Lohen Logo
Contact Lohen
Dunlop Sportmaxx - Round 1 - 10th & 11th April, 2010 - Rockingham

Preparation

The 12 weeks of prep, stressful days and long nights have finally come together ahead of Andrey and Lohen’s first competitive race in the Dunlop Sport Maxx at Rockingham over 10th/11th April, 2010. Rockingham is an imposing circuit – the spectator stand rises from the horizon providing superb views of the track. The circuit itself is no less impressive: huge banked straights, billiard table smooth tarmac which makes for superb setup with the KW suspension, and a viewing area from atop the pit garages makes for a great race setting.

Friday 9th provided a much-needed opportunity to scrub some tyres and bed in some Mintex F2R race brake pads. The Dunlop Direzzas proved a tough compound out on a cold, wet and blustery Castle Combe at the March Press Day, and it was with a certain amount of trepidation we awaited their performance at Rockingham. Andrey had struggled to find grip from the firm rubber, but the team hoped a touch further into Spring with some warmer weather would help them heat up this time round. Although we were unable to join the test day, we took a trip to Bruntingthorpe to help prepare the car, and then moved on towards Rockingham where the Lohen team squeezed a tiny 3 laps on circuit before the day’s final session ended. To say we were a touch nervous would be fair: the first real time Andrey would get on track would be qualifying, probably less than ideal…

Saturday morning rolled around all-too quickly: early starts for all, and soon down to the circuit to put the finishing touches to the Bear. If nothing else, she looked pristine as we applied her Dunlop vinyls and Blue Peter style gaffer tape numbers: the latter were hastily added after the organisers mistakenly chose 30 for our car, when we’d requested 44. The team loaded up the pit trolley with wheels, axle stands and all the associated tools and Andrey suited himself up for his first full session on track. With the Clubman as our pit lane taxi, we headed to the pit wall to catch Andrey heading out and warming up.

Qualifying

All things considered, we really couldn’t complain about qualifying. Andrey took the time to learn the track and gradually improved over the course of the session: we weren’t lapping quite as quickly as the Class A Churchill Astra (!) but secured 2nd in Class B and were all pleased with our position.

After a brief lunch and quick clean up/hoover out, the car had it’s stickers and stripes applied, which left enough time to load the pit trolley and head over to the race assembly area.

Race 1

First grid and Andrey followed the other cars out to warm his tyres and liven up the brakes a touch. Our mechanic, Dave, and race engineer, Chris, had given him plenty of advice on do’s and don’t’s, so it was with real pleasure we saw him weaving out of the pit straight, and finally back to the grid after a couple of minutes familiarising himself with the circuit under heavy traffic.

Race 1 passed in somewhat of a blur – from the outset the R56 was chasing down Keith Issatt’s BMW 120d, and managed to secure the pass on lap 4. From this point, Andrey slowly drew out his lead with plenty of air between himself and the next-placed Class A car of Alex Ashby: somewhat the advantage of being a few horses slower means clean road to go at. The next 9 or so laps were a frenzy of 1.38’s (including a fastest lap…) and class victory was ours. After arriving safely in parc ferme, the team was elated, proving the perfect ending to our first day’s racing. The atmosphere was great as all the drivers clambered free of their cars, a real testament to the camaraderie involved in the Sportmaxx Cup. Andrey took his position on the winner’s podium, and was duly adorned with trophy, winners garland and a bottle of champagne (although no spray this time!)

Day 2 of the weekend

Sunday morning signalled another round of cleaning, tyre stripping, measuring, spanner checking etc. Andrey was understandably pleased with the car’s performance the day before, and only little changes were made to the setup. The old adage of ‘if it aint broke…’ and all that.

One thing we had failed to consider was needing to bring all of our ballast plates from the workshop. Perhaps we considered it wishful thinking to pack them all, so when the official Sportmaxx pre-race bulletin arrived confirming that Andrey had been lumbered with 45kgs of success ballast, we had a wobble trying to locate additional plates to bring us up to weight. A big thanks to the guys from MJR Racing (the team behind Keith Issatt’s BMW) who were able to supply a couple of extras nuggets!

