FOR THE LOVE OF MINIS: ANDREW AND MIKE JORDAN
The pounding beats of Eminem’s Lose Yourself set a stark contrast to the laughs and smiles in the Silverstone garage.
Mike and Andrew Jordan are reflecting on an afternoon of mixed fortunes. It’s been a familiar routine for the past 16 years, starting when Mike raced in the British Touring Car Championship and Andrew on the support package with SEAT.
Two years later, Andrew joined the Eurotech squad for his rookie season in the BTCC. It was the first time a father and son had raced together in the championship and, though the teenager’s season was hampered by unreliability, he scored points on his debut, podiums at Oulton Park and Knockhill, and finished one place ahead of his dad in the standings.
Since then, Mike has been a visible presence, not only overseeing Andrew’s career but also taking a leading role in the engineering of his cars, pivotally guiding him to the independents’ crown in
2012, followed by the overall drivers’ title one year later.
In more recent times, the Jordans have forged an enviable reputation for their work in building and preparing historic race cars, while Andrew has gone on to become one of the finest professional drivers of the genre. But this was no accident. Mike Jordan is not only an exceptional racer, he’s a talented engineer and savvy businessman to boot. He sold Eurotech at precisely the right time and has invested his money well, skilfully developing the Jordan Racing Team into a formidable presence in the paddock.
But, as every racer knows, what’s good for business doesn’t always feed the soul – which is why, on rare weekends, they can be found either behind the wheel or under the bonnet of their abiding passion, a Mini.
“It started for me when Dad raced on the Power Tour,” said Jordan Jr.
“Nick and Joe Tandy were hammering around, taking incredible lines and carrying ridiculous amounts of speed, and I wanted to be just like them.
“When things started to go sour in touring cars, I told Dad that if I wasn’t going to race for a living, it had to be for fun, so I went out and bought this [Miglia]. A Mini was my first competition car [in junior rallycross] and I knew it would be the perfect remedy.
“This championship is brilliant. But there was a piece missing. I wanted to thank Dad for everything he’s done, and for holding me together during the touring car years so, after I got mine, I bought him this [patting a bright orange Mini Se7en].
“I really should have gone to see it first,” he laughed, “but it was just as much fun putting it together as it has been seeing him race it.”
They’re a remarkable combination. Strong and fast. They don’t always win; even meticulous preparation can’t always prevent a breakage, but equally, a breakage doesn’t stop them from smiling all the way home.