Sleighs dominate Minis at Knockhillposted in MINI11 | 04 | 2011

EDINBURGH BROTHERS David and Tim Sleigh began their joint challenge for the Celtic Speed Mini Cooper Championship with five podium finishes, including a win, in the opening three races at Knockhill in Fife.

"It was a great start to the season," Tim Sleigh explained. "I think David and I are going to be fighting for wins right though the season, but to start the year with the success did augurs well for the rest of the campaign."

While Edinburgh's Vic Covey won the opening two rounds — the first only after Tim, who took the chequered flag, was handed a 10-second penalty by stewards following a coming together with Chris Smilley — it was the Sleigh brothers who were the most consistent throughout the opening triple-header.

In the opening race, following Tim's demotion from first to fifth, David eventually finished second, just 1.297s behind Covey.

The day's second race was a cracker with Covey and the two Sleighs swapping places right through the race before the Aberdonian eventually won again.

At the finish, all three leading three cars were covered by just 0.7 of a second; the gap was 0.394s to Tim Sleigh, with brother David just 0.321s further back in third.

The day's third round saw the Sleigh brothers clinch their first Celtic Speed Mini Cooper Championship 1-2 of the season, with Tim finishing 3.66s ahead of brother David.

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Jim McGill

Caption: Edinburgh's Tim Sleigh in action in the Celtic Speed Mini Cooper Championship