Our Minis
OOur MinisThere was one car I had been
looking forward to seeing in action
for many years: Alec Issigonis’
Lightweight Special built just before
WWII and used by him just after. It
embodies several concepts which we
know and love like rubber
suspension and has a supercharged
Austin Seven engine.
I used my Avon tyres that I
acquired last year as they are
supposed to be the best available andthis was going to be the first test in
anger of my 50-year-old baulk rings.
Scrutineering; I had to modify the
timing beam bar that I had made in a
hurry a few years back. There was
more of a problem apparent after the
first practice; I had used 9 litres of
fuel to do just over a mile! There was
a leak from under the metal braiding
at the joint on the hose that takes fuel
from one carb to the other. Luckily,
my mate Mark had parked his vanG
ot my racer ready for my
first invite to the Chateau
Impney Hillclimb; a revival
of events that stopped in 1967 there,
hence a cut-off of 1967. Posh do, so I
was hoping to be impressed.
As part of the 60th Anniversary,
there was to be a twenty car class
largely for Minis, so there was a right
mixed bunch of hillclimbers, circuit
racers and rally cars, five of which I
had raced against at Goodwood.
There were four non-Minis but they
didn’t stand much chance on what is
quite a twisty, narrow course.
Two practice runs Saturday and
two competitive ones on Sunday.
Now you would think that this would
feel a long, drawn out affair but none
of it! There was everything you could
imagine: Novelty and Supercars,
Group B cars doing demos, all
manner of aged stuff including the
100 year-old aero-engined cars
competing, Alastair Moffatt doing
his two-wheel record-breaking and
parking stuff, an Italian Job display,
free funfair and amusements, top
quality club displays and cracking
weather to boot.Oh, Oh, Chateau!
Tim gets to test his skills against the hill at Chateau Impney
Other racers gave Tim a chance to compare how well
certain tyres perform under the same conditions.- Patch up legs
where I have been
kicking myself - Remove ear
plugs after
mickey-taking
To do listGetting a little air under the tyres...
Pic courtesy of Stuart Santos-WingTim Harber
Contributor
http://www.minimail.co.ukMINIS OWNED
1961 Racer
1965 FIA spec racer
1967 Woody Estate
1974 Mini Marcos
1992 Rover CooperMINI LIFE Driven them
since 1967 and started a
business around them in
London in 1977. Moved to
the countryside in 1989 to
allow more space to fit
cars and family in. Started
racing in 2002 (aged 52).
Have raced Mighty Minis
but have concentrated on
Historics since 2010.
MINI SPEC 1961 Racer is
re-shelled test bed-come-
toy (last out with a seven-
port motor). 1965 1293
Racer is built to FIA
Appendix K Historic
regulations. 1967 Woody
was wife’s daily driver for
seven years, and is now
resting. 1974 Mini Marcos
is waiting for everything
to be restored. 1992 Rover
Cooper is a fuel-injected
Super Mighty Minis
race car.Our Minis
TherewasonecarI hadbeen
lookingforward to seeing in action
formanyyears:Alec Issigonis’
LightweightSpecial built just before
WWIIandused by him just after. It
embodiesseveral concepts which we
knowandlovelike rubber
suspensionandhas a supercharged
AustinSevenengine.
I usedmyAvon tyres that I
acquiredlastyear as they are
supposedtobethebestavailableandthiswasgoingtobe the first test in
anger of my 50-year-old baulk rings.
Scrutineering; I had to modify the
timing beam bar that I had made in a
hurry a few years back. There was
more of a problem apparent after the
first practice; I had used 9 litres of
fuel to do just over a mile! There was
a leak from under the metal braiding
at the joint on the hose that takes fuel
from one carb to the other. Luckily,
my mate Mark had parked his vanG
otmyracerreadyformy
firstinvitetotheChateau
ImpneyHillclimb;a revival
ofeventsthatstoppedin 1967 there,
hencea cut-offof1967.Poshdo,soI
washopingtobeimpressed.
Aspartofthe60thAnniversary,
therewastobea twentycarclass
largelyforMinis,sotherewasa right
mixedbunchofhillclimbers,circuit
racersandrallycars,fiveofwhichI
hadracedagainstat Goodwood.
Therewerefournon-Minisbutthey
didn’tstandmuchchanceonwhatis
quitea twisty,narrowcourse.
TwopracticerunsSaturdayand
twocompetitiveonesonSunday.
Nowyouwouldthinkthatthiswould
feela long,drawnoutaffairbutnone
ofit!Therewaseverythingyoucould
imagine:NoveltyandSupercars,
GroupB carsdoingdemos,all
mannerofagedstuffincludingthe
100 year-oldaero-enginedcars
competing,AlastairMoffattdoing
histwo-wheelrecord-breakingand
parkingstuff,anItalianJobdisplay,
freefunfairandamusements,top
qualityclubdisplaysandcracking
weather to boot.Oh, Oh, Chateau!
Timgetstotesthisskillsagainstthe hill at Chateau Impney
Other racers gave Tim a chance to compare how well
certain tyres perform under the same conditions.- Patch up legs
where I have been
kicking myself - Remove ear
plugs after
mickey-taking
To do listGetting a little air under the tyres...
Pic courtesy of Stuart Santos-WingTim Harber
Contributor
http://www.minimail.co.ukMINIS OWNED
1961 Racer
1965 FIA spec racer
1967 Woody Estate
1974 Mini Marcos
1992 Rover CooperMINI LIFE Driven them
since 1967 and started a
business around them in
London in 1977. Moved to
the countryside in 1989 to
allow more space to fit
cars and family in. Started
racing in 2002 (aged 52).
Have raced Mighty Minis
but have concentrated on
Historics since 2010.
MINI SPEC 1961 Racer is
re-shelled test bed-come-
toy (last out with a seven-
port motor). 1965 1293
Racer is built to FIA
Appendix K Historic
regulations. 1967 Woody
was wife’s daily driver for
seven years, and is now
resting. 1974 Mini Marcos
is waiting for everything
to be restored. 1992 Rover
Cooper is a fuel-injected
Super Mighty Minis
race car.