Race 2

To say Race 2 was processional would be unfair to the other drivers, but Lohen led from start to finish, which in our eyes was perfect. We were starting to think the unthinkable: could we make it a clean sweep? After a swift start, we witnessed the Black BMW of Witt slowly improving his position and starting to close on our MINI, meaning Andrey had to keep his wits about him and focus on determined, fast laps to stay at the head of the field. Fortunately the success ballast was not enough to slow the Polar Bear down and Lohen ultimately took the chequered flag with ease.

Race 3

Race 3, and finally some racing! Although the car was in its familiar spot 8 on the grid, Andrey’s start was not as precise and the R56 slipped back behind both BMW’s. The Lohen team watched on nervously as Andrey had to fight his way back through the pack with much closer racing.

Part way round race 3 the action started to hot up: Andrey and Justin Webb’s cars were vying for the lead, edging perilously close to one another: so much so, in fact, it was reported they’d had contact at turn one. We’re pleased to clear up this was not the case: our R56 didn’t experience any contact through the course of the weekend. Andrey began to hone his race craft, battling to the front of the class and even posting a fastest lap time on his way to a third victory. One final parc ferme inspection to assess the car’s legality and the results were finalised: a hatrick of races and dream start to the season!

All in all - a great weekend

The team thoroughly enjoyed the experience at Rockingham: the circuit is a great venue, and for spectators the Dunlop Great and British weekends offer a variety of racing for maximum entertainment. On the back of that, the MINI Challenge should help keep you MINI fans doubly entertained.
Dunlop Sport Maxx: Round 2 - Snetterton - 8th & 9th May, 2010

New MINI Specialists Lohen proved they’re a force to be reckoned with in Round 2 of the Dunlop Sport Maxx Production Cup at Snetterton this weekend. Dogged with mechanical faults and a tussle with Coram, the team showed the resolve necessary to triumph in a casualty-heavy weekend of racing.

Friday’s testing was short-lived as the R56 Cooper S threw an Engine Management Light indicating over-heating. The team elected to run the car, which ultimately led to the MINIs demise: a failed head gasket signalled the start of a labour-intensive engine swap, complete with 2am finish ahead of Saturday’s qualifying.

With understandable caution, Lohen driver Andrey Magiy wheeled the Cooper S out to fight for his grid position, returned to the pits for a water top up before completing the session and qualifying a respectable 3rd in class. Given the weekend’s hardships, the Lohen team were pleased, and hopeful of some decent running with their new under-bonnet hardware.

Saturday afternoon brought race 1 and with it the afternoon’s heaviest downpour of rain. Andrey had an impressive start, snatching a place into the first spray-filled corner. Lap times were slow due to the treacherous conditions, but the car was performing. Unfortunately, in his first season of competitive racing, inexperience in the wet got the better of Andrey, and he took an untimely exit, claimed by Coram on lap 5.

After some furious panel-beating and bumper welding, Lohen’s MINI was back on track first thing Sunday morning, benefitting from some dry lines carved out by the Radicals. Race 2 marked the Russian debutante’s return to form, and although a brief grassy moment left the exhaust hanging free from its mounts, Magiy narrowly missing out on victory and set the Class B fastest lap along the way.

After a final clean and setup, Mother Nature smiled on the Snetterton circuit and provided luxurious sunshine for the first time in 3 days. Reminiscent of Lohen’s opening weekend at Rockingham, Andrey took full advantage of the superb track conditions to lead the Class from lap 5, breaking the previous Class B lap record with a superb 1.23.4 and even giving a Class A Focus food for thought.

The Lohen team were understandably delighted with the result, Magiy commenting “No words can even describe: from the engine swap, an accident, all the way to my 4th victory of the season. I’m thrilled.”
Dunlop Sport Maxx: Oulton Park – 31st May, 2010

They say good things come to those who wait, and Lohen’s driver Andrey Magiy went some way to upholding the belief this past weekend in the Sport Maxx at Oulton Park. Considered Lohen’s local track, Oulton provided the Cooper S MINI plenty of scope to impress the decent crowds that gathered on Bank Holiday Monday.

Saturday’s free practice was dogged by rain, but provided the Lohen team enough time to adjust the MINI’s suspension to suit the treacherous conditions. Struggling to significantly heat the Dunlop Direzza tyre, Magiy elected to calmly fine-tune his lines on a new-to-him Island circuit. That said, he returned to the pits after a brief skirmish with a mobile tyre wall at Knickerbrook, which provided the mechanics with some additional work replacing a control arm at the end of play.

