Race 1: P14 -> P12
Race 2: P1 -> P18
Race 3: P15 -> P16

Friday was the first time I saw the circuit, I completed x5 15minute sessions in mixed conditions which allowed me to get comfortable with the racing lines, curbs and also gain confidence in the car around the race track. I qualified P15, without a tow, but was
super happy with my lap being separated to pole by only a second on my first time here.

Race 1 was my strongest race of the weekend crossing the line in P12 which is progressing closer to my goal of a top 10! Great racing, great fun and lots of improvement. 

Race 2 I started pole which was a massive milestone for me. I completed the green flag but as soon as l headed down the grid to line up on pole, I unfortunately suffered some electrical issues which continued throughout the race. I bought the car home and finished so taking that as a positive but obviously disappointed.

Race 3 I can’t thank the team at Team Avago enough for getting me out and again happy to finish the race completing the weekend’s racing at Pembrey with a good haul of points.

As always, thank you so much to all my partners, family and friends. A special shoutout to Wera Motorsport, Alliance Racing and
Truck and Plant Assets. This wouldn’t be possible without you and it’s a pleasure to have your logo on my race car!

Now let’s get ready for the fastest circuit in the UK! See you soon Thruxton…

Race 1: P15 -> P14
Race 2: P14 -> P13
Race 3: P16 -> P14

Starting the weekend with our 2 free practice sessions on Friday, the pace was really positive and I felt comfortable with the car going into qualifying. I was really happy to qualify in P15 & P16 progressing forward from the previous round at Silverstone, unfortunately we didn’t get a tow but still a PB!

Race 1 was super hot! I had my best start of the weekend, battling with cars the whole way through and it was awesome to be racing in front of the huge crowds!

Race 2 was great for practicing my race craft, I was right in the mix of the grid and putting into practice what I learnt from the race before. Unfortunately towards the end an incident happened behind and I got tagged which meant I lost a few places before the race went to safety car until the end. Very happy that both of my team mates got out the car safely.

Race 3 brought a couple of new learning opportunities. We had an ABS failure halfway through and also my gear stick fell off! So safe to say the car was a little challenging to race, especially in the heat, but I kept pushing, managing the car the best I could to bring us home.

Overall I am so happy with the steps forward we made at Snetterton with lots learnt to take away into the rest of the season. I can’t thank my team enough for all their support, they did an amazing job this weekend and really showed team work at it’s best. And a massive thanks to all the fans, marshals, friends and family for supporting through the heat. Lastly to the Wera Alliance Racing Academy who make it all possible for me to be out on track, we had great coverage this weekend, great results and it’s such a great family to be part of.

Now the preparation starts for Pembrey – a new track for me!

Making their series debuts at Silverstone, the quartet of Wera Alliance Racing Academy drivers adapted superbly to the challenges of the Mairon Motorsport Mini Challenge Trophy. Switching from motorcross, Beanie Reece achieved a best result of 12th overall while she banked valuable experience starting from pole position in race two.

Moving up from the Junior Saloon Car Championship, teenage racer Lexie Powell achieved a highest finish of 14th, while Liona Theobald scored a pair of top-15 results on her first starts in front-wheel-drive machinery. Completing the quartet was Ellena Reece who drove maturely on her way to a trio of 20th place results as she made consistent progress over the course of the event.

In a landmark move for the Mairon Motorsport Mini Challenge Trophy, Wera Alliance Racing Academy entered the series with an all-female, four car lineup supported by Team Avago. Featuring a quartet of young rookie drivers with big motorsport ambitions, the squad aims to develop their skills in one of the most competitive one-make championships in Britain.

Established in 2021, the Wera Alliance Racing Academy have supported drivers in a range of different championship across the last five years. From the British Rally Championship to Radical Cup UK, the initiative has pushed drivers to reach their potential. Following their support for teenage racers Alfie Garford and Jenson Mason last season, the Wera Alliance Racing Academy are no strangers to the Mairon Motorsport Mini Challenge Trophy as they look to continue their quest to support emerging talents.

Liona Theobald entered the season as the most experienced of the quartet having began her circuit racing career in the Ginetta Junior Championship. Theobald then moved up into the GT Cup Championship where she sampled GT4 level machinery, before regularly contending for top-5 finishes in the Ginetta GT Championship. However, a switch to front-wheel-drive machinery was a new challenge for Liona and she was looking to hit the ground running with her knowledge of circuits such as Silverstone.

