The Independent American Magazine for all Mini Owners
Issue link: http://mc2.epubxp.com/i/33538
T by MC2 Staff photos courtesy Per Olof Ezelius o say that Per Olof Ezelius is a newcomer to racing is something of an understatement. Although the 61-year old Swede tells us that he is a lifelong racing enthusiast, he didn’t start racing until he was 55, when he started autocrossing his ’03 Cooper S. Well, the bug bit and it wasn’t long before Per got serious about the sport, upgrading to a 2005 model. “At that time I got totally hooked,” says Per, “and tried to find SCCA autocross events to go to every weekend. My biggest achievement during this time came at an SCCA National Tour event in Georgia in 2007 when I won the GS-Stock class, defeating the defending National Champion and receiving both prize money and tires from Hoosier!” Then, when he went to the Frankfurt Auto Show in September of 2007, Per saw the new JCW Challenge racecar and knew that he had to have one. The problem was that Per lives mostly in the USA, and BMW/MINI wasn’t exporting the stripped down racer to the States. But, as they say, where there’s a will, there’s a way and Per found it. However, because Per also has a home in Sweden, he as able to buy the car, have it shipped to America and by jumping through the hoops and red tape put up by the DOT and EPA, brought his MINI Challenge car into the US as a race car. With the car in hand, Per’s next obstacle was to successfully race the car in a series of SCCA-sanctioned time trials and hill climbs to get his racing license. Per successfully competed in the five events and then got involved in the Robin Hood Rally series, which was cancelled after only two events. So having collected 45 points in the five races he did compete in, Per was named the South East Division SCCA Time Trial Champion in SPO class for 2010. With Per now firmly established as a successful competitor, and his MINI Challenge car proving to be very reliable, the affable Swede says that he plans on racing throughout the 2011 season in hill climb events. 22 www.mc2magazine.com “The hill climb is my favorite racing venue,” says Per. “There are plenty of hill climbs along the Appalachian mountain range to keep me busy all summer. While there are serious plans to add a couple of more hill climbs as a part of the SEDIV Time Trial series in 2011, there may not be enough hill climbs included in the series to cover the minimum of five races. This will mean I will probably not qualify for the SEDIV Time Trial Championship in 2011. I have always wanted to race the mother of hill climbs – Pike’s Peak and with any luck I will make it this year. If not, then perhaps I will try it in 2012.” Barn Stormers 2011 A MINI Challenge Racer In The USA