by
Seven Mini Parts |
Hi Mini Friends
The CSRG event at Laguna Seca June 5-6 was our first race since the accident last year at Sears Point, when our race ended with the car crashing into a wall. The damage had turned out to be worse than it looked (special thanks to Nick Upton of Boot 2 Bonnet for pulling the frame straight from 1-1/2 inches out of square, welding up the front sheet metal and painting the car). With a new race-prepared subframe and all the trimmings, we were ready to attack the Corkscrew, with guest driver Greg Wold of Minnesota.
Our vintage Mini has a great history, being the Mini in which Ed Spreen won the 1970 SCCA C Sedan National Championship (see more), and we have tried to balance being competitive in the modern era and still retain as much of the Mini that Ed drove in the 60’s as possible. And, as Greg has decades of Mini driving on both pavement and ice, I knew the Mini would get a good workout and we would gain valuable set-up information.
As the CSRG had not run an event at Laguna in 19 years, it was pretty special to begin with, but making this race meet even better were the eight participating Minis (of course). The races themselves were very good, with our Mini running well all weekend; that is, until the final turn on the last lap, when a rocker arm broke. Greg shut the motor off and coasted to about 100 yards short of the finish line; up until that point we were 4th overall. But, despite the breakdown, I was not disappointed in the weekend, as Greg did a fantastic job during the event, learning to maneuver the right-hand-drive Spreen Mini plus the hills and crests of Laguna, all at the same time.
Our next event will be the Velocity Invitational, November 11-14, at this same track, which will feature Mini vs Mustang. Minis and Mustangs in the same race, at NIGHT! There will be two one-hour endurance races, so plan on being there to see some of the very best Mini drivers in the world!
Minis Rule!
~ Mike Kearney