Harri Musselle wins Rookie of the Day: Legends at American Speedfest
The Legends Championship were proud to attend American Speedfest, a supercharged weekend full of all-American music, food and motorsport. The championship promised a thrilling spectacle for the Brands Hatch attendees, and it delivered just that. For rookie driver Harri Musselle, it was a weekend of personal bests, intense racing, and resilient performances. From achieving his fastest lap time in the morning qualifying session to navigating through the frenetic chaos of the Legends races, Harri fully showcased his determination and skill.
Round 5
Heat 1
Round 5 of the Legends Championship looked promising for Harri Musselle. He achieved a personal best lap time in the mornings qualifying session at 56.4. Drawing the blue 10 ball meant he started 20th on the grid for heat 1 and as the green flag waved, the excitement was palpable. He made steady progress throughout but unfortunately got caught up in the stereotypical Legends frenzy, knocking him to the back of the pack. The Giggabox driver took it home well for a 21st place finish, completing his new fastest lap time of 55.9 seconds.
Heat 2
Heat 2 saw the grid reversed with Harri in row 3, amongst championship front runners Barrable and Mills. A blazing start for #28 as he rounded druids in 5th however an incident ahead of him meant the rookie had to veer wide on the exit, leading to him being turned round by a sequence of spinning cars. Despite Mickel Motorsport’s best pit lane efforts, Musselle had to retire due to a left front tire puncture.
Final
For the first time in the newcomer’s career Harri found himself on pole. He was accompanied by his dad, Paul, in the K-seal/Giggabox #3. The 28 machine started slowly, however he brought it together in the descend towards Graham Hill bend to hold a top 10 position. Sailing into Surtees, he was forced off the track and spun into the grass, putting him to the back of the pack. In the closing stages of Round 5, Harri was gunning for a top 20 finish, but he lost out by a hair-length leading up to the finish line. Still, Harri demonstrated his strength, resilience and determination to advance his racing craft this round. Looking towards Round 6, Musselle aimed for more smooth rides and top 20 finishes.
Round 6
Heat 1
The Legends emerged on Sunday to an immense and energetic crowd, riled up for a day of all-American motorsport action. With all but 1 Mickel motorsport car starting in the front four rows, Musselle found steady progress amongst his teammates through Hailwoods hill. Later in the opening lap, another driver and the #28 tangled, spinning Harri onto the grass at clearways. Fortunately, he faced no damage and could continue hastily. Despite being knocked down to 25th, Harri fought his way to a fantastic 18th despite his setbacks, including 5 on track overtakes and a last lap dash to the line.
Heat 2
Succeeding in a hard-fought fight in heat 1, the hard work was far from finished as Harri now started 17th on the grid. With Mickel Motorsport teammates behind him, Harri got a good push off the line and stuck with the top 15 for the opening laps. Battling for 16th and putting in consistent low 56 second laps, the hard effort from the green machine was paying off. This fervent pace combined with effective race craft lead Harri to his first ever top 15 finish and a new quickest lap time of 55.921.
Final
Off the back of a grand result, Harri started the final on the fourth row. A lunge around the outside into turn 1 led Harri to defend a 6th place position until the end of the first lap. The rookie was caught by the attacking champions journeying from the rear of the pack, but Musselle defended well leaving him 15th mid-race. Unfortunately for the Legends grid, an engine blowup led to oil being scattered across the entry to paddock hill bend. After multiple cars landed in the gravel the red flag was brought out to end another action-packed American speed Fest for Uk legends. Despite the curtail to the Legends’ time on track, the round ended in happiness for Harri and the team as his hard work and dedication earned him the title of Rookie of the Day.
“It was a great weekend all-round and I’m ecstatic to have achieved Rookie of the Day. The Mickel Motorsport team crafted the car to perfection and the support I gained all-round made this possible.
I’m looking forward to gaining more top 15 finishes and improving my race craft as we approach Rounds 7 & 8 at Donington Park.”
Harri Musselle, #28.
