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hanlminiman wrote:

Pete wrote:By the way, in the Surtees celebration parade, why did they have a Mini on it?

Also a quote -"just like Niki Lauda, Formula 1 Champions Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, John Surtees, Jochen Rindt, and James Hunt all gained their first racing experience in a classic Mini."
How many had experience of racing a A35?

Not Graham Hill, he was racing before the Mini was announced.

hanlminiman wrote:

Pete wrote:By the way, in the Surtees celebration parade, why did they have a Mini on it?

Also a quote -"just like Niki Lauda, Formula 1 Champions Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, John Surtees, Jochen Rindt, and James Hunt all gained their first racing experience in a classic Mini."
How many had experience of racing a A35?

Not John Surtees, his first car race was in a Formula Junior car run by Ken Tyrrell. A Cooper Austin in 1960.
His first racing experience was back in 1949 in a Vincent grass track sidecar as passenger to his father. They won but were disqualified due to John being under 16.

And I don't think Jackie Stewart did either! Hadn't heard the Rindt connection either? Where did you get that quote from Cliff??

As far as I know (and excluding the celeb Mini races) the following F1 drivers raced Minis very early in their careers : Hunt, Lauda, Regazzoni, McLaren, Williamson, Redman and Trevor Taylor. Hulme and Graham Hill raced a couple as did Moss (turned one upside down in the U.S), Rhodes and Maggs very briefly raced in F1 and they pretty much all owned a Mini (the Hulme family still own Denny's) as did Surtees, Parkes, and I'm sure this is a long long way from a complete list. I wrote about this in a Cooperworld article a few years ago.

Rindt started in touring cars. In 1961 he raced a Simca Aronde...

http://touringcarracing.net/Races/1961%20Innsbruck.html

...and in '62 an Alfa Giulietta Ti

http://touringcarracing.net/Races/1962%20Innsbruck.html

No Minis next year, as the St Marys returns to the 1950s cars.

I had a blast with my A30, though the deal on building it will now require a sale
Qualifying fourth on debut against that field was monumental.