Knox closes on Mini title 19 | 08 | 2014
SCOTS MINI ACE Chris Knox has got one hand on the British Mini Challenge title after a double win at Silverstone. Knox, from Elderslie, has been the dominant force all season and produced another commanding display at the Northamptonshire circuit.
The 2011 champion, who now lives in Brighton, can wrap up the title with just a point in the three final races at Brands Hatch, but the Scot has also kept himself firmly in the hunt for the Sunoco Challenge.
That would pave the way for Knox to win a drive in the prestigious Daytona 24-hour support race, the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, in Florida in January.
The Scot has already taken part in the Daytona meeting, and boosted his reputation Stateside with a number of appearances in the Continental Tires Sports Car Challenge in 2012.
But, for now, he has his sights firmly on lifting the British Mini Challenge silverware. He was immediately on a charge in the Rivervale Leasing Mini at Silverstone.
The Scot was two seconds ahead of the rest in testing and took pole position by more than a second. He then cruised to victory in race one, before defying a power problem to win the second outing of the weekend.
His Excelr8 team tried to fix the problem but it was still affecting the car in the final race. Knox still battled up to third from sixth before a braking issue caused him to collide with another car and he limped home in 10th.
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The stewards are still looking at the causes of the crash, but even if the result is taken away from him, Knox will need just a point next time out Brands. If he keeps the result then he will already have clinched the title.
The results also mean he is second in the Sonoco Challenge and he admits it would be a dream come true to get back out to Florida.
“I was quite surprised by my pace," Know admitted. "I was two seconds quicker than anyone in testing, and in qualifying I took pole position by 1.3 seconds. The first race was really straight-forward. I was pleased with the way I was able to pull away from the others.
“Race two looked to be going the same way. I had built up a comfortable lead but the car had developed a problem and they started to catch me quickly by the end.
“The final race was a challenge and then I went for the brakes and there was nothing there and I speared into another car.
“I'm happy to be where I am in the championship. It's all a little bit up in the air at the moment. However, I should be able to get one point over the three races we have left if I need to. However, I can’t afford to concentrate on that because I need all the points I can get for the Sonoco Challenge.
“I have raced there before and it would not be a shock to me. I have tested the Chevrolet Camaro before and it would be a dream come true to get back on that circuit.”
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Jim McGill