This week, my team went to Andover, the home of Harry Hickton: a wonder-kid of the saloon car racing world.
In 2024, he won the 2024 Vertu Mini Challenge Trophy, but what exactly does this mean and what did he have to do to get there?
What is Saloon Car Racing:
Saloon car racing is a form of motorsport, using heavily modified everyday four-seater cars, in Harry Hickton’s case, a Mini.
This was Harry’s car before and after his transformation SO FAR this pre-season, fully customised by him and his team Mannpower Motorsport.
However, this is nowhere near the final product, with a paint job, among other things, needed.
This was his car in the last campaign, with a mostly purple-and-pink paint job and multiple sponsors to raise money.
FUN FACT: Saloon car racing was introduced in the 1950s to showcase production cars’ performance by the manufacturers.
What is the Mini Challenge Trophy?
The Mini Challenge Trophy, also known as the Copper Class, is the entry-level competition of the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE UK.
The championship allows 34 car entries maximum, with between two and three races per weekend and 20 races in a full campaign.
There are multiple awards to win:
- The Rookie Cup: This cup is awarded to the highest placed rookie at the end of the season.
- The Graduate Cup: This cup is awarded to the highest place driver in their second season.
- Vertu MINI CHALLENGE Trophy: The winner of the whole thing.
Now that you are well-versed in what Saloon Car racing is, check out our package where we interviewed Harry Hickton about his 2024 winning season and how his preparation is going for his upcoming campaign:
