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Upgrade has MWMRacing ready for B6HR return
THE 2022 Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour will see a milestone moment for MWMRacing, a staple of long-distance racing at Mount Panorama.
On the 8th of April 2007, MWMRacing Debuted their new R53 Mini Cooper S to the Bathurst 12 hour, with team owner Trevor Keene driving alongside Tim Slade and Andrew Bretherton.
The car by all accounts was as close to the essence of production car racing as it came, with the only modifications being the roll cage, coil-over suspension, dry break refuelling and a limited slip differential, the car finished a fantastic 2nd in class and 12th outright (32 cars overall).
15 years and one week later, MWMRacing will be debuting a new build using the following generation of Mini chassis in the Bathurst 6 Hour, a new build based of an R56 Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works. The team plans to take the knowledge and development made on the previous chassis and applying it to the newer generation car with the hopes on improving their best Bathurst 6-hour result of a 3rd in class in 2018.
This year MWMRacing team owner Trevor Keene’s son, James Keene will be driving alongside the experienced Mini fanatic of Michael Sloss, and the young ace of Thomas Needham who will be making his debut at the Mountain.
“To be part of the team for their 15 years at Bathurst and my first Bathurst race is quite exciting for both parties,” Tom Needham said.
“Although I’ve been to Bathurst as a mechanic before and not a driver I’ll still be taking in as much from the team as I can.
“I’ll be working around my own commitments to GRM with their Trans Am program as the lead mechanic.
“I am sure my part in the team for MWM Racing as a driver will make the 15th year from their first debut a memorable experience and to hopefully come away with some silverware.”
Added James Keene: “15 years for MWMRacing as a team competing and at Mount Panorama with the Mini brand is something fantastic.
“The experience of driving with Dad in the 2017 edition in the R53, to finishing 3rd in class again driving with Dad in the 2018 edition, are things I hold dear. The mini (R53) has been part of my life since I was quite young, I remember vividly the build and preparation for the 2007 12 hour with the R53, and the build of the R56 for this years 6 hour reminds me a lot of the push to complete the R53 in 2007 – except Dad and I are doing as much of the work as we can, whereas in 2007 I was the annoying distraction!
“I look forward to this years start alongside Slossy and Tom: each driver has a wealth of front wheel drive experience behind them.
“Slossy with his minis, including numerous visits to the mountain in his own cars including his Mini Challenge car plus the GP2, and Tom while it is his first visit to the mountain I look forward to watching him learn and progress over the weekend – bringing his experience in the Mazda’s and Excels to the table, hopefully we can bring home the biscuits!”
“Any trip to the mountain is special, however a trip to the mountain to drive the Mini, well there are not enough superlatives for that…
“Minis have been a passion for me since buying my first Mini R56 JCW in 2010, which spent time doing many laps on drive days at Wakefield Park & Sydney Motorsport Park.
“This has progressed to race cars, more recently owning a coveted Mini Challenge Series Car (ex Beric Lynton), to building a Mini GP2 for circuit racing with the assistance of good friends Malcolm & Aidan Schmid.
“Trevor and James are a font of knowledge on Minis and have refined their machines using the vast experience over the past 15 years.
“I am very much looking forward to taking up the challenge of Bathurst 6 Hour with them. And James, I will Eat The Biscuits”
MWMRacing would like to put a thankyou out to all our supporters: Midwest Multimedia, Beyerdynamic, Whiteline, Syntec, MINISTRY Auto, S-Sport Racing, Shane’s Signs, RaceAway Track Time, Buttriss Smash and Mechanical Repairs, The JCW Register, Tunehouse, All Carbitz, AUS IT Tech Direct, Revolution Racegear, Tom Needham Racing and Specialised Driving Services.
(Team Media Release)