For the most part, living in Florida is great! It means we have year-round track weekends. A benefit that I take full advantage of. However, I think I may re-think my future summer track plans. Last year, Homestead in August was just insanely hot. Sebring last October was a wash-out.
Here I sit watching the weather and see 2, possibly 3 storms with hurricane potential circling around the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, possibly threatening my next track weekend in Sebring on the 6th and 7th of September {sigh}.
I just had my pre-track preparations completed on my MINI today. Oil service was completed, Hawk HT-10’s were installed, ATE Super Blue put in, a Texas Speedwerks engine damper added, and Nitto NT-01’s mounted to my new 17″ Wedsport wheels. Now to watch the weather reports almost makes me sick to my stomach. Oh well, what can you do.
Team Minspeed will be invading Daytona International Speedway again October 31 - November 2 this year, so if Sebring is a wash-out, at least we can hope for sun in Daytona. But seriously, I am praying for sun in Sebring too! I’ll keep you posted!
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 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 USA’s Product Manager, the little “MINI That Could” took down car after car with multiple 10-second passes and trap speeds exceeding 135mph.
Officially the “World’s Quickest and Fastest MINI”, 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 Christensen’s “Arm Drop.” This incredible performance resulted from the collaboration between ABF Performance, MINI USA and MINI Financial Services. With its custom carbon-fiber bodywork and distinctive “Get Your Hands on a MINI” 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. Read the rest of this entry »
This was sent in last week and I am bummed I missed it when it came in because this would have been really cool to go out to watch. Not that I could have made it, but maybe some of you all could of gone. Once I find out when this will air, I will let you all know.
MINI USA’s Drag Race Cooper S, Prepared by ABF Performance, Readies for “PINKS All Out” This Weekend at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ
July 24, 2008… After the burnouts are done and the arm-drop signals the start, drag racing enthusiasts attending this weekend’s PINKS All Out competition may find themselves cheering on a new crowd favorite – the 650-horsepower MINI Cooper S Drag Racer, custom built by ABF Performance. Marking the MINI brand’s foray into sport drag racing, the MINI – with its 0-60 time of less than 3 seconds, top trap speed of 134 mph and best quarter-mile run of 10.6 seconds – is expected to turn in a lightning-fast performance at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ, on July 25th – 26th. Read the rest of this entry »
As many of you know, Team Minspeed likes to get things done on the track. While most of us are happy running around the track in our daily drivers in non-competition-style HPDE sessions, a few of us want to take things to the next level and get the adrenaline rush that comes with actual “racing”. For those who are so inclined, some safety modifications must be made. Here is a video of Team Minspeed member, Greg “beaner” showing off his newly installed custom roll cage in his 2006 MINI Cooper S, “Earl”, which will be ready for competitive racing shortly!
In case you missed it, SPEED Channel will be re-broadcasting the last Grand-Am race from Mid Ohio early tomorrow morning at 3am, so set your DVRs! Why would this interest you? Because the #196 RSR MINI took the pole position and led the first 35 laps or so - that’s why! The 3 RSR MINIs ended up finishing 13th, 19th and 27th due to some rain, but man what a showing!
After a tough weekend at Lime Rock, RSR Motorsport team owner, Randy Smalley gives us the weekend wrap up:
Photo by Mark Lindsley
Some good news and some bad . . . 1st the good.
We had the fast time of the weekend and now hold the ST record at Lime Rock with a 1.00.191 @ 91.509 mph avg. Owen Trinkler was behind the wheel and backed up the time with multiple sub 1.01 times. The cars were FAST and the paddocks were buzzing all day. Read the rest of this entry »
Tomorrow, the RSR MINIs will be competing in the next round of the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series @ Limerock. With a track that is more favorable to the MINI than Daytona, this should be a great race! If you are in the area, stop by and show your support. Tell Randy & company we said hi and good luck team!!
WOW! That is almost all I can say about this past weekend. I had sooooo much fun out there, which is quite a switch from last year’s Homestead event. While I still had fun last year, the frustration level was pretty high due to the fact that in 2007’s event, it was my first time going out there solo. Passing higher horsepower in student classes is one thing, trying to pass higher horsepower in the solo group when the other cars running with you are being driven by instructors, well, that is another story. The point-by’s just don’t come as easy since the cars, not only have more power, but they are being driven by people who know how to use it!
This weekend was all about taking my driving to the next level for me. Applying some skills I touched on at Daytona (and some skills I observed while watching Randy Pobst toss my MINI around the track), I was able to shave 6 seconds off my lap times from last year!! In 2006, which was the first time I had ever been on the Homestead track, I was running 1:59 lap times. In 2007, that number decreased to 1:56. This weekend, I was clicking off 1:50 laps!! Granted, I was running shaved Toyo RA1’s and Hawk HT-10 race pads this time around, but a lot had to do with some new skills I was trying to master, specifically trail braking and modulating the throttle through the turns to make the back end come around just enough to point you in the right direction so you can stomp on the gas and go. What a rush! Needless to say, the point-by’s are starting to be received again, rather than given. Don’t get me wrong, there are still cars running out there that will kick our little MINIs arse out there, but it does feel good to not be the slowest thing out there.
I want to give a huge thanks to my “track junkie crew” - Jamie and Greg - you guys ROCK! To our newest track junkie, Daniel - hope to see you at many more events dude! To Minis of Miami - AWESOME show of support gang - thank you so much for coming out and cheering us on! To our resident MINI instructor, Bill, glad you came to hang with us out there - it sure was fun battling an instructor who drives a MINI! And to Jeff and Phyllis - even though you brought the Porsche instead of the MINI - we’ll still let you hang with us (by the way - thanks for taking the photos! I’ll be posting them soon). Thanks to the entire PBOC/PCA staff for putting on a safe weekend. And last, but not least, a HUGE thanks to Pete over at Minspeed for keeping Team Minspeed flying!
Thursday, August 28th, 2008
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Posted by Pedro in Track Talk 
. Emjoy!
