1960/70's Mini Racing Photos

[mab01UK]

The McLaren and Mini Cooper Connection
http://old.minis-auckland.org.nz/technical/McLaren.html

"On 26th January 1963 Bruce won the Teretonga International race in the South Island of New Zealand in a Cooper F1 car, and thrilled spectators by some extraordinary drives with the Mini Cooper Number #47, in supporting saloon car races. At this meeting Bruce was doing some exploratory laps in this Mini with Innes Ireland in the passenger seat when the car lost a right front wheel and ended up in the sand hills at the side of the track."


Bruce McLaren standing by his F1 Cooper looking at his stranded Mini Cooper at Teretonga 1963.

[275 GTB-4]

Terrific pics and story...

[JTL392]

http://www.jdclassics.co.uk/showroom...ck-V8/8770.htm

some info on the buick mini

http://mk1-performance-conversions.c...ta_history.htm

[morninggents]

Did the Mini Buick ever actually race? I can't remember.

[mab01UK]

Originally Posted by JTL392

http://www.jdclassics.co.uk/showroom...ck-V8/8770.htm

some info on the buick mini

http://mk1-performance-conversions.c...ta_history.htm

Thanks for posting the link, some of the interesting old photos below!

[JTL392]

Anyone know about this one, I was thinking maybe Australia, what year did wheel arch extensions become compulsary in UK

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by JTL392

I was thinking maybe Australia

Why? Our sports sedans etc featured enormous wheel arches and flares quite early...could be a hillclimber though...

[mab01UK]

The Mini Seven Racing Club is pleased to announce for the 2017 season, the launch of the Mini Libre formula.

This new formula, meaning ‘free’ or ‘liberty’ - is the M7RC’s modern-day interpretation of those heady days of Free Formula and Special Saloons in the late-1960s/early-1970s, where Mini tuning really began to push the boundaries of performance.
Mini Libre will once again offer racegoers the spectacle of power-packed grids, with the now 1.3-litre Miglias ready to do battle alongside equally enthralling Mini variants and A-Series developments of the modern era.
Alongside the 2017 Mini Miglia champion-to-be, the M7RC will also be looking to ‘crown’ their first ever Mini Libre champion at the end of season awards, with the winner receiving the prestigious ST Trophy.
As the name implies, the Mini Libre formula is open to all steel-shelled FWD racing Minis, running on 10-inch wheels and powered by a traditional A-Series block and gearbox. It will be a free formula, as it was in the early '70s, to allow car building creativity to really shine. 1460 on twin split Webers, or 998 turbo? All good!
In a statement, club chairman, Nick Cooke said, “we think that there are more than 50 racing Minis out there that would be eligible for this Trophy, and with the launch of the Mini Libre formula, we wanted to get these cars back out onto the grid for 2017. It will bring back some of the excitement of the original Miglia formula from the 1970s to today’s modern day spectators.”
The Mini Libre formula will run with the Mini Miglias at each of their 14 rounds of the 2017 Championship, with the ST Trophy awarded to the winner at the annual end of year trophy presentation. We race at some of the very best circuits in the UK including both MSV Mini Festivals, north and south.

Regulations for the new series will be released in due course. The basic outline is a Mini Miglia style racer using a steel bodyshell (no spaceframes), BMC A-Series engine of any type and 10-inch diameter wheels. The usual safety regulations and MSA scrutineering will apply.
Expect to see BMW bike head conversions, 7-ports, 8-ports, KAD twin cams, turbos, fuel injection and five-ports that wouldn't usually comply with our 1293cc Mini Miglia regulations.
Perhaps you already have a 1380cc hillclimb Mini and fancy joining in with the Miglias, or maybe there's an old Miglia and a collection of engines lurking in the garage? We want to see you back on track, and now's your chance!
http://www.mini7.co.uk/news.php?p=747

To register your interest, please e-mail Colin Peacock - colinmpeacock@hotmail.co.uk

[Surf 1275]

Originally Posted by morninggents

Did the Mini Buick ever actually race? I can't remember.

Yes definately, Oulton and Mallory spring to mind. Brian Redman tested it at Aintree to try and tame the handling. It was also 'drag' raced at Santa Pod and hillclimbed at several venues, currently owned by Jonathan Buncombe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXQyFuy9bvs

[morninggents]

Thanks, Surf. I've seen the Oulton clip before but it was only a test session by the look of it. I've also seen reference to Mallory Park Boxing Day meeting but not sure the Mini Buick actually turned up or raced.

[Surf 1275]

Originally Posted by morninggents

Thanks, Surf. I've seen the Oulton clip before but it was only a test session by the look of it. I've also seen reference to Mallory Park Boxing Day meeting but not sure the Mini Buick actually turned up or raced.

Yes the Oulton clip was a test/publicity day and yes Harry did indeed turn up at Mallory and race the Buick on Boxing Day 1964. I've a few photos of it on track. There may be one on the Mountgreen website.

