1980's Mini Racing Photos

[mab01UK]

Just found a shoebox full of some of my 1980's 'period' Mini racing photos in the bottom of a wardrobe and thought they may be of interest. Any additional information on drivers or their cars feel free to add.....I think there are many more photos of interest so will add more as time allows.......also more from the 1970's in other boxes!

A wet Brands Hatch paddock early 1980's, Wendy Wools Saloon Cars.

Driver Peter Bray




Interesting arches on this Clubman.....Driver: Pete Daniels, his teamate in the matching 1275GT/Clubman behind started on pole position (see grid photo below).

[lotustwincam]

Great to see these photos, I cant add any details except that I think the two minis on 10" wheels were using tyres from the front of the Tyrell P34 six wheeler when they were made redundant by the ban. I would love to see any more mini pictures from the 70s and 80s.

[oneofapair]

The two minis that ran with Tyreell 6 wheeler tyres were in fact "Wallace windsreens" cars driven by the Hills brothers, I dont think the cars picture are those!!

[mab01UK]

A guy on the Miniforum who goes by the user name 'oldskoolcool' has now posted this extra information and photos about these cars

..................'I can shed a bit more light on the subject.The clubman with the big arches was built by my father (Peter Hill), it was raced by himself from 1975 to 1978.

It originally was a mini miglia (998). In 1977 he was able to obtain some set of tyres from the Tyrell 6 wheeled F1 car .
These were fitted to 8x10 mamba solar 3 piece split rim wheels .The front brakes were also from the Tryell, these were huge vented discs that were x-drilled and pegged with copper rods. The calipers were modified alloy F3 GR units with cortina brake pads. Probably the first vented disc set up inside 10s.

The arches were hand made and were originally polished alloy and looked a hell of a lot better! He only ever raced the car once with those arches on, as the scrutineers were not very impressed. He sold the car in 1978 to build a brand new miglia.

The other clubman was his brothers(Charles hill) old miglia that was also running with the Tyrell tyre set up'............

[paul craymer]

The top pics of mini no 42 is Peter Bray from Southampton,ran a 1300 bda motor later in the 80s.

[mab01UK]

Some more 1980's racing photos that I took at Lydden Hill circuit in Kent. My brother Steve was mechanic on a Mini 7 at the time and went on to become Chris Tyrrells mechanic in Mini 7 and for a while the Metro Challenge before reverting back to Mini7 and Miglia as a driver in the 1990's.

[VIVA GT]

I'm really going to have to dredge through nmy 35mm slides (I only have thousands of them!). I must have a few Mini 7, Miglia, Modified & Special Saloon pictures from 1980 to 1984 (as I was racing a Mini 7 in '82 & '83)...

[mab01UK]

More photos from Silverstone April 1981

[mab01UK]

Brands Hatch paddock April 1981

[Robert Farrell]

Wrong era I know.
But I can`t resist it
Hopkirk leads Fitzpatrick

[mab01UK]

[mab01UK]

A 1990's photo....



Just found this photo I took of the Jack Knight 16V Mini at Brands Hatch in the early 1990's. It went up against the 16V KAD Mini in 1994 for the 'Fastest Mini in the World Race". If I remember right it was a very close race between Peter Baldwin (JK) v Bill Sollis (KAD) and the KAD Mini won?

[mab01UK]

Mini Challenge/ Mini 7 & Miglia (1988 - 1997)
All films include practice, available as dvd or download:
http://www.vfsvideos.co.uk/mini.htm

1998-2008 including Mighty Mini's
http://www.vfsvideos.co.uk/mini_01.htm

[gt917]

Originally Posted by mab01UK

If I remember right it was a very close race between Peter Baldwin (JK) v Bill Sollis (KAD) and the KAD Mini won?

Seeing this mention of Pete Baldwin .......................

The famous FORC club have him as the guest speaker at the usual big do on Wednesday night, This is going to be a good un.

Any one interested, get on to FORCLUB website straight away, just in case there are a couple of seats left.

[A.C.Clegg]

I always used to enjoy watching the Mini races.
A good read!!

[VIVA GT]

Thanks for posting that article, it made me feel nostalgic about my Mini Se7en days...

[rainbow]

Hi mab01uk, I have just been reading your old posts which brought back memories to me.I was born and bred in Ewell and worked for a couple of years at Lankesters L,head running the parts dept while Ray Bell was the top mechanic.If I have read this right he was your eldest brother?
Anyhow Ray was a workaholic and soon had enough private jobs to set up on his own,working on the driveway and single garage at his parents house.At the sametime I decide to have the summer off work and ended up helping Ray on a day to day basis,collecting ,delivering cars and even doing the odd bit of mechanics for him.I lived on the London Rd the other side of the Organ Inn and can vaguely collecting one of his brothers from school.The highlight of the week would be towing the mini to brands on a wed, for a test session,originally behind his ex DJ Bond cortina estate and then a burgandy mk1 capri complete with sunroof,unfortunately only 1300cc! W,ed meet up with the likes of Paul Butler,Chris Tyrell and Ray soon started to progress.I can also remember his lovely girlfriend,not her name though,who lived in a big house in Esher,although whether they approved of him we will never know!!
At the end of the summer I had to get a proper job and drifted apart from Ray but as with everyone else where shocked at his early tragic death,I used to go to school with the driver, a sad sad day.
Brought back great memories of a bygone era.

