Racing Minors

Mike Chittenden raced his blue 1650 Minor in special saloons throughout 1968 & '69.
The late Mike Bennion also raced a hairy V8 version in the late 60s. Current BTCC driver
Mike Jordan started his career racing a Minor in classic saloons in 1979.

Back in 1950 4 Minors were run at Sebring.

Hi Fellas;
There is one down here in Tassie that is almost a State Motorsports Icon!
It has an extremely long racing history.
Longford,Symmons Plains Baskerville etc.
It is in Group N /Appendix J specs.
The current owner is Andrew Sluce.
Sorry I do not have a contact number.
Maybe Geoff Smedley could help with this.
I believe Andrew refers to himself as "The Custodian" of the car rather than the owner.
Cheers.
Roger.

I can recall seeing A Series powered Minors racing at Sydney circuits. The A30s had the legs on the Minor as they were quite a bit lighter, around a cwt if I remember rightly.

But they fell over more easily. Rod Bloor who was a great exponent of A35s, when asked what it was like to drive one fast replied "Like walking a tightrope whilst wearing ice skates"

Edited by DJH, 23 January 2013 - 21:49.

I think we have really got away from Morris Minors and are in the realms of Superloons, you might as well describe Mick Hills Capri as a production car. If the subject is Minors then it should encompass A type engined modified standard chassis cars. The other things are interesting but do not have any bearing on the question originally posed by Jon Betts.

I'm not sure that is what Jon Betts said, but you mention Mick Hill's Capri & one of his advisors on the build was Morris Minor V8 builder/racer Mike Bennion. An interesting thread on the Bennion Minor can be found on 10 Tenths.

Some photos of my  "Racing Minors"

Side Valve Morris Minor competing at Collingrove Hill Climb Oct '56

Minor 1000 chasing Fiat 1100 at Albert Park, Nov '58

Minor 1000 (now supercharged) at Port Wakefield - probably '59

See also Tom Cotter, US vintage racing.

A number of Morris Minors were raced in Tasmania in the 1950s and 1960s, mostly Minor 1000s. Some of the later ones benefitted from engine technology developed for Minis and were quite quick.

Then (early - mid 1950s)  there were the Sydney origin Mazengarb Minors with ALf Mazengarb's OHV conversion on the SV engine.

I have photos of some of the Tasmanian cars and a Mazengarb at Longford,.

Rob Saward

I think I've asked this before. 

In Britain, people seemed to prefer to race the Austin A35 rather than the Morris Minor - Why? 

Both were powered by the A-Series so power was the same. Was the A35 lighter?  It's wheelbase was shorter, did this improve cornering and handling.  Was the monocoque stiffer? Or was it simply cheaper?

Some photos of my  "Racing Minors"

 

 

 

Some photos of my  "Racing Minors"

 

 

 

Minor 1000 chasing Fiat 1100 at Albert Park, Nov '58

 

This is crying out for a new caption, something like:

"But darling, this is usually such a nice quiet spot for a romantic picnic.  Please marry me".

 

 

 

I think I've asked this before. 
 
In Britain, people seemed to prefer to race the Austin A35 rather than the Morris Minor - Why? 
 
Both were powered by the A-Series so power was the same. Was the A35 lighter?  It's wheelbase was shorter, did this improve cornering and handling.  Was the monocoque stiffer? Or was it simply cheaper?

I recall seeing a young chap called Kevin Bartlett driving a Morris Minor very quickly at Warwick Farm. Didn't seem to do him any harm.

I recall seeing a young chap called Kevin Bartlett driving a Morris Minor very quickly at Warwick Farm. Didn't seem to do him any harm.

Ah! But what could he have done with an A35?

Here in SA I feel there was far more Minors raced. Though in my experience as Sports Sedans. There was several with Holdens, MG and other engines. Only two A30s, one with a Holden and the other with I think an MGB and later 2 litre Ford. Too me Minors are wider and more stable though the A30 is probably lighter with less frontal area.
Where are they all now? One A30 has survived and is being restored currently.

Testing a couple of seasons ago at Mallory Park....

Why is the Z-cars theme running through my head?  Z-Cars were Zephyrs weren't they?

 

Testing a couple of seasons ago at Mallory Park....

