World’s Fastest Drag-Race MINI

A couple weeks ago I posted about the ABF Performance Drag MINI on SPEED TV’s Pinks All Out. Well here is an official MINI USA press release on the new venture:


MINI Dragster - Pinks All Out

MINI USA Press Release: Woodcliff Lake, NJ – August 15, 2008… After multiple rounds of testing and nail biting qualifying runs for PINKS ALL OUT at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ, July 25th – 26th, the 650-horsepower MINI Cooper S drag racer, custom built by ABF Performance, emerged a crowd favorite and newly appointed giant killer. Piloted by Vincent Tennessee Kung, MINI USAís Product Manager, the little “MINI That Could” took down car after car with multiple 10-second passes and trap speeds exceeding 135mph.

Officially the ìWorldís Quickest and Fastest MINIî, this Cooper S Hardtop has clocked a record-setting 10.48 elapsed time at 135.16 MPH, but not before sending home a Big-Block-equipped Camaro with a blistering start from PINKS ALL OUT host Rich Christensenís ìArm Drop.î This incredible performance resulted from the collaboration between ABF Performance, MINI USA and MINI Financial Services. With its custom carbon-fiber bodywork and distinctive ìGet Your Hands on a MINIî graphics (which shows two hands trying to grab the 1,750-pound race car) there is certainly no mistaking this MINI for any other car on the racetrack. Getting the miracle MINI into 9-second zone is just a few suspension tweaks away.

But the fun doesnít stop at 1,320 feet out. Thanks to the massive R&D that went into building this car, ABF Performance will continue to build on its extensive portfolio of performance parts for street-bound and race-only MINIs. In addition, ABF Performance will keep on designing and building a range of turnkey race cars available for purchase by motorsports enthusiasts. Also, ABF Performance will support a number of Club Racing series at racetracks throughout the U.S., calculated to demonstrate the racing capabilities of the MINI platform, while strengthening the community of MINI enthusiasts and giving them an opportunity to sharpen their driving skills.

Vincent Tennessee Kung, MINI Product Manager, stated, ìThe collaborative effort between MINI USA and ABF Performance has resulted in record-making power and speed. As the new generation of MINIs makes its way into the hands of racers, we look forward to seeing what the aftermarket can accomplish both on the dragstrip and on the road course.î

Hubie Fuh, Executive Vice President of ABF PERFORMANCE, INC. added, ìThe new second-generation MINI platform represents a solid and flexible platform for the construction of extreme high-performance automobiles. We look forward to developing the new platform through our signature racing programs and competing at a variety of racing venues, including Drag, Drift, and Road Racing events over the coming years. We also look forward to making the MINI brand one of the most respected in all of motorsports. The combination of MINIís fundamental engineering and our performance enhancements will help MINI USA and ABF Performance achieves this goal easily.î

The MINI drag racer, a 2002 MINI Cooper S, has been extensively engineered and tuned by ABF Performance and performed flawlessly over one week of grueling competition in tough heat and humidity. The only hiccup for the team was the factory axles, which snapped like toothpicks under Kungís driving demands and repeated requests of ìmore power.î Running 38 psig of turbo boost and making 9000 rpm shifts didnít help matters much either.

The MINI Cooper S Drag racer speeds on to other appearances and races this fall, including:
ï October 18-19: Battle of the Imports (BOTI), California Speedway, Fontana, CA
ï November 4 ñ 7: Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA), Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV (display only)

One thought on “World’s Fastest Drag-Race MINI”

Comments are closed.