Austin makes MX-5 debut in Race of Remembrance
British Touring Car Championship racer Rob Austin joined former series rival Dan Welch in Paul Roddison’s Mazda MX-5 Race of Remembrance line-up last weekend, replacing Jon Halliwell who was unable compete due to injury.
Halliwell, who with Roddison is co-founder of the MAX5 championship and won the title in 2017, drove in previous Race of Remembrance events alongside Roddison and Welch, but has been unable to race this year due to a work accident.
Austin had already driven alongside Welch in the Citroen C1 Challenge 24-hour race at Rockingham a couple of months ago, so Roddison invited him to take Halliwell’s place for the Anglesey 12-hour endurance race.
“I jumped at the opportunity,” said Austin, who has raced the Alfa Romeo Giulietta in the BTCC this season. “It’s really good fun, I’ve never driven an MX-5 before, never driven Anglesey before, so the first session was just finding my feet. Night qualifying, was my first proper run in the car and I really enjoyed it.
“For the moment it’s a one-off, but I certainly love the car so I’d love to have a go in a proper MX-5 race. I’ll drive anything with a wheel on it!”
The MX-5 finished fifth overall and was first in the two-litre class. The car however lost its ABS for most of the first half of the race and the team reckoned without the resultant time loss, around three or four seconds a lap, it would have been right in the mix for overall victory.