Scotland’s multiple Mini champion, Oly Mortimer, will celebrate his 27th birthday tomorrow by going for a record five race wins in one afternoon in the latest Scottish Motor Racing Club event at Knockhill.
The Edinburgh car technician, who dominated the 2009 British Mini Cooper Championship, heads into the latest triple-header in Scottish Mini Championship leading the title race from Aberdeen’s Vic Covey.
But not content with his three Mini races, Mortimer will make his debut in the Scottish Ford Fiesta ST Championship driving for Fifer Ian Cowie.
“I haven’t seen the schedule for the day yet, but I doubt there’ll be time for me to take my crash helmet off,” Mortimer, who hopes to graduate to the British Touring Car Championship, laughed.
“Joking aside, no matter what the timetable is, between qualifying and racing for both the Mini and the Fiesta, I’m not going to have a minute’s rest.”
While Mortimer has competed five times in one day before, that was back in his karting days; the highest number of saloon car races he’s contested in one afternoon is four.
But the talented Scot, who won last time out in his Tynecastle Garage-prepared Mini at Oulton Park, is up for the challenge and flattered to have been asked to race the Fiesta.
“Out of the blue, really, Ian asked if I’d like to drive his Fiesta this weekend,” he explained. “I know he has high hopes that I can finish at least on the podium, so I’m hoping I can do him justice.
“I’ve only raced in a Fiesta once at Anglesey, but though I was doing well I didn’t finish the race because the car suffered technical problems. Hopefully we’ll do better this week.
“It’s a pretty cool way too to be celebrating my birthday, and it would be fantastic to get five wins out of five.”
JM