Article from Ashleigh Morris…

October 8th 2023… A date that will be remembered for a long time!

Dad and I headed BACK to Knockhill Racing Circuit for the first time in 4 years, as competitors – but with a twist… thanks to David Sleigh Racing we challenged ourselves and entered the Cooper S Championship as a guest for the final SMRC meeting of the year.

As my Uncle Jamie said – I had a brilliant start AND finish to the race season! The rain caused flooding but thanks to the Knockhill team, racing was saved after thousands of gallons of rainwater was removed from track!

20-minute testing saw me set the fastest lap and the day was off to a surprisingly positive start! Whilst being called to the holding bay for what we thought was qualifying, we were told that in fact we were going straight to racing – a result of the weather causing delays. I was extremely nervous at this point but thanks the David and Dads wise words, when the lights went out, I was able to get my head down. Stilllllll raining, I took a hit at Macintyre’s which saw me drop several places, in amongst the coopers! But with the bit between my teeth, I got past them all and by the middle of lap 2 was back with the Cooper S pack hunting down a podium position. I’d made it up to 3rd when the SC boards came out. It was at this moment the car started to lose power and after attempting a reset whilst on track, the safest thing for me to do was head in to see the team. After a few attempts at rectifying the issue, we eventually got going again, unfortunately a few laps down but showing great pace, securing fastest lap again, and a cheeky wee overtake on Jamie Blake #97 on the last lap!!

The team checked the car over and before we knew it, Race 2 was underway. With the problem reoccurring during the green flag laps, it was a nervous start off the line. The rain came on, the car behaved, I behaved… and I worked my way through the pack... SOMEHOW, I managed to take the chequered flag ahead of the rest, with another fastest lap AND my very first RACE WIN!!!!

I STILL can’t believe what we achieved this weekend! NONE of it however would have been possible without David Sleigh Racing and my mechanic Mark, Craig & Jamie Blake Racing, Dunnetts Limited, FUCHS, Alan Gow and SignRight, Grafix and everyone in the MINI paddock, from people I’ve raced with in the past and at this weekend, to other “racing dads” and even spectators! Shoutout to the Minimax Motorsport team who cheered me on even though I’d passed some of their own!! It was truly heartwarming. A special thanks to everyone that has supported me in this, and everything else – Family, friends… You know who you all are.

And lastly, to the most important person of them all… my little girl. She was with me every step of the way; she told me I could do it. If something were to happen to me tomorrow I at least, now get to say…

… I won my RACE, FOR MOLLY!

As for what’s next? Let’s just see what the future holds…

Photo courtesy of Lee Fisher