Emily Atyeo meets a Midlander with a mission at Silverstone this weekend
As a Mini driver myself. I wouldn't dare drive the little thing over about 60 mph. However, Alex Comis regularly races his turquoise No 41 Super Mighty Mini, reaching speeds of 90 mph.
The Bearwood driver's latest races have been in the Mighty Mini Championships and his form has been impressive, coming second in Anglesey in August and third at Murray Park more recently.
Sometimes things do go off the track slightly and in Croix-En Ternois, France in April, after a positive qualifying round, his brakes locked and he ended up in the gravel trap with the car being towed off.
Comis was quick to put that behind him, however, and in the next race finished just outside the top three.
That has given Comis the confidence to raise his sights and, after a really successful summer, he is looking to victory in the last race of the season at Silverstone on Saturday and Sunday.
"It's been an up and down season," said Comis.
"But I'm growing better and stronger and I'm ending up on the podium more and more nowadays."
Alex's main rival, David Kirkpatrick and his brother Nev, won't be making it an easy ride for the 28-year-old. They have always come close in races and Alex certainly sees him as his main threat for the top spot.
"If David doesn't finish at Silverstone, I've got a great chance of coming second or even higher. Nev wins a lot and he's definitely a threat too. I'm confirmed as third with the qualifying times and there's only about 16 or 17 points between me and David. It's going to be close but the likelihood is that one of us three will win."
A great attitude to have, and one that he stands by. "I love racing, and I want to be the best but sometimes you do question your motivation.
"You ask yourself why, at 2am, stuck in the garage with the car, you do it, but there's just something in me that fuels it."
There's always room for improvement though and he is the first to admit he wouldn't settle for second best.
"My form is good, but it can always be better. You have to build on situations like in France, analyse what went wrong and use it to make yourself more aware so it doesn't happen again."
This man doesn't let anything affect his love of being behind the wheel - not even injury or pain. A year ago, when Comis was rushed to casualty with his middle finger hanging off after an accident, he was racing at Silverstone the next day.
"The finger is still there, I feel a bit of sensation now and then, but these annoying accidents do happen."
He will ensure he has a firm grip on the wheel when he races at Silverstone this weekend.
