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11/08/2026

THAT’S A WRAP ON THE 2026 MINI CHALLENGE CLUBSPORT SEASON! 🏁

What a weekend at Donington Park… and what a VERY proud dad I am.

It seems crazy to think that only 15 races ago, Lauren Fletcher lined up at Brands Hatch for her very first race.

Since then, the improvement in her driving, confidence and mental strength has been incredible to watch.

And she certainly finished the season in style!

🏁 Race 1 – 10th overall
🏁 Race 2 – 9th overall
🏁 Race 3 – 9th overall

Lauren should also have been standing there with a 3rd-place trophy. Because of a guest entry she received the championship points for 3rd, but unfortunately not the actual trophy.
Trophy or not, we know what she achieved.

And then there was Karen…
Karen Scott came along to watch Lauren race for the first time this season.

Now, if I'm being fair, Karen probably hasn't been the biggest fan of the idea of her daughter going motor racing.
Put it this way…
Driving Miss Daisy is basically Fast & Furious to Karen.
So naturally, in true Lauren style, she decides the perfect way to reassure her mum is to get the Mini completely out of shape going into Redgate, directly in front of her, before planting the throttle, catching it and pulling the car straight again.
Welcome to motorsport, Karen!

At least she now knows Lauren CAN drive.
Whether she'll ever relax while watching her is another matter!

There are so many people who have made this season possible.

A massive thank you to Zak Lovatt for building one seriously fast and incredibly reliable little race car. The hours Zak puts into the racing don't just benefit us, but so many other people too.
The reliability of this car has been unbelievable. Through the entire race season AND all the testing, we've had no real issues – and somehow the thing has basically used no oil or coolant all year!
That's some achievement for a hard-driven R53 race car.

A huge thank you also goes to Simon Riley , my business partner at Furlong Street Garage.

Thank you for backing Lauren, supporting what we're doing and, probably most importantly, understanding the pressure racing puts on everything else…
…and forgiving us for the ridiculous amount of workshop space we've taken over!

I also want to say a massive thank you to Richard, Ruth,Katie. John, Margaret and the whole team at Great British Sports Cars Ltd
Without their commitment to Lauren throughout her apprenticeship, their support and all the extra track time she's had driving their Zero, I genuinely don't think we'd be where we are today.

Every lap has helped.
Every bit of advice has helped.

Every person who's given Lauren an opportunity has played a part in what we've watched her achieve this year.

I would also thank the paddock and Marshalls and not forgetting Dave Gibbons Christina Serfling for your massive support

There are so many more people I need to thank – sponsors, friends, family, customers, everyone who's helped in the pits, worked on the car, offered advice, supplied parts, supported us or simply followed Lauren's racing this season.
If I've missed your name, I'm sorry – but please know we appreciate every single one of you.
And finally…
Lauren.
You absolutely NAILED IT this year.
From that nervous first weekend at Brands Hatch to the driver we watched fighting at Donington this weekend, the transformation has been incredible.
But I'm probably proudest of the mental strength you've shown.
You've had good weekends, difficult weekends, spins, new circuits, wet races and plenty of learning along the way…
…and every single time you've got back in that car and pushed forward.
I'm unbelievably proud of you.
Now I can't wait to see what we can get you driving next…
…and what we can convince Zak to build.
Roll on 2027.
LFRacing469 – we're only just getting started.

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26/07/2026

With the final round of the Mini Challenge Clubsport season at Donington Park on the 8th & 9th August, we thought we'd sneak in a track day to do a bit of "serious testing."

The plan was simple. Get the Mini to turn in quicker. Check fuel usage and gather some useful data.

Donington looked more like a the M25 at rush hour! There was everything from Renault Clios to Porsches, BMWs, and even Callum Newsham's Hyundai Elantra TCR doing some testing as they are racing the same weekend
Safe to say our little Mini wasn't short of company but held its head high

Then came the red flags... and more red flags... and just when you thought you'd finally get a clear lap... another red flag! It made judging setup changes about as easy as trying to nail jelly to a wall.

Despite the interruptions, we still managed around four hours of track time, tried plenty of setup tweaks, gathered the fuel data we needed, and the car is definitely heading in the right direction.

To finish the day, Lauren swapped lap times for taxi duties and took Zak Lovatt mum out for a good few laps so she could experience Donington from the passenger seat... thankfully she got out smiling .footage may say different
Overall, it was a brilliant day, we learned loads, the car feels stronger than ever, and we're ready to give it everything at the final race weekend.
Roll on Donington Park... let's see what LFRacing469 can do!

Good luck to Lauren for the season finale—I hope all the hard work pays off with a strong finish..
you have nothing more to prove yourself driving and the way you have conducted yourself over the season has been clear for all in the paddock to see .

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13/07/2026

Well... Round 4 of the Mini Challenge Clubsport Championship is done and dusted, and it was another brand-new circuit for Lauren... this time Snetterton in Norfolk.

The journey down started well... for some! 😅 Everyone else enjoyed nice cool air conditioning. Me? Not so much. My van's air con has packed up because, as a mechanic, I'm obviously far too busy fixing everyone else's vehicles to fix my own! Window wide open, sweating like I'd already done the race before we'd even arrived.

