Thats the name of the game FUN and there should be plenty of it i was there helpimg last year just checking it out, so when this year came around i jumped at the chance to be part of a team when asked!! anyways catch ya down at "the island"......... i'll be the one under the mini on jack stands behind the pit garages for the w/end fixing it so i can get some track time......

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMkVq1jRGU

Which team are you in BALLISTIC?

I am in the Gippsland Dust Busters and the only Mini in the team..

team no. 21......"team superbounce".........and im also the only mini in my team......should be good!! also heard that the mustang team from last year and a few other big car teams tried to enter but all the spots were taken ....... shame really
anyways see ya down at "the island" tommorrow.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMkVq1jRGU

There were actually 50 teams all up that tried to enter for the 6 hour but only 40 could be accepted..

The Gippsland Car Club that I am with has 7 teams entered.. You will be in garage 20 and our team will be in garage 27..

Hope the rain holds off and the winds are not overly strong or we might be blown backwards on the front straight...

Would that be the NSW or Vic 6Hr that was held at Winton? I participated in a Mini in 89, 90 & 91 for the Vic Mini Car Club.

6Hr races are lots of fun, although I'm not sure I would have participated back then if the event was held at Phillip Island

The 1990 Winton 6 hour. We won Handicap and Marque with a team of HQ Holdens, three were 6 cylinder "HQ race cars" and the other was a Group C Monaro 4 door 350. The handicappers must have thought that all the cars were 6 cyls and gave us a generous handicap so we knew before the race started that it was not a matter of winning but a matter of not losing! The rules at the time didn't include a "break out" time so you could run as fast as you wanted in the race, actually I qualified my car on HQ tyres (Goodyear Ducaros) and raced on Dunlop Formula Rs.
Even with the generous handicap we were aware that we could not afford to lose any time so I took the theroy that every car on the track was trying to beat me so I made it hard for them to lap me.

We used to go down to Winton for the 24 Hour relay as well. Oh happy days!

Ah Yes, I remember it well. Would that HQ fitted with the 350 Chev been black? We didnt do so well in 90 due to a number of flat tyres. 91 was my last race when I barrel rolled my sports sedan going into the sweeper. 16 years later it almost ready for the track again.

Yes, the 350 Monaro was black and my 202 Kingswood was also black. We painted my car to match the 350, right down to the 350 stickers on the guards and bootlid in the hope that people (handicappers) looking at both cars would think that they were both 6 cylinders. We always parked my car with the bonnet up and the 350 with the bonnet down and we kept swapping the two cars around in the garages as well. It must have worked because we won!

I remember a Mini rolling in the sweeper in 1990, I backed off because of the waved yellows and a Porsche hit me up the bum and passed me as the Mini was rolling across the track. I got around to the main straight just in time for the safety car to let the Porsche past and pull in front of me.
The safety car was a Porsche Carrera 4 driven by Jim Richards and I was only about a second a lap slower while behind the safety car. I had to keep the boot in to keep up!

I'II have to check my photo collection. I remember the black HQ, or at least one of them.
My log book says I definately rolled in 91. I was last seen running back to the pits with the side window under my arm. It still had the change over sach attached. I don't know what posessed me to run with the whole window. I think we only lost a lap.

In all the relays I did I never had to run back to the pits with the sash.

Our team had a black Monaro, a black Kingswood, a green Premier, and a white Belmont. We had the complete set!

Well, that is the 6 hour at Phillip Island done and dusted for another year..

A good turn out of Mini's competed and I had a chance to say g'day to BALLISTIC while he was swearing and mumbling as why his Mini had stopped on the side of the track.. One small wire falling off the coil seemed to be the problem..

I had my exhaust fall off in Saturday practice and had to drive half a lap with a very loud, straight out the extractor noise going on while the front pipe bounced along underneath. Fitted it back on and all was good.

10 laps into my first run on Sunday, I just passed the main pit entrance and coming on to the main straight when the windscreen suddenly got a good soaking on radiator fluid and then steam came from under the bonnet and the temp needle headed skywards..

I couldn't pull up where I was and so had to head right around to the corner 4 exit to the pits. Thought it might have been a hose blew but they both looked ok but soon found that a welsh plug had parted company from the block.. No replacement and even with all those Mini's around, no-one had one in there toolbox..

End of the relay for the LS and me but I don't think there is any damage to the motor as the temp only went as high as 100c and it normally runs at 82c anyway..

The last 2 or 3 hours was run in very heavy rain but it didn't seem to worry the Mini drivers as the still kept their boot hard on the go pedal..

Bit of bad luck Smokey, funny I seem to recall one of the Minis in one of my teams blowing welsh plugs regularly. Was it one of those stupid dished ones or a proper cup type?

Don't really know what sort it was but I will be taking the other ones out and replacing them as well..

You should have asked in the pit garage next door
Although managing a team this year, and not driving, I had all my usual race spares and tools in the garage for the rest of the team to use. In amongst that I always carry spare welch plugs - the cup type for the Cooper S and the disc type for the Bugeye.
I don't suppose anybody in your team had a rear seal for a Nissan Pintara gearbox? We had 1 car and 2 drivers sidelined after the first hour due to a massive oil leak, they even went as far as driving to Wonthaggi to try and find a spare at Repco, but to no avail.
A great event despite abysmal Antarctic weather and a hollow victory to a team who played outside the spirit of the event. Well done the the Mini Club's Intrepid Racing Team for what most people deservedly see as their moral victory.

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

Ummm, I think I did mention to you Curly that I was sidelined with the welch plug falling out but never thought of asking if you had a spare one.. I had asked just about every other Mini person I could find ..


Nope...

Great event and since I had so much fun in this years one, might even consider doing it again next year but maybe not in the LS tho..


I did hear they got a very Antarctic type reception....