Stepping up from the Junior Saloon Car Championship, Lexie Powell was looking to rely on her single-make experience in her rookie season. The move from driving a Citroen Saxo to a Mini Cooper was a natural step for Powell who displayed superb improvements throughout the 2025 season. Powell finished the campaign 13th in the overall standings, eighth among the rookie drivers, while securing a best result of ninth in the season finale at Brands Hatch.

Completing the lineup are sisters Ellena and Beanie Reece who bring a wealth of varied motorsport experience. Ellena has previously competed in historic machinery, requiring a unique skill set in comparison to the more technologically advance Mini. Sister Beanie is switching from two wheels to four with her background in motocross showcasing a different route altogether. Both sisters are eager to learn alongside the Wera Alliance Racing Academy and all four drivers are supported by experienced Mairon Motorsport Mini Challenge Trophy squad Team Avago.

On-track action began on Friday with the quartet of drivers banking valuable track time in both wet and dry conditions. Qualifying on Saturday morning took place with a fully dry track and therefore working together and utilising the slipstream was crucial to a fast lap time. As the session reached the halfway point, all four Wera Alliance Racing Academy drivers sat inside the top-20 and were continuing to improve as they gained experience in the car.

At the end of the fifteen-minute session, Beanie Reece was the highest qualifier on her car racing debut as she set the 15th fastest time in her Team Avago machine, seventh among the Rookie class drivers. Reece was less than a second behind the pole-sitting time of Matt Luff to underline her excellent pace on debut.

Lexie Powell was less than a tenth of a second behind Reece as she qualified in 17th position on her senior racing debut. Switching to front-wheel-drive machinery, Liona Theobald began her season with a 19th place qualifying effort, while Ellena Reece set the 21st fastest time. All four Wera Alliance Racing Academy drivers were covered by three-quarters of a second, further highlighting the close and competitive nature of the Mairon Motorsport Mini Challenge Trophy.

The opening race of the season was held on Saturday afternoon and with the grid positions based upon the second fastest times set in qualifying, this resulted in some changes to the starting order. Beanie Reece lined up from 16th on the grid with Lexie Powell and Liona Theobald directly behind in 17th and 18th positions respectively. Ellena Reece’s debut race began from 20th position as all four drivers looked to gain valuable experience.

As the lights went out, the Wera Alliance Racing Academy drivers all made clean starts with Beanie Reece holding her position while Powell and Theobald lost one position. Ellena Reece fell to 22nd place, however she was quickly on the move and gained back one spot on lap two. Theobald also gained a position on the second tour, while Powell fell to 22nd spot. Powell and Ellena Reece were then engaged in a close battle with Lexie coming out on top as she pushed back towards the top-20 after a challenging start.

On the fringes of the top-15, Beanie Reece was doing a superb job in her first car race as the young driver was remaining in contention with the leading group. After passing Jonathan Wild on lap four, Powell was continuing to gain ground and after an incident involving Josh Selvadorai and Henry Foote, she was up to 18th position. This contact also promoted Beanie Reece to 14th while Theobald was now inside the top-15 with Ellena Reece into 20th spot.

On lap six, Beanie Reece was now up to 13th after passing Leo Richardson and with the Graves Motorsport driver slowing with an issue, this led to opportunities for the remaining trio to move forward. Theobald was into 14th at the end of the following lap while Beanie Reece’s charge was progressing further as she moved up to 12th spot while remaining in realistic contention for a top-10 result on debut.

On lap nine, Theobald overtook Daniel Patterson while Richard Jepp passed both Liona and Patterson in a great-way battle for position. As Richardson continued to fall back, Ellena Reece moved into 19th position while both herself and Theobald began running personal best times. Following a pass on Wild, Ellena Reece was up to 18th position before coming under attack from a recovering Selvadorai on the final lap.

Reece was just unable to hold on with Wild also following Selvadorai through as she finished her first Mairon Motorsport Mini Challenge Trophy race in 20th position. Powell displayed excellent speed in the closing stages as she crossed the line in 17th spot, while Theobald’s first start in front-wheel-drive machinery yielded a 14th place finish. Beanie Reece finished as the highest placed Wera Alliance Racing Academy driver as she took the chequered flag in 12th position, fifth among the Rookie drivers, and just seven seconds behind race winner Joshua Wilby.

Race two at Silverstone took place on Sunday morning and with the top-12 finishing positions reversed to set the grid, Beanie Reece lined up on pole position. Theobald started from the seventh row of the grid in 14th with Powell in 17th spot and Ellena Reece lining up from 20th position.