With the car set and ready to roll, Bank Holiday Monday signalled an early start ahead of a jam-packed 3-race day. Conditions on track were superb, plenty of warm sunshine to help sticky the hard tyres. Sadly, shortly after the start of race 1, Kevin George took an untimely exit leading to barrier damage, which red-flagged the race.

Magiy was understandably disappointed with the inability to really race his Class B competitors, and had to settle for 2nd place on the podium. Thankfully, George clambered free of his car unscathed, but the Corsa was left in tatters and in need of prompt attention.

Race 2 gave the Lohen Cooper S plenty of scope to impress. Leaving many impressed with the determination he showed, Magiy crawled all over the back of Witt’s BMW, just falling short securing the Class win. He did, however, secure the fastest lap with a 1.42.8.

A reverse grid handed Lohen the back of the grid for Race 3, while Jordan Witt took pole position. Witt was soon swallowed up by the Class A cars’ power, succumbing to their extra horses on the first lap before Knickerbrook. Magiy was caught up with Tim Saunders in the Focus ST, but utilised the Ford’s pulling power to drag towards class leader Witt as the laps progressed.

A tussle at Cascades involving Witt and Saunders opened the door for the ever-patient Magiy, and his Turbo-powered MINI streaked away to success, building a fastest lap into his third race and a well-deserved trophy to round off an eventful weekend. Better get those ballast plates out again…! Almost half way through the season, Magiy currently leads Class B and is 2nd in the Sport Maxx Championship
Dunlop Sport Maxx - Pembrey, 26th & 27th June

"You should come here again: the sun doesn't often shine like this so maybe you brought it with you!" The marshals were obviously pleased the sun was shining on Pembrey, and the Dunlop Sport Maxx teams were hopeful of decent track conditions ahead of their races.

Friday's testing offered the Lohen Team a series of opportunities to tweak the setup, and in anticipation of the weekend's good weather, every option was exploited to bring the best out of the MINI.

Saturday morning: the sun was shining in abundance, offering Magiy a ray of hope his good-weather Rockingham form may return. Qualifying was a mixed bag for the Class B cars in general, Jordan Witt's BMW seemingly off the pace for much of the session, while Kevin George pushed his Corsa into a topsy-turvy moment out of Dibeni. Andrey secured 2nd place on the grid and felt the car was performing well.

Race one arrived, still the sun shone but perhaps the broken start lights on the grid signalled the beginning of the end: Magiy fluffed the start, choosing third and failing to capitalise on his position when the hand-held flag was dropped. "I was concentrating so much on what the Officials were doing with that flag, I selected a gear and didn't check it, only realising when raised my foot and got no drive. Still, I won’t be doing that again," he joked.

Now bringing up the rear in Class B, Magiy was crawling all over the back of Witt's BMW. Out-braking himself at Brooklands Hairpin and connecting with Witt, left the Cooper S with a broken radiator, and Magiy recording his 2nd DNF of the championship. His frustration after retiring was evident although the subsequent removal of success ballast undoubtedly made that bitter pill slightly easier to swallow.

After running the system through the night before, the Lohen team was confident the car was cooling effectively post-bump. Race 2 and Andrey had a superb start and entry into turn one, stealing 3 places at the corner and sitting between the two Class A Nissans. As the class A car pressured for the position, Andrey's line was compromised leaving a gap for Kevin George to sneak through.

Jordan Witt took a spectacular departure, entering the pit straight with wheels on the grass, swerving and careering nose-first into the armco, which red-flagged the race. With fortune on their side, the Lohen team was able to attend to an ailing Polar Bear, whose temperature warning light had returned.

With water pumped and flushed into the system, the MINI did rejoin the race at the restart from the pit lane, but returned to the pits for some assessment before completing the race with a final couple of laps. Sadly Magiy was judged to have completed insufficient laps to earn more than a DNF, a fact that disappointed the team considerably.

After some frantic manipulation and bleeding under the team’s awning, the Lohen MINI finally made it out for Race 3, although still suffering with overheating issues. She did however pass the line in last place: a marked improvement on the first two races of the day, and finally enough to put Andrey in pride of place, leading Class B at the end of the weekend.