 

 

Manchester Police had loads of Panda cars like that. I had the misfortune to be booked by the driver of one for some minor(!) offence on my Triumph Daytona. I was most unhappy about this but squared things up somewhat when I was booked by two cops in a white Jaguar S type. No shame there.

 

They later also had Mk 1 and Mk 2 Escorts in the blue/white panda scheme and six Sunbeam Lotus cars in every colour but black!

 

Edited by elansprint72, 12 November 2013 - 18:56.

Lee, I also remember Ron Guppy racing a Morris Minor at Port Wakefield for Mrs Harrison.

Also, regarding Austin A30s, Frank Dent brought his A30 over to Port Wakefield in the late '50s for Brian Muir to drive.

Did Australia get the A35? I have a feeling that we just kept the A30 for a bit longer.

I think the motor may sit a touch further back in the A35 than in the Minor. This might have given an advantage.

Why is the Z-cars theme running through my head?  Z-Cars were Zephyrs weren't they?

Your more mature than me. My experience starts late 60s not 50s. Even then the Minor should have been the better thing. I have seen entrys for K Drage, Morris minor too!!

Warwick Farm Esses 6th December 1969

Warwick Farm Esses 6th December 1969

 

That could very well be Larry [or was it Laurie?] Sternbeck.....MG engine?

" Was the A35 lighter?  It's wheelbase was shorter, did this improve cornering and handling.  Was the monocoque stiffer? Or was it simply cheaper?"

Yes , the A 30 was quite a bit lighter than the Morris Minor. I recall the difference was around 2 cwt.

In March 1965 ,  my first car was an A 30, quite fast with the Sprite bits fitted  and larger front brakes.

.

Edited by DJH, 13 November 2013 - 11:31.

Yes , the A 30 was quite a bit lighter than the Morris Minor. I recall the difference was around 2 cwt.

In March 1965 ,  my first car was an A 30, quite fast with the Sprite bits fitted  and larger front brakes.

.

That starts to explain why the A35 became a successful class racer: lowish weight, availability of different suspension tweaks from the Sprite/Midget, better brake options, loads of interest in developing the A series engine, better gearbox and axle bits etc.

The Minor and Herald had similar upgrades but weighed more. The A40 Farina was a logical racing successor to the A35 but it was about 40kg heavier.

My blunder, after checking the facts I've discovered the weight diffence between the Minor and the A 30 is but one cwt. My apologies to all and sundry.

My blunder, after checking the facts I've discovered the weight diffence between the Minor and the A 30 is but one cwt. My apologies to all and sundry.

for your penitence, say 112 Hail Mary's....

I'll even say 115 whilst self flagillating with a Morris Minor timing chain. Duplex double row of course.

Edited by DJH, 14 November 2013 - 02:24.

I may well be wrong here, given that I know little about either A35s or Moggy Minors but...

The A35, as has been said, was lighter, I also suspect that whilst the Minor may have possessed better roadholding the A35 was more "chuckable" until it fell over! As is often the case the right pair of hands can make the seemingly less capable car quicker... and everyone possesses the "right pair of hands", don't they? Also when saloon car racing became more popular in the late '50's the lines had already been drawn, Minors were for district nurses and little old ladies, A35s more for boy racers. Throw in the fact that Speedwell, where you would have gone to get the bits, were successful A35 racers and a preference for the Austin emerges. 

Whilst we are on the subject of racing Minors; back in the '70's a certain J. Funnell used to appear in the club racing results driving a Morris Minor. Does anyone know whether he was the Jim Funnell who was studying Mechanical Engineering at Leicester Poly at the same time as me in the late '60's? He owned a "split screen" Minor which was far from standard. 

I think there are more under 18s racing these days than ever before. LOL

Edited by Derwent Motorsport, 14 November 2013 - 09:46.

Rod, yes I'm sure it must have been. Funnell had a specialist Minor garage at Houghton on the Hill on the A47 east of Leicester, still there I believe.   

Thanks Dan, must be old age but I'm getting more and more interested in what became of people I knew 40+ years ago! I recently saw the name of a girlfriend from that era come up when I was googling something. I emailed, "Were you the XXX reading  computer science at Leicester Poly in YYYY?" Yes she replied, who were you? A real impression I must have made!