The second journey to Thruxton for the 2021 Quaife MINI Challenge UK Trophy provided a weekend to remember for the #199 of Louie Capazzoli, which showcased his talents around the 2.356-mile circuit, which also saw him take two victories in Hampshire over the course of the triple-header event.
Qualifying would be fast and frantic for all over the course of the 20-minute session, where cooler temperatures were more prevalent, but the momentum would still be there from Croft.
The LDR Performance Tuning driver would push his MINI to the limit to secure fifth overall for Round 12, 0.446 seconds off overall polesitter Charlie Mann, which also saw him as the second-fastest rookie behind Graves Motorsport’s Nelson King.
But after several attempts this year, it was time for a welcome first win of the season for the 18-year-old, who powered his way up from fifth to not only take the rookie win. He also took the overall victory by 0.715 seconds in front of Nelson King, making it two rookies leading the way, following on from a collision-related penalty that dropped Graves Motorsport’s Alfie Glenie to sixth.
Louie would then make it two out of two for Round 13, having initially led from the start, but would lose out to EXCELR8 Motorsport’s Tom Ovenden past the halfway point, who had moved up from sixth place. But in the latter stages, he would end up three-wide going into the chicane, where the #199 would end up leading, before the race ended up finishing under the Safety Car, following on from Graves’ Alfie Glenie hitting the barriers off the final corner, which put the car in a dangerous position.
Round 14 would see Louie start down in ninth, following on from the reverse grid pole, but would also make up significant ground over the course of a red flag shortened race, which saw him finish fourth after seven laps. This was because of the #20 MINI of Clark Wells having a heavy impact with the barriers, following on from contact with Ben Jenkins when the pair ran side-by-side.
It puts him overall in a great position for the season finale at the “Home of British Motorsport,” Silverstone on September 25th and 26th, as Louie is now leading the Rookie standings, along with also being in contention for the overall title on 427 points.
“It’s been a great weekend overall, picking up two wins and still being in contention for both the Rookie and overall titles going on the final weekend in a month at Silverstone,” admitted Louie.
“To get two wins under my belt is a wonderful feeling, especially with the family being here. Now the focus is to get ready for being at my home track, which will be a brilliant way to see out what’s been a year for me to remember as a rookie in car racing.”
Rounds 15, 16 & 17 bring the 2021 season to a close, as the series will again race as part of the TOCA Support Package with the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.
