MORE than halfway through the British Racing and Sports Car Club’s 2015 Mazda MX-5 Championship, Suffolk racer Brian Chandler has his eye firmly on the top spot.
It’s well within his grasp too, as he currently sits in second place with just three meetings remaining in the highly competitive race series.

The championship boasts packed grids and bumper-to-bumper racing at some of the UK’s premier circuits including Brands Hatch, Silverstone and Donington Park.
Following participation in selected rounds in 2014, Brian decided to commit to a full campaign this year but it has not gone quite as well as some had predicted for him. He said: “During the close season many said that I was the man to beat, but I didn’t really get my act together at the first couple of rounds, and now I worry that I may have left it a bit too late.”

Despite this, in the championship standings he’s just 14 points behind Surrey-based racer Simon Baldwin whose brother James Blake-Baldwin took the 2014 title.

Brian said: “Simon’s got a quick car which is proving to be more reliable for him than it was last year, so it’s going to be tricky to take points off him and finish in front for the rest of the season – which is what I need to do if I’m to take the title.”

However things went to plan for the 36-year-old last time out when he scored a hat-trick of victories at the challenging Cadwell Park circuit in Lincolnshire.
He said: ”Before arriving I knew in my heart that I needed three wins but in all honesty I thought that would be a big ask, especially at Cadwell where it only takes one little mistake and you can have two, three or four cars come past you in an instant.

“As it turned out it couldn’t have gone any better, it was absolutely perfect for
me. It’s a fantastic circuit to drive because it’s so technical with quite a few quick corners but I find for racing it’s is a bit too tight, a bit too twisty and a bit too
quick.”

Brian added that indulging his passion for racing is only possible thanks to sponsors’ support. He said: “Having sponsors means the world to me. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to race, so having a major supporter like Lancaster Insurance’s weight behind me is amazing.”