1 very interesting strting from dead last 25th on the grid. It also made it more challenging as two championships were racing at the same time. After a great start and some neat overtaking throughout the race I finished 8th overall 2nd in Tin Tops and 1st in class.

Race 2 saw me start from my race 1 finishing position. My target for this race was to finish 1st in Tin Tops and this was a tall order as the leader finished 3rd overall! Yet again I got a great start, but got involved in battles with the other championship competitors who were holding me up through the corners even though they are on slicks and blasting away down the straights, making it pretty much impossible to pass. This left me finishing in 8th overall, 3rd in Tin Tops and 1st in class. All in all it was a good days racing. Bring on the next race!  

Round 7 Rockingham 6 October 2012

Qualifying started off with a damp track, which proved very challenging with the back of the car wanting to do its own thing. I was fastest until the last couple of laps when the drying line appeared and it was last over the line would claim pole and I was one of the first leaving me third overall (1^st in class). Race 1 – after an awful start dropping to 6^th I battled through very quickly to 2^nd, but the leader was long gone too far to catch. The tyres started to overheat ¾ of the way through the race which caused me to drop back to 3^rd where I finished. Race 2 – this time I was much better off the line challenging for 2^nd into the 2^nd corner, but I would gain this place later on in the race with some late braking. Now it was me and the leader, whose car was far faster than mine in a straight line, but he could not handle the nimbleness of my car. A few laps later I dived for the inside of the 2^nd corner, Butler the leader tried to out brake me but ended up not being able to slow his car in time, this left me in the lead with Craig snapping at my heels. After very long remaining laps of the race, with Craig trying everything to get passed, I crossed the line in front taking my 2^nd overall outright race win!

2013