Mini legend Sollis to pull triple duty as racer and team boss at Mini Festival

Mini Miglia legend Bill Sollis will contest three races in two cars at the upcoming Brands Hatch Mini Festival, as well as running machines in a further six.

Sollis has entered to race his Miglia in the double-header championship round on the Brands Indy track on July 16/17, and will also share a historic Cooper S with Nick Paddy in the Sanwa Trophy Endurance event.

Alongside that, Sollis is also chief engineer for the Oakfield Motorsport Mini Challenge team, and will run Neil Newstead’s JCW in three races as well as cars in the Cooper S division races.

“Brands will be pretty mad with the timetable, as I’ll be running around all weekend non-stop,” said Sollis.

“I have to prioritise the Challenge team and I’m really enjoying that side of being part of a team, but I’ve also made a commitment to racing in the Miglias this year and I also have the long-standing agreement with Nick Paddy and Sanwa to do that race too. It will be fun diving between the Miglia with loads of grip and power, and the historic with none.

“I’ve got Ian Gunn [father of British GT driver Ross and former Miglia champion] to look after the Miglia, and Nick to tend the historic, so that gives me some time to work with Oakfield, and aside from that I’ll bring a push bike to cut travel time between the top and bottom paddocks!”