HOW HAMMOND IS LEADING THE WAY ON HIS RETURN TO RACING
Picking a champion from the huge Mini Challenge Cooper class grid before the start of the season was tricky. With Junior Saloon Car stars Lewis Saunders and Alex Solley and successful karter Louie Capozzoli joining race winners from last year – including the top two in the points, Harry Nunn and Dominic Wheatley – there was no shortage of potential victors.
But it’s another driver who has grabbed the early initiative: Matt Hammond. The
2017 category champion had not raced since winning that crown, but is back for this year with Excelr8 and has been instantly on the pace, starting with qualifying in the opening event at Snetterton last month.
“I stuck it on P1 at Snetterton and now second at Thruxton,” he said. “I’m well chuffed! Excelr8 Motorsport is doing a fantastic job with the car.”
Budget has always been a limiting factor for Hammond. He made his racing debut in 2014 in the Coopers and managed to get on the podium during that first season, landing the top-rookie prize. But the start of 2015 did not yield such good results and he decided to withdraw and refocus his funds on a fresh bid, which came with Excelr8 in 2017. After winning that title, he was unable to continue racing the following season.
“I was working with the [Excelr8] touring car team and the JCW programme – I was just trying to keep in it,” he explained. “I’ve been trying to get out in one of these ever since – it’s been a long time coming!”
Despite his strong start to the campaign, with a victory at Snetterton and a further win and a second at his local Thruxton circuit, Hammond admits the category has moved on a lot since he was last competing. “It’s double what the grids were before,” he said, adding that the lure of three appearances on the British Touring Car support bill has helped give the series a boost.
He was not expecting to be on the pace quite so quickly, saying: “I just wanted to be there or thereabouts. There was a bit of pressure on me from 2017, but I’m just doing what I can.”
So far, that plan is working pretty well as Hammond sits 10 points clear at the top of the standings, having very much staked his claim for a title bid against his plethora of rivals this year.