Re: The joy of Engine-Cars

On Sat, 2 Nov 2024 21:30:39 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:

On 2 Nov 2024 19:25:27 GMT, rbowman wrote:
 

The Corvettes rules the straights but would get passed by Minis in the
corners.

 
Presumably those were Mini Coopers, not the regular Leyland Minis.
Regular Leyland engines were even worse than USian ones.

Yes, Mini Coopers, probably the S variant.  The B class Corvettes would
disappear on the straight leaving the Minis motoring along placidly. Then
came the turns. Different classes so they weren't racing each other but it
was amusing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lime_Rock_Park

It's a short track so handling trumps sheer power.  I never went to a name
brand race there. These were local SCCA races, many of the entries being
run what you brung. The group I went with ran a Super Seven with a
Cosworth engine so it was trailered. I won't say the car never saw a
public road but it wasn't street legal by any stretch. The track really
favored the Sevens. Not a lot of top speed but their acceleration would
still be acceptable today. Just as well the top speeds were limited; the
clamshell fenders tended to flap like a crow at speed.

I think my Toyota hatch is more in the spirit of the original Minis than
the pricey BMW versions. It's used for club racing in Japan and doesn't do
badly around corners even without a few TRD trinkets.