Mitchell isn't chicken as his Seat Cupra debut nears

Scottish chicken producer Steve Mitchell is aiming to ruffle some feathers in this year's SEAT Cupra Championship when enters the series at Donington Park.

The 41-year old from Letham, Forfar, was won the top novice award and finished 6th overall (out of 17 cars) on his debut racing season in the 2003 Scottish Mini Cooper Cup, and after five years racing the chirpy 120bhp machines, he has plucked up the courage to race a left-hand drive 300bhp turbocharged SEAT Leon Cupra. He has already tested his ex-Stewart Whyte car at Mallory Park and at Thruxton, where the speed of the new Leon Cupras exceeded 140mph. Family and business commitments prevented Steve racing at Brands Hatch and Rockingham, but he hopes to make a flying start when he flexes his wings on his SEAT Cupra debut at Donington on May 3/4.

The car will be run and prepared by Forfar-based JP Motorsport.

Steve Mitchell: "The SEAT Cupra is very enjoyable to drive and racing in the series is going to be a big challenge for us, as the car is a lot different to the Mini Coopers I'm used to. I'd never set foot in Thruxton before, so during testing we were a little off the pace, but I'm particularly looking forward to racing at Croft, Knockhill and Silverstone, because I know my way around those circuits fairly well. We did a one-off race in the Cooper Class of the main Mini Challenge at Croft last year and finished on the podium, so once we get used to the Leon I think we could have a few good results."