The ex-Cooper Works racing mini GPH1C is in the workshop this week in preparation for some serious track use this season. We have fitted a dashbar to the roll cage and replaced the aluminium panels with steel. The car has now been fitted with a extinguisher system from Lifeline, and will receive a new gearbox and limited slip differential from Swiftune. Watch this space for upcoming events.
We had a great time this weekend at the Brands Hatch Mini Festival. We brought down a couple of cars for display and even got to demonstrate them on the parade lap. John Rhodes Mini, GPH1C and our limousine were all very popular. The highlight was a lot of fantastic racing, especially from the FIA pre-66 cars with a cracking drive from AC/DC’s Brian Johnson. It was great to see lots of old friends and make some new ones. Lets hope this concept continues to grow and hopefully we will see you next year.
Mini racing legend John Rhodes will be attending this Sundays HRDC event at Mallory Park. The former Cooper Car Company driver will be available to answer questions and sign autographs throughout the one day event. If you wish to meet John you will be able to find him under the awning at the CCK Historic transporter, the centre of HRDC hospitality. Tickets for the HRDC Mallory Park meeting are available on the gate for £13. Bargain!
Come on down and say hello. I will be sitting in the rain on Brighton Beach all day Sunday for the London to Brighton Classic car run. On display I will have with me John Rhodes Mini Cooper S. If you are in the area please pop down and say hello.
John Rhodes, Mini racing legend, explains his driving style in this short clip from the late 1960’s. The cars were setup for chronic over-steer. By lifting off Rhodes could encourage the rear to slide before mashing the throttle and pulling out of the corner.
“One thing he used to ask for if he was driving one of our cars was that it had to have violent oversteer. We’d use the strongest bumpstops on the back so that as soon as you’d turned into a corner it sat straight on the bumpstops which would put you straight into oversteer which he loved.” – Harry Ratcliffe, British Vita Racing Team
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