[mab01UK]

Brilliant set of Colin Lourie photos in the link below and here are just a few of the many Mini's to be seen!
http://clourie.co.uk/ingliston/index.html

Quote:
"The Royal Highland Showground at Ingliston, west of Edinburgh, was used as a motor racing circuit from 1965 until 1992.
From 1966 to early 1969, I took photos as a spectator - mainly from Caravan corner. Then, along with Eric Bryce, I was Ingliston’s official photographer for the Scottish Motor Racing Club from August 1969 until 1976 - and took many of the photographs that appeared in race-meeting programmes.
In its day, Ingliston was a great little track. It was tight, the cars were never far from Armco and the racing was invariably close. Motor racing, then, was not a contact sport - and invariably any car with a loose or departing part was black-flagged. Slicks and marbles were unheard of in my days at Ingliston and only laterally did I see anyone stick a thermometer in a tyre.
In October 2010, I started scanning my negatives to show on this website. It’s going to be a big job - having taken upwards of 200 shots at each of six race meetings a year for 7 years. A serious burst of scanning activity in 2015 has brought the total number of photographs to over 500. Hopefully, these photographs fill a gap and help revive a few memories."
Happy viewing.
Colin Lourie

[mab01UK]

"VJB 39 - 1960 time-warp mini, extensively raced at Silverstone between 1973 and 1975, on the track for the first time in 42 years!"


The Mini Works:-
https://www.facebook.com/TheMiniWork...type=3&theater

Cool looking '70's race Mini at the recent Blyton Mk1 Action Day and a great photo!

Also a great bit of video in link to 'Sporting Minis' below......of how I remember free formula race Minis sounded in the paddock during the 'unrestricted' 1960's and 70's era.

Turn up the volume!
https://www.facebook.com/26962985650...PAGES_TIMELINE

Lots more great photos of the Blyton Mini Action Day 2017 here:-
http://photos.downtonphotography.com/f932204733

http://photos.downtonphotography.com...8935#h895dca9a

[mab01UK]

John Hendy Photography
Great website and lots of 1960's Mini racing photos (54) if you type 'Mini' into the search box here:-
http://john.shendy.co.uk/search.php?...&submit=Search...

Speedwell Streamliner:-
http://john.shendy.co.uk/search.php?...&submit=Search...

[mab01UK]

Wadham Stringer sponsored Mini 1275GT Challenge car

[mab01UK]

Ginger Marshall - (Mini Clubman Estate)

[mab01UK]

Gerry Marshall auto-crossing in the celebrity Players No.6 Moke.

[oneofapair]

Originally Posted by mab01UK

Ginger Marshall - (Mini Clubman Estate)

And John Schneider I Think??

[mab01UK]

Another great race just uploaded below from the 1970's at London's Crystal Palace circuit.....

Crystal Palace saloon car race 03/10/70
The up to 1000cc Saloon car race from Crystal Palace (10 laps) as shown on BBC Grandstand. Commentary by Murray Walker.
Pole - 196- Roger Wiliamson - Ford Anglia - Holbay F3 Engine
197 - Les Nash - Ford Anglia
201 - Simon Ridge - Automex Mini 992cc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eDmnIt-_7U


Roger Williamson (Anglia) leading Simon Ridge (Automex Mini)

[mab01UK]

Late 1960's Brands Hatch - Mini Festival?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsrWqv_-8RQ

[mab01UK]

Anyone know more about this 'B' Series Mini racer or have more photos?
With those Weber carbs out front I guess it used a version of the original HRG-Derrington crossflow cylinder head for the B-Series below?
HRG-Derrington B-Series Heads:-
http://www.rhodo.citymax.com/HRG.html




Paddock at Brands Hatch








More Here:-
http://www.rhodo.citymax.com/f/HRG_story.pdf

[mab01UK]

Another 'period' Mini engine transplant below, this time based on the Imp engine.......shame few of them survive today as they were so much more interesting than today's Honda Vtec conversions!


I remember this Mini-Imp well and was reminded by this thread with some photos on the Ten Tenths Forum:-
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=122899



Monty Guildford's Mini racer fitted with an Imp engine, he finished it in 1973 after an 18 month build.
The engine was built and tuned by George Bevan but the gear box was designed by my Monty and built by Peter Wise of Goodland engineering of Tonbridge Kent. The crank was a one off. Note also the exhaust coming out of the nearside A panel!

[mab01UK]

[mab01UK]

Last year I suggested to MiniWorld editor Karen Drury that she should interview 1960/70's Mini racer Simon Ridge and publish some of his great stories and photos from that era including how he introduced local boy James Hunt to the world of motor racing via Minis. A few weeks later a meeting was arranged and we spent most of a day at my brothers house listening to Simon's stories and asking him questions. Karen has put together an article from the recordings and Part 1 has 8 pages featured in the latest April 2019 MiniWorld magazine with lots of not seen before great period photos from Simon's Mini racing archive. Part 2 will follow in the May 2019 issue of MiniWorld magazine.




Couple of nice period photos of Mini racer Simon Ridge in the early days at Brands Hatch (around 1966-67) when he was running his own Free Formula car and before the heady days of sponsorship! He later drove for Automex & D J Bond.
Original Photos: Sunrise International Productions B.S.Kreisky (Archive: Martin Henn)

[mab01UK]

Part 2 of the Simon Ridge article on 1960/70's Mini racing is now out in the May issue of MiniWorld magazine. Another 8-pages of great stories, memories and period photos from Simon's Mini racing archive! (See May 2019 MiniWorld pages 90-97).
https://miniworld.co.uk/