Jake Hill made an impressive debut on his Classic Car race debut at the weekend at Silverstone, finishing on the podium. 

Despite an unscheduled stop for a loose wheel, teenager Jack Rawles and BRDC Rising Hill combined to form an impressive debut partnership in the Mintex Classic K race this weekend, taking the superb Bill Rawles Classic Cars-prepared Austin Healey 3000 Mk2 to a hard-fought podium finish in their class and seventh overall.

In a strong and varied entry of over thirty classic cars in five classes, Rawles started the day in spectacular style, in only his second-ever race in the 1962 machine qualifying second in class and fourth overall with a rapid lap late on in the session.

Hill had earlier driven the car for the very first time in qualifying and commented ‘This is SO much fun, what an amazing engine such a balanced chassis – a truly great British sportscar. I’m super grateful to Bill (Rawles) for trusting me with such a lovely machine.’

A swift getaway saw Rawles immediately into the class lead and steadily pulling away from the mighty Ford Galaxie and Ford Mustang scrapping behind, then with a twelve second lead after only fifteen minutes of the one hour race completed, brought the car in for an unscheduled stop with a loose wheel, dropping down the order to tenth overall.

As the window for the driver change opened Rawles again brought the car in for the team to check the car and with it Hill clambered on board, now a lap down after the stop.

Charging back into the race with thirty five minutes remaining and by now down in eighteenth place, 22 year-old Hill immediately set the fastest lap of the race, and steadily improved lap after lap, passing car after car, many significantly more powerful machines, often in dramatic style until with just ten minutes remaining a podium finish was in sight.

Closing by as much as four seconds per lap Hill caught and passed the similar Healey of Mark Dunn with just five minutes remaining,  and moved into third in class and a remarkable seventh overall after a storming debut drive.

“That was brilliant. Jack did a fantastic lap in qualifying and was so strong early on until he had to stop. It was such a shame as I think we had the pace between us to definitely Win our class and maybe challenge for a podium overall because for the last twenty minutes we were the quickest car overall. Loved it and it and I can’t wait to be racing back in the BTCC at Thruxton next weekend and try and get a result like this there too.”

Hill and Rawles hope to reunite their partnership for the Silverstone Classic in July, but Hill’s focus is now on the high-speed sweeps of Thruxton next weekend.

“I had a tough time at Donington last time out but qualified strongly and had a good few races at Brands before that. This weekend has been so much fun and gives me a lot of confidence for next week, but I really hope we can do more of these races again”