Qualifying was its usual very tight affair with the top 8 cars being covered by just 3 tenths. Pole position was taken by Championship leader Kenneth Thirlwall by just 7 thousandths from Michael Rowan. David sleigh was next up with Chris Knox behind him in 4th. Last year’s Champion Vic Covey was in 5th and Jordan Gronkowski was in 6th.
Race 1
Thirlwall makes a clean getaway but the fight for 2nd was really on with Knox, Sleigh and Rowan going down Duffes Dip 3 abreast. This proved to be a formula that was never going to calculate a safe outcome. David Sleigh was the unlucky one from the trio that ended up in the gravel trap. The race carried on and Mark Dryden was the next Mini casualty when he arrived at the Real Radio Hairpin in 7th place but with no brakes as a hose had burst sending him spinning into the gravel. The race had be red flagged though as Sleigh had become beached on the kerb trying to rejoin. From the restart it was the Kenneth Thirlwall show with the 19 year old stretching out a comfortable lead over the pack and taking another win. Chris Knox made another good start and passed Rowan for 2nd which he held onto. Rowan picked up another podium and Covey followed him home in 4th. Gronkowski passed Loia for 5th on the last lap. Fastest lap went to Vic Covey. Kenneth Brewster got the class win for the Newcomers Cup.
Race 2
Thirlwall made another good start and lead the pack into the first corner, Covey got the start off his life and actually passed Rowan before the first corner (well done Vic I know it hasn’t happened for a long time). He then made a move up the inside of Knox at Scotsmans which ended in contact between the two. Knox had to retire as his steering arm was badly bent as did Gronkowski with a clutch problem. Thirlwall held station for his second win of the day and Covey claimed 2nd with Manio Loia getting his first ever Championship podium with a great move inside Rowan on the last lap. Rowan got 4th with Waugh a career best 5th place and a Newcomers class win. Next were Sleigh and Dryden who had both started from near the back with great recovery drives. Fastest lap again went to the fast starting Covey!
Race 3
A large incident involving several cars brought out the red flags for race 3. A few were missing from the restart with retirements from Sleigh, Loia and Gronkowski had failed to solve his clutch problem. It had now started to rain again and this time it was Waugh (who was on the front row due to the reverse grid) who set the early pace leading by few cars lengths but it was sadly short-lived for the Rookie who made a small mistake at the exit of the chicane sending him into a spin. The pack engulfed him and it was Vic Covey who now took up the lead with Michael Rowan 2nd and the real winner from all the carnage was Chris Knox who had made it up to 3rd from the back of the grid. Meanwhile Kenneth Thirlwall (who had also had damage from before the restart) was up to 5th place having started from the pit lane. Covey was setting the pace though with another fastest lap bagged (all 3 in one day is a first in Scottish Mini Cooper Cup)and no one looked like catching him as he claimed his first win of the 2009 season. Rowan picked up 2nd with Knox with heroic drive got the final podium place. Kenneth Brewster kept his nose clean and drove to a great 4th place and a class win in the Newcomers. Thirlwall got 5th with Waugh having his best weekend in the Minis closed out the top 6.
