Minis keep you young - especially if you need to climb in and out through a roll cage.

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Curly
'64 Cooper 'S' (Group Nb spec)
'67 Mini Marcos GT www.mm7056.wordpress.com

The older we get, the better we were...

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Or like the one on a mates racing car..

The older I get, the faster I was..

I got called back in to address something hanging from under my car - it was the extra bonnet tie down - hadn't been clipped back on, but not sure if I shut the bonnet or someone else - bit of a bugger that

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

I was the Comms Official on 7, apart from the rain it was fantastic , mind you the rain made things very interesting, some of the wet track driving skills had to be seen to be believed. For some people traction was an issue, on Sat a Porsche had a slide under brakes from the apex on 6.1 ending in a meeting with the tire wall and rolling 4 times onto its roof halfway to 7 driver was ok, on Sunday a Formula Ford spun 4 times, the first 2 times trying to straighten the car then the back left hand tire came off the ripple strip on to the grass it was like he was shot out of a cannon 2 more spins and a very heavy impact with the tire wall at 8 driver was not ok. It was great having the Minis going round, nothing better than hearing a 1275 with straight cut gears screaming past at 5,500 rpm.

To all the officials and volunteers a job well done !!!!

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*whistles quietly to himself*

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

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We saw that, we were wondering what happened! You still do OK tho Simon, ya car looked like it was loving it!

It was an awesome weekend tho

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1978 Leyland Mini 998LS All Original *Sally*
2002 Mini Cooper *Coopa*

Got back about an hour ago...after doing my impression of a drowned rat at the circuit

Dissapointing to see the VMCI miss the opportunity to have a Mini Parade at lunchtime on the Sunday, or any other day for that matter....I suppose they thought that having the Mini Regularity was enough and didn't want to appear to be "taking over the meeting"....the place was packed with Mini enthusiasts

It would have been a real treat to see Minis, Mokes, Clubmans, Watto's Van and all the other "variants" filling the track Oh well.

I think all the people who entered the regularity should take a bow...for many, it was their first time on a track amongst some very fast peddlers and it all seemed to go off fairly smoothly, from where I was watching

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"Show me the Mini!"

I would have taken the Moke over if there was a parade.

How did we not catch up with you guys?? The day went so fast, there's too much to see with only 6 hours on the track...

Next year I'm camping dammit.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I love a parade

Pure and utter smoltze Mike...are you angling to be the new BIAM

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"Show me the Mini!"

Me too Mick, let's start planning it early

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

Don't forget that this meeting is an Historic Race meeting. As such, it exists for all those Historic categories to go racing.

The whole event was run by the VHRR in conjunction with the VMCi and a few other regulars. It's timetabled down to the second. Every time there's a recovery needed after a breakdown or whatever, things shift into a higher gear to make up the time. That's why the next field of cars is often released for their warmup lap even before the last car fromt the previous race is off the track.

Trust me guys, there was simply no space anywhere in the program that a parade of Minis could have fitted. We struggled big time to find enough people to officiate at the meeting as well as organise and oversee the displays that were there. As it happened, it all went well, thanks to some stalwarts who made their time available.

The Mini regularity was a new event this year which saw things having to be tightened up even more to avoid disappointing all of the other categories that are a regular part of Historic racing.

It was introduced this year solely to celebrate the 50th Mini Birthday, and was the brainchild of the inimitable Mike Holloway, VMCi Life Member and the Clerk of Course of (and driving force behind) the Phillip Island Historic Meeting since the mid '90's.

The only opportunity for a parade would have been if MIni & Moke people had paid Shannons a few quid to join the Shannons Calvalcade. This is a sponsored drive to the Island with the bonus of a single lap of the course. However, if there had been any more cars in the Cavalcade, the timing would have been severely damaged anyway. Speaking as someone who spent a few years as Chief Paddock Marshall and had to shepherd the Cavalcade on and off the track, it's a nightmare!

I was on Turn 3 Communications again this time (on Sunday only due to a friend's wedding on Saturday). The discerning attendee may have noticed my large, white, shiny Citroen DS parked by the track at Turn 3. Yes, that's right, I didn't even take the Mini down there this year! (I'm hanging my head in shame as I write this, but unlike the Mini, the DS has a heater, and I left town before dawn on a very cold Sunday morning!) But I cheered, waved at and clapped every one of the Bricks running around there on Sunday.

It was a stirring sight to see 40 odd Classic Minis buzzing around the track. And the Group N races with quite a few Bricks aboard were just as entertaining. (Watching James Holloway dicing with the Humpy FJ down the tail end of the field was like being in a time warp back to the Island in the late 60's!)

It was a great meeting despite the weather and the consequent rather poor attendance. The racing was still great to watch, the camaraderie was as good as ever, and the bonus was a track full of nearly enough Bricks to build a wall!

Doesn't get much better than that!

Cheers, Pottsy

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Smile Up at The Trucks!