All change for Cartwright.

2004 Konica Minolta series contestant Jamie Cartwright has had a bit of a change of scene of late as he headed over to the United Kingdom for some British race action.

Not only has the Queensland resident swapped the southern hemisphere for the northern hemisphere as he left Australia for the motorsports Mecca that is the United Kingdom, he's also swapped a rear-wheel drive V8-powered machine for a front wheel drive four-cylinder machine as he takes part in two races with British motor manufacturer, MG.

Cartwright, who is the MG Rover dealer for the Gold Coast in Australia, is a two time MG champion in his homeland having competed in the Kuhmo Tyres MGF Series, and winning it in 2002 and 2003.

Jamie's first taste of motorsport in the UK was the hugely entertaining British Touring Car Championship as he visited the series at the fabulous Brands Hatch race circuit fresh from his flight over on Sunday 22nd August.

Next stop for Cartwright was a visit to the MG Rover works at Longbridge and then a visit to Mallory Park to get his first taste of racing with front wheel drive and on a UK race track.

Taking to both car and circuit like a duck to water was rather an appropriate approach given the British summer weather, the UK currently experiencing the wettest August in living memory. Never mind his limited front-wheel drive experience, or the fact he'd never even heard of the circuit before, Jamie was soon lapping the track like an old hand.

His car for the test was the MG ZR Trophy car that he will be driving at Mallory in Sunday's Trophy race. "It felt quick," said Jamie whose normal race car in 2004 has around 600hp compared to the MG's 190hp.

"It's a very grippy car, even in the wet conditions," Cartwright continued after his first taste of the ZR.

So what of Mallory Park and front wheel drive? "People told me that Mallory was Britain's smallest race circuit and not to expect too much, but I really, really liked it," said Cartwright.

"There's a lot of character about the track and it's a superb venue for the ZR," he continues. "I've adapted to the front wheel drive fine, but I really could do with a handbrake in the car to take the hairpin rally style!"

Jamie is taking part in two races whilst in the UK. On Saturday he will be at Snetterton for the Willhire 300, part of the EERC's Britcar series, and on Sunday it's Mallory for the MG Trophy race.

At Snetterton Jamie will be partnering MG British Touring Car Championship driver Anthony Reid and MG XPower girl racer Fiona Leggate and the trio will be racing with a 2 litre MG ZR against the likes of an ex-DTM Mercedes 190 Evo driven by four-time BTCC champion, Andy Rouse.

Whilst at Brands Hatch Jamie took the opportunity to get to know Anthony Reid, whilst at Mallory met Fiona Leggate. "I'm so impressed with Fiona's driving," he said. "When you consider she's only been driving for just over a year, she's really a talent behind the wheel."

After Sunday's race action at Mallory it's down to WSR on Monday to see Dick Bennett's MG touring cars, then it's back on a plane and back to the Gold Coast.