Coleg Menai team finishes as top Welsh college in Student Motorsport Challenge

Motorsport engineering students transformed a Peugeot 107 into a race-ready vehicle, with the learners also providing the pit crew for the two-day event.

They secured the Welsh bragging rights, with driver Hywel Rosenthal beating off competition from Coleg Gwent to ensure Menai Motorsports finished as the top college from Wales at the Anglesey Circuit.

The team of BTEC Level 3 in Motorsport Engineering students now want to raise the cash to enter the remainder of the series, which would see them compete at iconic motorsport venues such as Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Snetterton.

The Student Motorsport Challenge was incorporated into the CityCar Cup Championship, which saw Menai Motorsports compete against 30 other teams over a qualifying round and three races at the Tŷ Croes track.

With Hywel, the owner of Star Autocare in Gaerwen, at the wheel, Menai Motorsports finished 18th out of 31 in the qualifying race.

In race one the team gained four places to finish 14th, but they were unable to complete the race due to an incident on the track, meaning they started the final race from the back of the grid. However, they picked up four places to finish 24th overall in the last session.

Hywel Rosenthal said afterwards: “It was only my second proper race meeting, and it was the students’ and all the staff’s first time at this, and it was exceptionally well done.

“The students were hands-on and everyone was very good at their job. The professionalism of the staff and the students was second to none, and as a team we worked very well.

“We had a car that was stable and we had no real issues, and everyone deserves a massive amount of praise. We managed to stay the course and finished as the top college in Wales.”

Arron Peel, Menai Motorsports team principal and Deputy Programme Manager for Engineering at Coleg Menai, said: “What a weekend and an achievement.

“The whole Motorsports team have put a lot of time and effort into this programme and to see the car out on track was amazing, the fastest Welsh College on track.

“It was nice speaking to other competitors and to have opportunities for networking with other colleges from across the UK.

“It was an extremely good experience and a real eye-opener - there were teams that turned up with massive articulated lorries, gazebos and catering teams. The staff thoroughly enjoyed it and so did the students, and we can’t wait for the next meeting.”

The next meeting in the CityCar Cup Championship is at Snetterton on July 22 and 23, before rounds at Brands Hatch on August 19 and 20, Donington Park on September 9 and 10, and Silverstone on October 7 and 8.

Menai Motorsports are grateful to support from sponsors including Star Autocare, Titan Ynys Môn and Unit 13. Anyone interested in sponsoring Menai Motorsports for future rounds can contact arron.peel@gllm.ac.uk

Coleg Menai’s Llangefni site runs the only BTEC Level 3 in Motorsport Engineering in North Wales. For more information about the course, click here.

Motorsport engineering students transformed a Peugeot 107 into a race-ready vehicle, with the learners also providing the pit crew for the two-day event.

They secured the Welsh bragging rights, with driver Hywel Rosenthal beating off competition from Coleg Gwent to ensure Menai Motorsports finished as the top college from Wales at the Anglesey Circuit.

The team of BTEC Level 3 in Motorsport Engineering students now want to raise the cash to enter the remainder of the series, which would see them compete at iconic motorsport venues such as Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Snetterton.

The Student Motorsport Challenge was incorporated into the CityCar Cup Championship, which saw Menai Motorsports compete against 30 other teams over a qualifying round and three races at the Tŷ Croes track.

With Hywel, the owner of Star Autocare in Gaerwen, at the wheel, Menai Motorsports finished 18th out of 31 in the qualifying race.

In race one the team gained four places to finish 14th, but they were unable to complete the race due to an incident on the track, meaning they started the final race from the back of the grid. However, they picked up four places to finish 24th overall in the last session.

Hywel Rosenthal said afterwards: “It was only my second proper race meeting, and it was the students’ and all the staff’s first time at this, and it was exceptionally well done.

“The students were hands-on and everyone was very good at their job. The professionalism of the staff and the students was second to none, and as a team we worked very well.

“We had a car that was stable and we had no real issues, and everyone deserves a massive amount of praise. We managed to stay the course and finished as the top college in Wales.”

Arron Peel, Menai Motorsports team principal and Deputy Programme Manager for Engineering at Coleg Menai, said: “What a weekend and an achievement.

“The whole Motorsports team have put a lot of time and effort into this programme and to see the car out on track was amazing, the fastest Welsh College on track.

“It was nice speaking to other competitors and to have opportunities for networking with other colleges from across the UK.

“It was an extremely good experience and a real eye-opener - there were teams that turned up with massive articulated lorries, gazebos and catering teams. The staff thoroughly enjoyed it and so did the students, and we can’t wait for the next meeting.”

The next meeting in the CityCar Cup Championship is at Snetterton on July 22 and 23, before rounds at Brands Hatch on August 19 and 20, Donington Park on September 9 and 10, and Silverstone on October 7 and 8.

Anyone interested in sponsoring Menai Motorsports for future rounds can contact arron.peel@gllm.ac.uk

Coleg Menai’s Llangefni site runs the only BTEC Level 3 in Motorsport Engineering in North Wales. For more information about the course, click here.

Motorsport engineering students transformed a Peugeot 107 into a race-ready vehicle, with the learners also providing the pit crew for the two-day event.

They secured the Welsh bragging rights, with driver Hywel Rosenthal beating off competition from Coleg Gwent to ensure Menai Motorsports finished as the top college from Wales at the Anglesey Circuit.

The team of BTEC Level 3 in Motorsport Engineering students now want to raise the cash to enter the remainder of the series, which would see them compete at iconic motorsport venues such as Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Snetterton.

The Student Motorsport Challenge was incorporated into the CityCar Cup Championship, which saw Menai Motorsports compete against 30 other teams over a qualifying round and three races at the Tŷ Croes track.

With Hywel, the owner of Star Autocare in Gaerwen, at the wheel, Menai Motorsports finished 18th out of 31 in the qualifying race.

In race one the team gained four places to finish 14th, but they were unable to complete the race due to an incident on the track, meaning they started the final race from the back of the grid. However, they picked up four places to finish 24th overall in the last session.

Hywel Rosenthal said afterwards: “It was only my second proper race meeting, and it was the students’ and all the staff’s first time at this, and it was exceptionally well done.

“The students were hands-on and everyone was very good at their job. The professionalism of the staff and the students was second to none, and as a team we worked very well.

“We had a car that was stable and we had no real issues, and everyone deserves a massive amount of praise. We managed to stay the course and finished as the top college in Wales.”

Arron Peel, Menai Motorsports team principal and Deputy Programme Manager for Engineering at Coleg Menai, said: “What a weekend and an achievement.

“The whole Motorsports team have put a lot of time and effort into this programme and to see the car out on track was amazing, the fastest Welsh College on track.

“It was nice speaking to other competitors and to have opportunities for networking with other colleges from across the UK.

“It was an extremely good experience and a real eye-opener - there were teams that turned up with massive articulated lorries, gazebos and catering teams. The staff thoroughly enjoyed it and so did the students, and we can’t wait for the next meeting.”

The next meeting in the CityCar Cup Championship is at Snetterton on July 22 and 23, before rounds at Brands Hatch on August 19 and 20, Donington Park on September 9 and 10, and Silverstone on October 7 and 8.

Anyone interested in sponsoring Menai Motorsports for future rounds can contact arron.peel@gllm.ac.uk

Coleg Menai’s Llangefni site runs the only BTEC Level 3 in Motorsport Engineering in North Wales. For more information about the course, click here.