mk1-forum.net

Posted this elsewhere, but may be of interest

http://www.conorobrienracing.com/Conor_ ... _Spec.html

Looks like there'll be 17 Minis out at the Silverstone Classic this weekend!

Pete wrote:Looks like there'll be 17 Minis out at the Silverstone Classic this weekend!

have you a link to an entry list Pete ?

Sorry Steve, hadn't read your question. Not seen an entry list anywhere online but the race was today and the Curley/Sollis KAD car came out top of the Mini pile and 6th overall. I did make a joke on the Silverstone Facebook page about how many A30/35 Academy cars we'd see turn over in the celeb race and the answer was..at least two! Not seen one of those races yet without a roll over (and that's quite a few!), Brian Johnston turned his over today as did Ant Anstead which he had stitches in his hand for later. How long before someone is seriously injured in one of those things??

Pete wrote:Sorry Steve, hadn't read your question. Not seen an entry list anywhere online but the race was today and the Curley/Sollis KAD car came out top of the Mini pile and 6th overall. I did make a joke on the Silverstone Facebook page about how many A30/35 Academy cars we'd see turn over in the celeb race and the answer was..at least two! Not seen one of those races yet without a roll over (and that's quite a few!), Brian Johnston turned his over today as did Ant Anstead which he had stitches in his hand for later. How long before someone is seriously injured in one of those things??

Not the car's fault....more the drivers' "I'm a celebrity, I'm invincible" attitude to adrenaline-based stuff. See celebrity helicopter/plane crashes also...300 wickets for England and they all think they can beat the weather and see through fog and darkness!

Brian Johnston's hardly a novice though! Seen them turn over at Oulton, Doni, Goodwood and now Silverstone in recent times. That can't just be the drivers, they look naturally unstable even with modern suspension tweeks.

They do have a very narrow track compared to their height

Which is why the A40 is the far superior vehicle!

Al

I saw a few of the A35 races .. sat pm in the rain the rugby player (Wedderburn?) was picking his way round and spinning at most corners! When he came off at camp onto the grass it was at a very slow speed and the car still tilted about a foot on two wheels , it would have been over at another 10mph

Pandora wrote: Which is why the A40 is the far superior vehicle!

Al

Oh Al, now you must to prove it

johnv wrote:I saw a few of the A35 races .. sat pm in the rain the rugby player (Wedderburn?) was picking his way round and spinning at most corners! When he came off at camp onto the grass it was at a very slow speed and the car still tilted about a foot on two wheels , it would have been over at another 10mph

Camp?

Pete wrote:Brian Johnston's hardly a novice though! Seen them turn over at Oulton, Doni, Goodwood and now Silverstone in recent times. That can't just be the drivers, they look naturally unstable even with modern suspension tweeks.

Best start up a rival Mini series, then? That'd really piss off Julios or whatever he calls himself

Although the spec of the Academy cars is the same, not all of them are equal.
Mine was built as a dedicated racecar, and we've spent time moving the ballast around to achieve nigh-on perfect crossweight. Anthony & Jason were delighted with the handling, and Anthony managed to take the lead a few times despite having an engine that appears to be slightly down on power. Compared to the car he drove in the St Mary's last year, it was apparantly chalk and cheese.
The cars that are literally converted road cars tend to be more unstable than the 'proper' racecars - look at the highlights of the St Mary's and the front runners are all chucking them around with carefree abandon, so there is little wrong with the concept, just a few tweaks needed in the execution going forwards.

Talking to Brian on Sunday morning over a coffee (his motorhome was next to us in the campsite) he wasn't quite sure why he had rolled, but the photos floating around online combined with our onboard footage (Anthony in Gertie was behind him) suggest he overcooked the corner, spun and high-sided into the roll, which can happen with an open diff.

Inno Cooper wrote:

Pandora wrote: Which is why the A40 is the far superior vehicle!

Al

Oh Al, now you must to prove it

One day......

Al