Stephen sets record by retaining crown

ASTOCK car driver made history by becoming the first person to win the European Championship in his category for two years in a row.

Stephen Mallinson hopes to follow in the footsteps of other Rochdale drivers who have had great success in the sport.

The Littleborough driver was competing against some of the best in Europe at the recent Brisca F2 European Championship on July 27-28.

The 39-year-old started driving in mini stock cars when he was just 11 and it’s clear the passion for racing was in his blood.

“I have been racing all my life,” he said.

“I grew up with racing since I was young - my mum raced, my dad raced, my grandfather raced and my brother did so it’s a bit of a family thing.

“Winning the European championships is the

biggest thing I have done.”

Last year Stephen, an engineer at Ken Mills, won his first major stock car title in terrible conditions and leading up to this year’s event his main aim was to retain his title.

He said: “The first year I won it was obviously a massive achievement that I didn’t really think I would ever win. Because of how the championship racing works out, they are hard to win.

“Last year was really bad conditions and was one of the slowest wins that anyone has ever seen.

“Some people could have said it was a bit of a fluke so that made me even more determined this year to win it again and prove a point.”

He triumphed at Northampton International Shaleway in style, leading 23 out of the 25 lap race leaving no chance for the opposition to take the title away.

It was a special moment for the dad-of-two as daughters Amelia, 6, and Keira, 3, were able to join him on the podium.

He even met wife Hannah, 29, through the sport, adding: “It takes that much commitment doing what I do if I had not met a wife through racing I don’t think it would ever have worked out!”

Stephen combines racing in up to 35 meets a year around England, travelling as far as Suffolk to compete, as well as racing in Europe - but the local area has a proud reputation for racing already in the F1 category.

With Stuart Smith and his sons having won numerous F1 World Championships between them, Stephen said Rochdale is quite well known as a stock car area.

Stephen will next travel to Cornwall for the Brisca F2 Semi-Final and if successful he will race at Buxton in the World Final in September.

As for next year’s European Championships, he said: “Obviously I have got to aim for the hat-trick. I was the first person to win it consecutively so that was a big thing to do.

“Three in a row is definitely something I am aiming for.” ●●Stephen Mallinson, from Littleborough, became the first person to win the Brisca F2 European championship consecutively. He’s pictured here on the podium with daughters Amelia, 6, and Keira, 3