It was an extremely valuable experience for Beanie Reece starting from the front of the field, however she was shuffled back to 16th at the end of the opening lap. She completed lap one just ahead of Powell and Theobald who completed the first lap in 17th and 19th positions respectively. Ellena Reece also faced a challenging start as she fell to 23rd position, while becoming slightly adrift of the midfield runners.

On lap two, Beanie Reece fought back as she re-entered the top-15 following a pass on Daniel Patterson. Misfortune then struck for the polesitter as she was forced to retire from the race on lap three, ending a promising run for the Wera Alliance Racing Academy driver. Powell was now leading the remaining trio in 17th position with Theobald one position behind in 18th, while Ellena Reece climbed to 22nd spot.

Powell and Theobald continued to improve their lap times as the race approached the halfway stage with both drivers working hard to catch the group of drivers ahead. Although she was unable to benefit from the slipstream of those ahead, Ellena Reece was continuing to bank valuable experience of the Silverstone National circuit.

As Patterson and Finley Groom began battling ahead, Powell was doing a nice job to bridge the deficit to the battling duo. On lap 10, an incident at the head of the field involving Ashley Gregory, Louis Fleet and Giovanni Santora saw both drivers retire from the race with the Wera Alliance Racing Academy drivers all benefiting. As a result, Powell was up to 15th position with Theobald in 16th spot, while Ellena Reece was now inside the top-20.

This incident necessitated the safety car being deployed and with the two cars requiring extensive recovery, the race was red flagged and with one minute remaining on the clock, a result was declared. Therefore, Powell was classified in 15th spot while finishing as the ninth highest rookie to improve on her result of 17th from race one. Theobald enjoyed another clean race as she banked solid points for a 16th place finish while Ellena Reece collected her second 20th place result in as many races. Following a post-race disqualification for Gregory, all three drivers gained one position with Powell up to 14th, Theobald in 16th and Ellena Reece in 19th position.

The final race of the weekend was held on Sunday afternoon and the grid positions were based upon the results from qualifying. After her incident in race two, Gregory was handed a ten-place grid penalty and as a result, this promoted Beanie Reece to 14th on the grid with Powell one row behind in 16th position. Theobald lined up from 19th spot with Ellena Reece looking to gain places from 21st position.

As the lights went out, it was a clean start throughout the field with Beanie Reece and Theobald holding their starting position, while Powell and Ellena Reece gained one position each. The top-15 drivers quickly began to break away from the field with Beanie Reece again doing a superb job against more experienced rivals.

After a challenging start of his own, Leo Richardson was moving forward and he passed Powell on lap two and Theobald on lap three. By the end of the third lap, Beanie Reece remained in 14th position while Theobald and Powell were running in 17th and 18th positions respectively. On lap four, Beanie Reece fell behind Finley Groom with a good battle emerging for positions just inside the top-15. However, this group of drivers were delayed and therefore began losing touch with the leading group who were utilising the powerful slipstream to break away.

Beanie Reece reclaimed 14th spot from Groom on lap seven, while Theobald and Powell started fighting for 17th position. Just a tenth of a second separated the two Wera Alliance Racing Academy drivers who were honing their racecraft in a close battle on the Silverstone National circuit. Ellena Reece was enjoying a quiet race, however she came under pressure from Blair Dryburgh in the closing stages.

On the penultimate lap of the race, Richardson passed Beanie Reece, however the newcomer fought back on the final tour and crossed the line in 15th position, less than two hundredths of a second behind her rival. Theobald successfully held off Powell to finish in 17th, with Jonathan Wild separating the drivers with a final lap pass on Powell. Ellena Reece completed her debut weekend in the series with another 20th place result, underlining her consistency as she adapts to modern front-wheel-drive machinery.

It was a hugely encouraging weekend for the four Wera Alliance Racing Academy drivers who banked valuable experience at Silverstone. Beanie Reece starred on her car racing debut as she secured the best result out of the quartet with a 12th place result in race one. Both Powell and Theobald collected top-15 finishes, while Ellena Reece executed three clean races while battling with her fellow rookie drivers.

The next round of the Mairon Motorsport Mini Challenge Trophy takes place at Snetterton on the weekend of 23rd/24th May.

Race report from https://www.racers-behindthehelmet.com/

Making up the four car team are Ellena Reece, Beanie Reece, Lexie Powell and Liona Theobald.

