Thursday, 15 October 2009

Team Mini Sport at 2009 Tour of Mull Rally


Team Minisport.com were again on the Isle of Mull this October for the annual closed public road tarmac rally. This year was the 40th running of the event and featured two special stages along the harbour front and through the town of Tobermory. The remaining 15 stages were held over Friday night, Saturday daytime and into the wee small hours of Sunday before all the crews would get some well earned rest.


Team Minisport.com entered their four BMW Mini Cooper 'S' cars, which featured the Framor Garage supported car of Finzean based Martin Page and Dundee based co-driver Martin Cressey.


The first seven wet and slippery stages saw the teams lead car of Daniel Harper and Chris Campbell storm into 4th place ahead of a number of four wheel drive and World Rally Cars, while the number two car of John Cressey and Stan Quirk were unfortunate to lose their gearbox on stage two.  Meanwhile, Page and Cressey stuck their Cooper 'S' right on its nose over one of Mulls many humpback bridges but made it to main service with a very ill handling car. The Mini Sport mechanics repaired the loose supension and the crew continued free of time penalties.


With only a few hours sleep, Team Minisport.com took to the stages again, this time during daylight on the second leg of the rally. Harper and Campbell maintained their 4th spot over the next 5 stages and set 3rd fastest times on stages 8 and 10.


An overnight change of gearbox saw Cressey and Quirk return to the Trophy Rally, running alongside the main event and they quickly stormed into an early lead, over 3 minutes ahead of the next car.


Page and Cressey were meantime involved in a tight duel with team mates Ian and Gary Dawes, moving ahead of them by 15 seconds at the end of the daylight stages.


The final leg began again in the dark late on Staurday night and took the crews through the remaining five special stages starting with the 22 mile long Tuath/Calgary Stage. Page and Cressey went into the stage on a charge and were intent on making up more places in the dark.


A '4 left over crest' had Page and Cressey in an unplanned sideways slide down the stage for a brief moment but they got away with it. Harper and Campbell, meanwhile continued to show ferociously determined driving, with a 2nd fastest time on Stage 15. The Mini Sport detemination featured throughout the teams crews with Page and Cressey coming out of stage 14 just 10 seconds slower that that of the Dawes' and having to swerve to miss some loose cattle on another stage.


Final service at Craignure saw all four cars through with only routine checks and re-fueling carried out by the mechanics. With the Dawes' having now swapped the lead over Page and Cressey by 26 seconds, a focused and determined drive over the final Hill Road Stage was called for if Page and Cressay were to retake their lead in only one stage.


At the top of the Hill Road itself the weather turned nasty and a downpour of biblical proportions ensued. With visibility down to a matter of feet Page and Cressey plunged down the hairpins and along Glen Aros to the finish line, stopping the clocks 1 minute and 53 seconds faster than the Dawes' and securing the 2nd placed Mini Sport car home.


Harper and Campbell went on to finish 3rd overall with an incredible display of speed and car control and John Cressey and Stan Quirk won the Trophy Rally with Page and Dawes completing the four car finish with 16th and 17th in class respectively.


A fantastic result for Team Minisport.com with the whole team crowding onto the finish ramp to assist Harper and Campbell with the Champagne!


Tuesday, 13 October 2009

Mini Sport on Mull 2009




Congratulations to the Mini Sport Rally Team on the World Famous Tour of Mull 2009!

3rd - Car 8 - Daniel Harper/Chris Campbell
46th - Car 104 - Martin Page/Martin Cressey
48th - Car 88 - Ian Dawes/Gary Dawes

Trophy Rally - Car 19 - John Cressey/Stan Quirk

Thursday, 8 October 2009

Mini Sport at Tour of Mull 2009!






The 40th Anniversary of the Tour of Mull - Mini Sport has had a long association with the Tour of Mull, in fact throughout most of those 40 years, we have either competed or sponsored it, and often both.

This year is no exception with 4 cars competing again in 250bhp Mini Cooper S's


Look out for:

  • Daniel Harper (Mini Sport Engineering Director) & Chris Campbell in Car No 8
  • John Cressey & Stan Quirk - Car 19
  • Ian & Gary Dawes - Car 88
  • Martin Page & Martin Cressey - Car 104

Additional late news - due to a shortage of funds, last years winner Paul Mackinnon,  was facing the prospect of not being able to defend his crown, however Mini Sport have stepped and found the additional support needed for him to lead the 40th Tour of Mull rally away in Car No1.


Chris Harper (Mini Sport Sales Director) said
"With the long association that Mini Sport has had with the Tour of Mull, we didn't feel it was right that the 40th Tour of Mull should take place without last years winner and car No1. This is after all the No1 event in the rally calendar, is it not!"



"Additionally, we are pleased to help Paul as he is an outstanding talent and one of Mull's own, and as Mull has always given Mini Sport & the Harper family a very warm welcome with open arms, it is nice to be able to give something back"



Good luck to all the Mini Sport team.



Follow the event live this weekend (9-10 October 2009) at www.2300club.org/results/index.html

Wednesday, 7 October 2009

Mini 50th Hoodies Now Available!



The latest Mini Sport designed Mini 50th Hooded Tops are now available from the Mini Sport website. Available in Black, Stone or Pink and a range of sizes from Small to XXL.






Friday, 2 October 2009

BMW MINI 5mm Wheel Spacer Kit now available!


Hot off the production line at Mini Sport is this superb new Hub Centric alloy wheel spacer kit  complete with black extended wheel bolts.



A superb new product designed and developed by the Mini Sport Rally Team which specifically allows the fitment of 18" JCW and aftermarket wheels over the JCW Brembo big brake and other large caliper conversions.


Kit includes;

* 2 x 5mm black annodised aluminium hub centric wheels spacers - laser etched with Mini Sport logo and these are Made in the UK at our base in Padiham, UK.
* 8 x 33mm black M14 wheel bolts with 1.25 thread pitch (std length is 27mm) 17mm Hex bolt head and 60 degree taper.

This kit has been developed as a matched kit which extends the track by 5mm but also gives the safety of 5mm extended wheels bolts.

Each wheel bolt is manufactured and strength tested in Germany to TUV standards and made from 10.9 rolled steel.

This kit will fit all R55/R56/R57 MINIs from 2007 on.
Each kit will fit one pair of axles, eg front.