Lauren headed out for qualifying and, with just 15 minutes to learn the circuit, put in a cracking set of lap times.

Race 1 on Saturday was brilliant. She got an excellent start, stayed out of trouble with the Cooper class, and drove some fantastic laps. Watching someone learn a circuit that quickly was seriously impressive.

Then came Race 2 on Sunday morning
another great start, but after a couple of laps Lauren started dropping back.
Now here's where I need to make a very public apology...
As the ever-helpful dad standing in the paddock, I decided she was going in too deep, running wide and not pushing hard enough. I may even have said it out loud.

Let's just say... that didn't go down particularly well!

Then came Race 3, and it became painfully obvious that the problem wasn't the driver... it was the car. The Mini had absolutely no power, but Lauren still drove the wheels off it and brought it home.
Back home by 10:30 Sunday night. The car was unloaded and put away. Alarm set for 6:00 this morning.

After checking everything over, the culprit was found... the catalytic converter had completely broken up internally and blocked the exhaust.

So Lauren... I'm sorry. You were right. Dad was wrong. It won't be the last time, but I'll happily admit it this time!
You did an incredible job just getting the car to the finish.

A huge thank you to Chris and the whole team for organising a surprise 21st birthday cake and party for Lauren, and thanks to everyone in the paddock who wished her a happy birthday, signed cards, and made it such a special weekend.
This championship isn't just about racing anymore... it's becoming one big family, and we're incredibly proud to be part of it.

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11/07/2026

As most of you are watching the England football. We are doing an exhaust back box change at Snetterton circuit.
We have a brilliant 1st day with great improvements
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23/06/2026

22/06/2026

How did you all spend Father's Day?
Me?
I spent mine at Pembrey Circuit watching my daughter, Lauren Fletcher, racing her Mini R53 alongside her boyfriend and one of her best mates.
What a Father's Day that was! ❤️🏁

I honestly couldn't be prouder of this girl. She gives absolutely everything every time she gets behind the wheel. To see the progress she's made in just three race weekends has been incredible. Her confidence, commitment and determination continue to amaze me, and the improvements are there for everyone to see.
Moments like these make all the hard work worthwhile.

I'd also like to say a huge thank you to my business partner Simon, all of our staff past and present, and especially all of our customers. Without your support over the years, I wouldn't be in the position to share experiences like this with my daughter
A massive shout-out as well to Zak for building a cracking car and helping make this journey possible.

Motorsport is a team effort, and we're lucky to have some brilliant people around us.
Here's to making more memories and continuing the journey with

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24/05/2026

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22/05/2026

Thruxton Race Weekend – Highs, Lows and a First Trophy! 🏁

Last weekend we headed to the legendary – the fastest circuit in the UK 🇬🇧 – and what a rollercoaster of emotions it turned out to be.

The weather couldn't make its mind up all weekend. Heavy rain showers followed by dry spells meant the track never really had a chance to dry properly, making conditions incredibly challenging for everyone.

Race 1 – Saturday

A fantastic start to the weekend for as Chris Johnson secured 1st in class. Meanwhile, Lauren was concentrating on learning a completely new circuit and tackling wet racing conditions for the first time. Every lap was valuable experience.

Race 2 – Sunday Morning

Sunday started dramatically when Chris suffered a huge accident going into the Complex. The incident brought out a red flag and resulted in a trip to hospital for precautionary scans. Thankfully, everything came back clear and Chris was OK. Watching the replay afterwards showed just how lucky he was to walk away from such a major impact.

Once racing resumed, Lauren produced a brilliant drive to secure 3rd in class and her very first racing trophy! 🏆

The improvement she continues to make is there for everyone to see. To get back out there and perform after witnessing Chris's accident firsthand showed real determination, commitment and maturity beyond her experience level.

Race 3 – Sunday Afternoon

The rain had continued right up until the start, leaving the circuit wet and slippery. Lauren was running in 4th place and pushing hard for 3rd when the inevitable happened — a spin into the grass.

After rejoining the circuit she felt something wasn't quite right from the offside front and wisely brought the car into the pits. Given the damage we'd already seen from Chris's accident earlier in the day, retiring the car was absolutely the right decision.

So, while it was a weekend of mixed fortunes, there were plenty of positives to take away
:✅ Class win for Chris in Race 1
✅ Lauren's first-ever racing trophy
✅ More valuable wet-weather experience
✅ Chris walking away from a major accident

Now the late nights begin as we get the car repaired and ready for in four weeks' time.

Motorsport can be cruel, but it's weekends like these that make the successes even sweeter.



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12/05/2026

Just some final adjustments ready for this weekend 👊
We are at Thruxton Circuit being one of the fastest circuits in the UK, getting the setup right is absolutely critical.
Sometimes the old-school methods are still the best — a good old fashioned string line alignment setup for tracking works brilliantly, and it means quick adjustments can easily be made in the pits if needed.
Camber settings are dialled in using the camber angle gauge, while the tyre pressure monitoring valves make checking tyre pressures and temperatures quicker and easier than ever. Every little detail counts when you’re out on track with over 20 other drivers all wanting the same results 🏁

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11/05/2026

It's race weekend. All the best Lauren Fletcher Chris Johnson and all at NT219 Motorsports