Birthday boy Oly Mortimer, a multiple Scottish and British Mini Cooper Champion, came within half-a-car’s distance of giving himself the perfect gift, five wins out of five in one day.
The 27-year-old from Edinburgh, competing in the latest rounds of the Scottish Motor Racing Club Championships at Knockhill at the weekend, tackled three races in the Scottish Mini Championship and made his debut in the Scottish Ford Fiesta ST Championship.
Mortimer demolished the opposition in his Ian Cowie-prepared Fiesta, winning both races and coming within 7/1000ths of the lap record, and then won the opening two races in his Tyncastle Garage-prepared Mini from pole position.
The talented racer, tipped to graduate to the British Touring Car Championship next season, was then only pipped for his fifth and final race by fellow Edinburgh racer David Sleigh.
“I came so, so close,” Mortimer, whose five-in-a-day challenge coincided with his 27th birthday, explained. “Because the championship operates a reversed grid for the final Mini race of the day, I started sixth.
“I had a great ding-dong battle right through the race with David, and Vic Covey from Aberdeen. We were within inches of each other most of the time but not one of us made contact with each other. It was great, controlled racing.
“Coming out of the hairpin for the final time David was just ahead of me, but as we headed up the main start-finish straight I was closing all the time. He held on though and got me by just half the length of a Mini. At almost 100mph as we crossed the finish line, that’s not a lot.
“Still, it was a pretty successful day; four pole positions, four wins and a second, and fastest lap in all five races. Certainly a birthday to remember.”
JM