Sisters Ellena and Beanie Reece will be making their debuts in the MINI CHALLENGE this season with older sister Ellena coming from a pre war car racing background and Beanie making the cross over from a successful career on two wheels in Motocross.

Ellena had this to say about joining the academy and her hopes for the season

“Joining the Wera Alliance Racing Academy is a fantastic opportunity and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the MINI Cooper this season. My background in historic motorsport has shaped my passion for racing, and I’m looking forward to building experience, improving consistency, and learning as much as possible alongside such a supportive and driven team. I’m hugely grateful for the opportunity and so excited for the year ahead!” 

Beanie is looking forward to testing her skills on four wheels but realises it is going to be a massive learning curve,

”I’m incredibly excited and truly grateful for the opportunity to compete in the MINI CHALLENGE Trophy as part of a four-car women’s team. It means so much to be involved in something new and inspiring through the Wera Alliance Academy. I know it will be a steep learning curve, but I’m ready to embrace the challenge and can’t wait to get started.

This season also marks an exciting new chapter for me as I make the transition from two wheels to four wheels. My goal is to gain as much experience as possible in the car, continually develop my race craft, and improve with every round. I’m determined to learn from every session, build consistency and confidence, and make strong progress throughout the season.”

Lexie Powell is no stranger to motorsport with her father enjoying a successful career in Truck Racing. Last season Lexie was racing in the JSCC and is looking forward to progressing her career in the MINI Challenge. She had this to say about the season ahead and joining the academy:

“Joining the Wera Alliance Racing Academy is a really big deal for me, I am still so new to racing and to have Wera support and believe in me means so much. I hope this is the start of a long and successful journey.” 

“I am excited about the move into MINI CHALLENGE, the cars look and sound amazing and I really think they will suit my driving style. I have a lot to learn but I cannot wait to get started and see what I can achieve this year “ 

Liona Theobald first started racing in 2021 in the Ginetta Juniors Winter Series and then the full season in 2022. Having raced in other Ginetta classes as well as Caterham’s she moved up to the GT4 achieving a number of podiums in that category.

She is looking forward to testing herself in a different racing category and had this to say about joining the Wera Alliance Racing Academy,

“I am absolutely thrilled to join the Wera Alliance Racing Academy for the 2026 season in MINI CHALLENGE Trophy alongside Team Avago. I am very grateful to everyone who is involved in making this possible and I am so excited to start this new journey together! I can’t wait for the racing to begin, to develop as a driver, learn new techniques, enjoy every minute in the car and of course push for those results together. See you on track!”

Alliance Racing Team Principal and Wera Alliance Racing Academy founder Pete Osborne had this to say:

“I’m really excited with this team, I believe this is the first all female team in the MINI Challenge so I’m proud to be a part of that. As with all of the members of the academy we pride our selves on promise, talent and characters. These four young ladies have all of that in abundance. They’ve already enjoyed some testing together they had a great first test and were straight on the pace and all get on so well. Its important to us that we’re surrounded by like minded people and we all have the same goal of representing these great brands while enjoying the experience and that’s exactly what we have in this team. I’m also pleased to team up with Dave at Team Avago for what is a really important first year in the academy for all the girls.”

Ian Walford, Managing Director, Wera Tools UK, said

“Pete Osborne and I are extremely excited about our WeraTools/Alliance Racing Academy plans for this season including what we believe is the first time for an all-female team of drivers competing in a mainly male dominated championship. We welcome Beanie Reece, Ellena Reece, Lexie Powell and Liona Theobald into the Academy for the first time and look forward to their rookie year in the very competitive MINI CHALLENGE Trophy. It is an objective of the Academy to select drivers from a young and starting position in a competitor development programme to help them on the way in their racing careers and this very much includes females. Along with the experience of Team Avago, we will provide support and motivation for them to progress and we look forward to celebrating eventual podiums and championships with them.“

Dave Sutton from Team Avago, who are running the team in the MINI CHALLENGE this season didn’t need asking twice when the call came.

“When I first got the call asking if I would like to run the Girls Wera Alliance Racing Academy Cooper Team there was no hesitation in saying yes! 

We are proud and excited to welcome the girls into our Team. Their dedication, courage, and enthusiasm for racing bring fresh energy and perspective to our environment, and we are committed to supporting their development every step of the way.

We look forward to seeing them grow in confidence, push boundaries, and inspire others, as we continue building an inclusive team where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

We truly believe that everyone should be able to follow their passion so to help give these girls this opportunity, we feel truly blessed and can’t wait to see them succeed.”