“Sorry I can’t join MTTS – I’m racing!”

There was nobody more disappointed than racing driver Colin Mullan when he couldn’t join MINI TAKES THE STATES 2018 when it passed through his home state of California.

However, he had good reason for not being able to drive on this year’s epic cross-country road trip. That’s because just five days after MTTS 2018 visited the city of Sacramento, he was due to be racing for the MINI team at Lime Rock Park race circuit in the IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

Colin, accompanied by his father Dan, was able to meet many of the almost 1,000 MINI motorers who gathered at the Raley Field Ball Park for the Rise & Rally breakfast meeting before they embarked on the 450-mile drive to Los Angeles.

He was introduced to the large crowd of MINI enthusiasts by Randy Clements, Department Head, Product Planning & Aftersales at MINI USA. Randy spoke of Colin’s recent debut race at the Mid- Ohio Circuit where he finished in second place and how, in his second-ever race which took place at Watkins Glen, he finished as winner, even though he had previously never driven the circuit.

Randy also told of how Colin missed the first two races of this season, not because of any mechanic problem but because at 15 years old, he was too young to take part in a competitive race event.

Now at 16 years of age, Colin is enjoying an amazingly successful debut season with the LAP Motorsports team, one that was made even better by the fact that just a week after his Mid-Ohio race success, he qualified for his full driving license enabling him to drive his own 2012 MINI Hardtop JCW.

He told the audience in Sacramento how he is thoroughly enjoying his experiences driving and racing in MINIs, adding: “This is an amazing crowd and the MINI culture is fantastic!”

His dad Dan spoke of how Colin had first become fascinated by motorsports at a very young age when he watched his first NASCAR race on TV aged just five. He then first started racing in Quarter Midgets soon after, followed by quarter scale and then half scale race cars and then karting, before competing in his first race car, a Miata, at just 14. He raced open wheel cars before moving on to the most exciting and thrilling car of them all – MINI!

Best of luck at Lime Rock Colin, from everyone involved in MTTS 2018!