Close But No Cigar For Mini Challenge Front-Runner

*Close But No Cigar For Mini Challenge Front-Runner Bailey *

It was a case of 'close but no cigar' for young Auckland-based Palmerston North racing driver Ryan Bailey at the final round of the 2009/10 MINI Challenge in Taupo over the weekend.

After leading the championship title chase all season the 21-year-old kart-turned-car-racer was literally pipped at the post by his TKR teammate Matt Hamilton, the latter qualifying quickest and winning two of the three races to take the 2009/10 title from Bailey by 16 points.

On-going issues with his car's ABS braking system, ironically eventually sorted out this weekend, have blighted Bailey's campaign since the second round and they again had him on the back foot in testing on Friday and qualifying on Saturday - where he could only manage the sixth fastest lap time.

Desperate measures overnight - where the car's braking system was completely stripped and re-built - helped, allowing Bailey to work his way from sixth to fourth in the first race and sixth to third in the second.

But by that stage the damage to his points lead - which was 13 points heading into the meeting - had been done.

That he came back to beat his teammate in the final reverse grid race on Sunday - finished second to Gavin Yortt with Hamilton third - was little consolation.

"All credit to Matt," Bailey said this morning. "He never gave up and he got the result. And as everyone's been telling me he's a lot older and has done a lot more racing in cars than me. He's raced in the Toyota series, he's raced Indy Lights in the United States and now he's racing the TKR car in the Fujitsu (V8 Supercar) series in Australia. I'm just gutted that we had so many problems with the car. And knowing that we finally seem to have got on top of the ABS issue makes it even harder to accept. The car was as good as Matt's at the first round of the series and again in that last race yesterday and as I proved, when we both had good cars underneath us there was nothing between him and I."

Like Hamilton, Bailey got his competition start in karts and the pair continue to race them, Bailey in the 100cc Yamaha class, Hamilton in 125cc Rotax Max Light.

It's his kart Bailey will go back to over the off-season, as he ponders what to do next.

Before the offer from Team Kiwi boss David John to drive one of his two MINI Challenge Bailey had only ever done one-off or limited campaigns in a car. And at least now he has a full season in one of the most competitive classes under his belt.

"For that, " he says, "I have to thank David and everyone who has helped me, including my family and the various friends who have come up with sponsorships here and there."

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