rainbow

[mab01UK]

Originally Posted by rainbow

Hi mab01uk, I have just been reading your old posts which brought back memories to me.I was born and bred in Ewell and worked for a couple of years at Lankesters L,head running the parts dept while Ray Bell was the top mechanic.If I have read this right he was your eldest brother?
Anyhow Ray was a workaholic and soon had enough private jobs to set up on his own,working on the driveway and single garage at his parents house.At the sametime I decide to have the summer off work and ended up helping Ray on a day to day basis,collecting ,delivering cars and even doing the odd bit of mechanics for him.I lived on the London Rd the other side of the Organ Inn and can vaguely collecting one of his brothers from school.The highlight of the week would be towing the mini to brands on a wed, for a test session,originally behind his ex DJ Bond cortina estate and then a burgandy mk1 capri complete with sunroof,unfortunately only 1300cc! W,ed meet up with the likes of Paul Butler,Chris Tyrell and Ray soon started to progress.I can also remember his lovely girlfriend,not her name though,who lived in a big house in Esher,although whether they approved of him we will never know!!
At the end of the summer I had to get a proper job and drifted apart from Ray but as with everyone else where shocked at his early tragic death,I used to go to school with the driver, a sad sad day.
Brought back great memories of a bygone era.

rainbow

Hi rainbow,
Good to hear your memories, yes Ray was my eldest brother and worked at Lankesters in Leatherhead, I remember we used to pass your Ewell house in the mornings when he dropped me off at school on the way in the Mk1 Cortina estate and later the Capri. I have posted photos of Ray's race Mini, not sure which previous thread so I have added some below in case you have not seen them. His girlfriend at the time was Annette, she was a hairdresser and had a green Mini Countryman woody, one of many Mini's Ray used to fix! Her father owned a chain of Launderette shops. I used to go over to her parents house in Esher sometimes with Ray to get my hair cut. Myself and my other 2 brothers all got into Mini's and Mini racing because of Ray and still are today. As you say great memories of a bygone era....pm me your email via the forum if possible and we might be able to fill in some of the gaps in each others memories from those days and would love to hear more of what you may remember about Ray.
Mab


Some old 'period' album pictures of my older brothers (Ray Bell) 850cc Free Formula Special Saloon Mini at Silverstone & Brands Hatch in 1972, wheels were 6x10 Mambas + Dunlop and later Firestone 1B19 6.0x19.3x10 slicks with Dunlop CR65 Mk11 (320) 5.00L-10 used on S reverse rims for the wet. The body was an early 1961 Mk1 ex-Mini 7 shell bought for £25 and we 'updated' it cutting apertures for Mk2 rear lights!
Mini 7 ace Chris Tyrell modded the head at his Leatherhead, Surrey workshop along with my own modded road Mini's later.........in later years my younger brother Steve went on to become Chris Tyrell's race mechanic and ultimately a Mini 7 champion himself in 1997, so this is where it all started!



Brands Hatch also in 1972 (The mis-matched blue fibreglass bootlid was a hasty replacement for some previous weekends damage!)

[mab01UK]

Some video footage (21 minutes) from the 'Fastest Mini in the World 1994'. Scrutineering, Qualifying. Peter Baldwin, Martin Short, Bill Sollis, Rik Boon and many more....
https://www.facebook.com/racemini.nl...8603144187600/

Unusual Maestro A-Series (end on gearbox) Mini Conversion below KAR 356C Graham Smith (Watsons) @ approx 18.40 in video.

[chrisklein90]

It's been a while since I see one of these classic cars on the road.

[S griffin]

You’re obviously not looking in the right places or you’re in the wrong part of the country Don’t worry, nothing will take away from classic cars, they’ll always be those wanting to drive them

[mab01UK]

"A bit of tin-top action possibly from the Sun Free Race Day on July 31st 1983."
https://www.facebook.com/groups/6419...8369245276013/

[mab01UK]

Couple more of my old pics in the Brands Hatch paddock - Chris Tyrrell can be seen in the background chatting, in the blue race suit.

[GregUK]

Chris Tyrrell did a couple of heads for my Mini which, by pure coincidence, also spent time in the same lock-up behind a shop in Addlestone High Street that Dave Braggins' car (above) was prepped in.

[Malcolm Smith]

Photos 1-3 from Scottish Sprint Championship at Ingliston c.1986.
Fourth from same competition, taken in paddock at Muirkirk (Kames) c.1985.
All copyright EHA Photo, uploaded with permission.

Drivers:
1
#8 David Seaton
#31 Gordon Affleck
2
#31 Affleck
#35 unkown
# Mini reg. 2166DZ: Holvan Holroyd
# number unknown, on inside: Geoff Williams
3
#31 Affleck
Mini with Clubman front: Brian or Trevor Park
Hillman Imp: Brian Mahony?
Mini on inside: Mark Kershaw
4
#15 George Smith